Page 29 - Hindsight Issue 26 April 2020

PeoPLe
Page from the Phillips brochure produced for the opening of the store at 15 Abington Street, Northampton 1900
important town and was expanding rapidly and decided this would be an ideal place to start his own business.
on 7 January 1886 he opened his business on the first floor of an old warehouse in Dychurch Lane in the centre of northampton. It was not a good time to start a new business as it was a hard winter. According to his diary there was a great deal of snow in that month of January and his takings on his first day were 14s 111⁄2 (75p). However, business did improve and his eldest son Herbert joined the business; soon afterwards they moved into a disused Moravian Chapel, also in Dychurch Lane. As the business expanded, he opened a shop in newland street, Kettering in 1890 and another in the High street in Rushden in 1891.
In 1898, the northampton Corporation acquired the old Moravian Chapel and surrounding buildings for their new Fire station. this led to the business moving into temporary premises at 17 Abington street while a new store was under construction next door at number 15. Alexander ellis Anderson, a friend of Aaron designed the new store. Anderson later became responsible for the completion of 78 Derngate under instructions from Charles Rennie Mackintosh in 1917. the shop front had large windows for display on the ground floor and also on the
27