Number 89

Please note that all dates are approximate.

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2026 © P Russell

From before 1900 numbers 89 & 91 were owned by John S Millar ironmonger but although 91 was let out to other businesses, when 91 was empty Millars would take over both. With a workshop to the rear and warehouses in Conchies Court (at the back of 83/85 in Downie's Wynd) it was a large business. Unfortunately, some adverts don't specify which number on the High Street they relate to!! In the 1940 Valuation Rolls they have 89 as empty, but shows the War Department using the shop and showroom in 1944/5.

1905 J S(Smith) Millar & Son Ironmonger, plumber

Memories: Col Millar was a Territorial Army Officer who also bought Number 91 and made them into one shop. He had an office upstairs and two typists, Jean Warwick & Molly Black, who looked after accounts and wages. The shop had a large cellar with part windows at street level and was mainly dedicated to nails and bolts, of which there was a huge variety, eg 'cup-square-square', hex-round-hex.
Shop hours were 8am - 6pm Monday-Wednesday, 8am-1pm Thursday (half day in Annan), 8am-7pm Friday, 8am-8pm Saturday. It was the custom then for the manager to go home about 9 o'clock for tea/breakfast - when workers would set the shop to rights - often studying the racing pages!

Memories: There were four ironmongers in the town at this time who all kept a huge range of household, builder & farm ironmongery - nails, screws, bolts, hinges, locks, pans, pails, baths, fencing, barbed wire, netting, kitchen & garden tools, soap, candles, paraffin, fire lighters, gas mantles etc. However each shop had their own specialities - Millar's was windmills and water pumps, which they made themselves. They were also plumbers, with the shop at the top of the close, in the care of Mr Tinning with Davie Warren & Tommy Thompson (he was the windmill specialist) as the plumbers with an apprentice called 'Bottle' Henderson.

Memories: The manager of the shop for a time was Mr McCulloch followed by Mr Simpson. Henry Kean was the time-served ironmonger assisted by Angus Bryson, Alex Blaylock, Robert Armstrong & Roy Cooper, his apprentices. Apprentices wages started at 6 shillings a week rising by annual increments of 2 shillings over 4 years.

1942 Empty

1943 War Department

1946/7 Hoddom & Kinmount Estates

1947 Frood, Photographic Service, Printer

Memory: Brothers John & Charles Frood bought 89/91 from Colonel Miller

Memory: In 1968 after the death of John Frood his wife Beryl continued to run the stationery side of the business while Charles continued the printing. They sold the business in 1984. Charles eventually died in 1987 and Beryl in 2017.

In 1984 the firm known as John Frood Printers & Stationers was sold as a going concern to the wholesale firm of Herbert Matthews from Blackburn. George Johnstone and Jeanette Dalgleish (long term employees) continued to operate the printing side under the name JD Print when it was decided not to continue print operations under the John Frood name. Their print operations were only accessible from Conchie's Court. When the stationery side of the business was put up for sale the new owners requested vacant possession and JD Print moved to premises at the top of Port St.
Herbert Matthews soon sold 89/91 which were then rented out by the new owner.

1989 Empty

1993 J&E Mackie

Memories: The area in front of this shop was the old pig market. Ted Latimer also had a fish van here on Friday and Saturday mornings and Jimmy Steele had hot dogs here at night.

2016 Xtra Special Annan Hardware