Colvin’s Ironmongery and General Store – Bridgegate

Colvin’s ironmongery and general store – which included the old Post Office in Bridgegate. The building was named ‘The Polytechnic’ – based on the same idea of the large department store in Glasgow, John Anderson’s ‘Royal Polytechnic Warehouse’, which opened in 1867. Neil Stirrat noted that ‘the first “Polytechnic” was also in Bridgegate across the road from the Delta Bar. It had a reputation second to none for service, and one could get anything literally from a needle to an anchor.’