Bloomfields

Company History: The business was started in 1916 by John Bloomfield, who after being invalided out of the army during the First World War and being unable to find a job, decided to start a removals business, beginning with a hand cart. This very quickly expanded into furniture sales, mostly second hand, from the premises where he lived and as Paul Bloomfield his grandson recalled, "John would sell almost anything which often included items from his own home, so my grandmother never quite knew what would be missing when she returned home". In 1920, Bloomfields moved to their current premises in the High Street and it was not long before John's son Stanley was working with his father and as he said "was born into the business" and remembers packing his first box of china at the age of nine. During the years that followed, the shop expanded into several adjoining premises previously occupied by a radio shop, hairdressers and corn merchants. In the 1960s, the shop was totally modernised providing extensive showrooms with easy parking outside or at the rear of the premises. By 1986, Stanley's son Paul was in charge of the business which was still expanding, along with the removals side and it was in 1971 the fourth generation of Bloomfield, Stephen, was born. Today, the retail side is run by Paul and his wife Brenda whilst Stephen, the Great Grandson of the founder, is in charge of the removals and storage.

Brief History: The United Kingdom, made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, is an island nation in northwestern Europe. England – birthplace of Shakespeare and The Beatles – is home to the capital, London, a globally influential centre of finance and culture. England is also site of Neolithic Stonehenge, Bath’s Roman spa and centuries-old universities at Oxford and Cambridge.