Childhood dreams brought back to life

10:32am Friday 21st December 2007

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A STOURBRIDGE born woman whose family made childhood dreams come true is searching for old friends from the region.

Esther Martin now lives in the American state of Florida but she grew up living in well-known toy store Shaw's on Lower High Street in the town.

In its heyday, the shop was a gold mine of gifts for youngsters and became famous throughout England during the 1930s.

Esther's father, Noel Shaw moved to Stourbridge after his marriage to Lal Sheward and opened his shop, at number 156, as a hairdressing salon along with his brothers, who were barbers by trade.

Esther was born in 1928 and during her early years the shop's main business changed from hairdressing to selling toys, which were made on the premises.

Esther said: "What a magical place for a child to grow up, while my school friends were living in pleasant but ordinary suburban houses, I had what seemed like an Alladin's Cave.

"The shop and living quarters were a warren of rooms and cubbyholes, secret hideaways and nooks and crannies.

"My father was a workaholic, he had a laboratory' in one of the cavernous lower rooms where he made weird concoctions for the hair - one was a patented mixture which he named Alopecine for alopecia.

"I don't know if they all worked but they sold well."

The business became so popular Noel expanded his premises into the next door building where 24 seamstresses made dolls clothes for a company Noel set up called Dolgar.

Business boomed until the start of World War II when Dolgar was forced to make cases for gas masks, although Noel kept some connection with toys by making miniature cases for dolls.

As the war went on, the toy shop was declared a luxury trade and prohibited, a development which came as a bitter blow for Noel.

Esther said: "It was sad to say goodbye to the many young people who had been part of our staff for so long, they were like family.

"Noel, whose heart I think was broken to see his life's dreams lost, went to work in a munitions factory."

Noel died suddenly aged 43 and the shop, which ironically is now once again a hair salon, was sold shortly after the end of the war although Esther's aunt Babs ran a toy shop in Lye until her death in her late 70s.

After going to Stourbridge School of Art and Design Esther got married and emigrated to Canada in the early 50s.

Anyone wishing to get in touch with Esther can do so via e-mail on jandemm@verizon.net

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