Brian Ford's Discount Store.

Home Go back.

Here are some pictures from Brian Ford's. There are more, but finding and sorting them will take time. These pictures were taken on the last day of opening, which didn't really capture the magnificence that was this shop in better days. The pictures were taken almost on a whim as I wasn't really prepared for any serious photography at that time (hence the quality of some of the pictures).

Above, (ref BF10-D2) A Brian Ford's mushroom bag.

Above: I wanted the roughest trolley I could find. Let's enter the shop.

First, the handle of a shopping trolley. I assume this trolley is a generic model by Wanzl, I can't say which model as I'm not much of a trolley nerd. Most of the trolleys were quite clean, but I wanted the dirtiest trolley handle I could find as I was going through a phase of photographing urban decay, grime, etc. I thought (then!) that this trolley handle was great.

Above: The start of the Brian Ford's shopping experience.

Above is the entrance to the main shopping area (after the news/magazines/tobacco kiosk). Originally this area continued toward the far wall behind the crates, this distant area seemingly being the homeware department. There could be found things like slippers, toasters, fax machines, and phones (although not typically mobile ones, more on that later).

Above: Looking beyond the crates toward the back.

The picture above is a better view showing the area behind the crates seen in the earlier picture. I can't remember exactly what the layout was here, there were definitely domestic/homeware things but I seem to remember also bread, or flour (maybe sugar) against the very far wall.

Above: A view along one of the few remaining stocked aisles.

Above is one of the few remaining stocked aisles. By this point, the vast majority of the shelves were empty. The black square in the distance covers the window of the Dairy Room.

Above: A view looking back towards the entrance.

The picture above shows a view looking from around the area in front of the (once) phone shop looking back toward the main entrance.

Above: Some of the sign boards, from the wrong angle.

The rather cryptic view above shows some of the sign boards on the wall, to the left of the entrance to the main shopping area.

Above: Looking towards the phone shop (on right).

Above shows the back aisle/corridor looking toward the phone shop, with the Dairy Room to the immediate right. Empty aisles are on the left. The red veiled area (beneath the Tackle Shop sign) to the left of the Dairy Room black doors was once the phone/tackle shop.

Above: Entrance (L-R) to (once) phone/tackle shop, and Dairy Room.

Above shows the entrance to what was once the phone shop (then a fishing equipment shop), and the entrance to the Dairy Room (closed).

Above: The sign for the DAIRY ROOM.

Above is the sign for the Dairy Room itself. I'd really like to know who made these signs, they seem to be of a style once seen in markets throughout the country. Some supermarkets have tried to emulate this style sign, badly.

Above: Sign indicating new (final) location of Dairy Room merch.

Above is one of the signs on the Dairy Room doors, informing people where the last vestiges of Dairy Room merch could be found. It was an odd situation, because Brian Ford's had two chiller areas; The Dairy Room, and another chilled section with deli counter.

Above: View showing fruit/veg department.

The picture above shows the other chilled area, with fruit/veg to the left. The deli counter is to the right, with waist-high freezers in the foreground. Behind the deli were more chiller cabinets for yoghurt/milk/etc.

Above: The deli (far right) near friut and veg.

Above is another picture of the fruit/veg area. This can be seen toward the very back left of the previous picture. To the right are the deli counter cabinets. Further right (out of the picture) are the chest freezers.

Above: Stickers. Brian Ford's was an independent supermarket.

Above: Brian Ford's had very much a local vibe, and if it wasn't the biggest independent supermarket it was certainly one of the biggest. Other surviving independent supermarkets include CK's (Wales), and my last experience of their St. Davids branch was uncannily reminiscent of being at Brian Ford's.

Above: More hand-painted art.

Above: These hand made signs were everywhere.

Above: Deli counter ticket machine.

The picture above shows a ticket dispenser for the deli counter. I seem to remember most supermarket deli counters had ticket service, something which seems to have almost disappeared today. (I wonder if J.D. Wetherspoon could take advantage of this system, to help reduce the anarchy that exists in many branches at certain times.)

Above: Another view of deli ticket dispenser and backboard.

Above, another view of the ticket dispenser.

Above: 2 litre milk bottles, among others.

Above: Note, what appears to be a 4 pint milk bottle is actually a 2 litre one. In reality this is less than 4 pints, an actual 4 pint bottle holding an extra 272ml.

Above: 1 pint milk bottles, with intermediate-type lids.

Above: Interestingly, the bottles here seem to have lids of a type which suggests that processes to reduce the amount of plastic used in milk bottles were starting to be used by this point (see here). I think the dairy code here is NV001.

Above: Alcohol area. RU18.

The picture above shows the alcohol sales area. This area had its own wood theme like many supermarket alcohol/wine sales areas.

Above: The Coffee Pot cafe.

Above: The Coffee Pot, the Brian Ford's cafe. The place where you could buy a cheese and ham toastie (with a coffee) for less than the price of a return bus ticket to Barnstaple.

Above: The Coffee Pot menu.

Above: The Coffee Pot price list. I challenge any supermarket cafe to match those prices.

Above: You may telephone from here.

Above: You may telephone from here! It's always good to know there's a telephone available.

BF10-D1 Receipt from Brian Ford's Discount Store, 18/6/2010.

[Above] This is a receipt from Brian Ford's Discount Store. There are pictures to follow in due course. (Incidentally, the cash point outside the main entrance ran OS/2— I noticed the boot splash whilst it was running an update.)

Home Go back.