Roper's Store, Normans Road, Bryndwr, Christchurch
Roper's Store, Normans Road, Bryndwr, Christchurch
[1957]
This area of Bryndwr (later Elmwood) was once a farm owned by William Francis Warner (1836-1896) of Warner's Hotel. The farmhouse, built around 1880, later became the store on Normans Road (formerly Green's Lane). Alf and Ethel Roper took over the business in 1932. At that time it was half grocery and half commercial lending library, and right on the bus terminal where the tarseal ended and a shingle road began. After World War Two the suburban store came into its own and there were four additions to the building over a period of years. In 1957 it was decided to expand the shop into a more modern self-service grocery store. Paul Pascoe was commissioned to design Roper's Foodmarket. He had been the architect for the Harewood Airport building and the chapel at Arthur's Pass and wanted to maintain an interest in smaller buildings too. In the photograph taken near the building site are, shown from left: Ethel Roper, her son Keith Roper, Arthur Pimm and Jocelyn Green. The pile of bricks was for a proposed fireproof wall
File Reference CCL-KPCD07-0061
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