In article , Andrew
writes
Do you know, I always wondered where the name of Staples Corner came from, I
felt it couldn't be after the office equipment/stationery company, in spite
of their presence.

I'm not sure when the furniture store closed. Guessing wildly, perhaps
15 years ago? I'd be interested to know if anyone remembers which corner
of the junction had the Staples store, and did it close before or after
the E/W North Circular flyover was built.

The office equipment store was their 2nd or 3rd in the UK [I forget if
it or the Cambridge one opened earliest]. Oddly, the PC World across the
road was also the third one of those (and before it was bought by
Dixons), the first being Croydon, second at Lakeside.

The Staples was built on the site of the former B&Q which was damaged by
the IRA bombing of the flyover (Oct 8th 93), and without doing more
research probably opened in the summer of 94 (that N/S flyover was still
closed). B&Q didn't want to redevelop the site as they were only opening
"B&Q Depots" at the time, and the site wasn't big enough.
--
"now, the thing you type on and the window you stare out of are the same thing"

In article ,
Roland Perry wrote:

The office equipment store was their 2nd or 3rd in the UK [I forget if
it or the Cambridge one opened earliest].

The office equipment store in Cambridge opened when I was a fourth year
student; late 93 or early 94. Before that it was a DIY store -
Homebase? Before they took over Texas and moved to the Beehive? I could be
wrong.

Gareth
--
http://www.rumnies.com/ Gareth Marlow
__________________________________________________ ____________________

C-3P0:I do believe they think I am some kind of god.

In article , Gareth Marlow
writes
The office equipment store in Cambridge opened when I was a fourth year
student; late 93 or early 94.

Sounds plausible. And probably makes it the second.

Before that it was a DIY store -
Homebase? Before they took over Texas and moved to the Beehive? I could be
wrong.

I wasn't around Cambridge in those days. Before that it was a Car
Showroom (as was that row of shops in Jesus Lane).
--
"now, the thing you type on and the window you stare out of are the same thing"

On Mon, 1 Sep 2003 15:01:13 +0100, Roland Perry
wrote:



The Staples was built on the site of the former B&Q which was damaged by
the IRA bombing of the flyover (Oct 8th 93), and without doing more
research probably opened in the summer of 94 (that N/S flyover was still
closed). B&Q didn't want to redevelop the site as they were only opening
"B&Q Depots" at the time, and the site wasn't big enough.


I do believe that's where the original Staples was. Unless my mind is
playing tricks with me vis-a-vis the current Staples. ISTR it had a
biege facade and signeage mentioning "Beds" and "Furniture".

I've definitely seen the Staples store, and AIR there were no
commercial buildings on the NCR adjacent to the bottom end of the M1
extension, and on the opposite side of the Edgware Road to the
Staples/BQ/Staples site there was just railway yards and depots behind
hoardings.


Unless I'm wrong. It was 1971! ;-)

DG

In article , derek
writes
on the opposite side of the Edgware Road to the
Staples/BQ/Staples site there was just railway yards and depots behind
hoardings.

That's where the PC World, and number of other "American Style"
superstores and eateries are, today.
--
"now, the thing you type on and the window you stare out of are the same thing"

derek wrote:


I've definitely seen the Staples store, and AIR there were no
commercial buildings on the NCR adjacent to the bottom end of the M1
extension, and on the opposite side of the Edgware Road to the
Staples/BQ/Staples site there was just railway yards and depots behind
hoardings.


Unless I'm wrong. It was 1971! ;-)

That's wot I recall FWIW. We had a parking yard for our trucks on land
that is now part of the roundabout for the end of the M! (the initial
version of the roundabout not the multiplex junction there is now.

On Mon, 1 Sep 2003 15:01:13 +0100, Roland Perry wrote:
In article , Andrew
writes
Do you know, I always wondered where the name of Staples Corner came from, I
felt it couldn't be after the office equipment/stationery company, in spite
of their presence.

I'm not sure when the furniture store closed. Guessing wildly, perhaps
15 years ago?

Staples Mattress moved from Staples Corner to Huntingdon in 1986
acording to http://www.myersbeds.co.uk/st_staplescorner.html

I'd be interested to know if anyone remembers which corner
of the junction had the Staples store, and did it close before or after
the E/W North Circular flyover was built.

The myersbeds page refers to a northbound flyover opening in 1976
but I assume that is the A5.

David

Roland Perry wrote...

Andrew writes:

Do you know, I always wondered where the name of Staples Corner came
from, I
felt it couldn't be after the office equipment/stationery company, in
spite
of their presence.

No - Staples was a company making mattresses (and perhaps other bed
components), wasn't it? If the Staples office-equipment chain now has a
store there, I'm sure that's just a spooky coincidence.

As for the mattress factory, that is exactly what the junction *was* named
after. Many well-known London road-junctions were similarly named after
business premises located there. Two other obvious examples are "Henly's
Corner" (a mile or so east along the NCR from Staple's Corner, named after
the car-dealers) and "Gardner's Corner" (the junction of Whitechapel Road
and Commercial Road, named after the long-demolished department store which
previously stood on the triangular site).

I'm not sure when the furniture store closed. Guessing wildly, perhaps
15 years ago? I'd be interested to know if anyone remembers which corner
of the junction had the Staples store, and did it close before or after
the E/W North Circular flyover was built.

I'm pretty sure the Staples mattress factory building was on the south-west
side of the junction of A406/A5, that is on the left when proceeding north
along the A5 or when proceeding west along the NCR. I don't know when it
closed. It's so long since I passed that particular spot that I'm sure it
was still standing when I was last there.

In article , JNugent
eeofspamserve.co.uk writes
I'm pretty sure the Staples mattress factory building was on the south-west
side of the junction of A406/A5, that is on the left when proceeding north
along the A5 or when proceeding west along the NCR.

That's where the current Staples (Office) store is. Ex B&Q. Spooky
perhaps, but having been close to the business at the time they just
chose an available site (because of the IRA bomb) at a high traffic
location.
--
"now, the thing you type on and the window you stare out of are the same thing"