Window cleaning firm and chip shop

Corner of Nottingham Road and Morley Street

PETER Hollis has contacted Looking Back after seeing the old Echo picture of Loughborough Emmanuel Boys Club, dating back to 1932.

Peter said: “It was great to see this picture in the Echo, we lost our copy a few years back.

“My father is on the back row to the left of the goalkeeper. He was Raymond Charles Joseph Hollis, but most people would have may known him as Charlie or even Mr Mason.

“I have had an e-mail from my sister in Florida who thinks the guy in the centre of the front row is my uncle Joe Wilmot.

“It appears the Emmanuel football team was the start of mum (Phyllis Hollis nee Wilmot) and dad’s romance, as it was through Joe that mum and dad met.

“We owned the chip shop (111 Nottingham Road) on the corner of Nottingham Road and Morley Street. It seems dad kept the kids of Morley Street going with his generosity by slipping in fish with their batter bits!

In the day my father was a contract window cleaner, cleaning most of the public buildings from Melton to Coalville and Ashby.

Dad had taken his uncle’s (J Mason) window cleaning rounds over pre-war and by family history built it up to eventually employ 13 staff. This all came to a stop with the war with my mother cleaning windows to try to keep it going.

“I remember being in Mr Horner’s English class at Garendon and dad appearing at the window, leather and shammy (chamois leather) in hand, three floors up on a wooden ladder!.

“If anyone has a picture of Old “Morley Street” with the shop at the end I’d love a copy.

• Can you help Peter with a photo?

Maybe you can remember the chip shop?

Please contact Andy Rush at Looking Back on 01509 635802.

E-mail andy.rush@reachplc.com Loughborough Emmanuel Boys FC back in 1932

Peter Hollis’s dad, Charlie, from Loughborough, was a contract window cleaner. Peter says that this picture shows his mother Phyllis cleaning windows to try to keep the firm going with the advent of the war.