History
Ravens Southend – The Old And The New
Ravens, one of Southend’s major retail landmarks, has been a magical place of glittering gifts and classic clothing for over a century. And this month sees the latest in its history of moving with the times with a major expansion of its popular womenswear department.
Like today, the 1890s was a decade of regeneration and boom for the seaside town of Southend, which represented a great opportunity for entrepreneurs, such as the young Percy Raven.
Although he was only in his early 20s when he opened the first Ravens store at number 48 High Street in 1897, he had already created a name for himself as a quality draper. In 1900 he expanded the Ravens empire by purchasing an old teabar at number 90 High Street, which he would soon redevelop to create Southend’s first department store.
Percy and his wife Gertrude Ellen Marshall had five children - Cecil, born in 1899, Douglas in 1901, Irene in 1905, Bernard in 1907 and Ronald in 1917. All of the Raven sons followed their father into the hosiery and drapery trade, as did two of Percy’s brothers, Harry, born in 1883 and Fred in 1878. Fred lived with Percy and his family and managed Ravens’ juvenile outfitters, which had opened at 124 High Street, Southend, until joining the army in 1914. He fought alongside his nephew, Cecil, at Flanders and was tragically killed. Cecil went on to receive the Military medal with bar.
Far from destroying the family business, war had the opposite effect. Army officers received an allowance to have uniforms tailored and to buy equipment. Ravens began to advertise as a ‘civil and military tailor’, and supplied uniforms for all services, including women’s, until 1949.
After 20 years in Southend, Ravens had become the town’s leading hosiery and outfitting business. In addition to the two main shops in the High Street, from 1913 a branch at 11 Southchurch Road provided a range of more everyday items and working clothes. And in 1913 Ravens opened in Hamlet Court Road, Westcliff, which had, by then, become a Mecca for discerning shoppers.
Ravens Rivals Selfridges
The opening of Selfridges In Oxford Street prompted Percy Raven to rethink his style of retailing. So when number 92 High Street came up for sale in 1924, he bought it and carried out a total rebuilding project across the two premises, which resulted in a shop the like of which had never been seen in Essex
A building of opulence that could only be rivalled by the nearby picture palaces, Ravens was more than just a shop. Whilst menswear and tailoring continued to be a mainstay of the business, ladies and children’s wear were a popular addition. Upstairs housed a ballroom and restaurant, which doubled as a place for shoppers to eat and a function room for weddings and other such occasions.
The lower ground floor contained a men’s hairdressing salon and the town’s biggest toyshop.
Ravens remained in this premises until 1935, after which the store had many retail uses. In 1996 it was taken over by Dixons, and can still be recognised by its eye-catching façade.
Concentrating on the major flagship store in the High Street, the Hamlet Court Road shop was shut when its lease ran out in 1930. The Southchurch Road shop, managed by Bernard Raven, continued until 1937. Bernard opened Ravens in Eastborne in October that year, and subsequently went on to become Mayor of Eastborne from 1963-65.
2005 And Beyond
Over fifty years since its opening, the Clifftown Road store has been refitted to reflect the needs and desires of today’s discerning customers. Neil and Marian Raven look forward to the challenges and opportunities that their newly-expanded and refurbished store will bring.
Now their children Hannah, aged 23, and twin sons, James and Paul, 20, help out when occasion allows, the Ravens dynasty can show five generations of retail excellence since Percy Raven opened the first Ravens store in 1897.
With the future certainly looking very positive indeed, who knows – there could well be a Ravens store in Southend for another 100 years or more.
Two New Stores In Southend
The sale of 90-92 High Street in 1935 was big news to the people of Southend. Ravens had purchased a row of six small shops on the south side of Victoria Circus, which were demolished to make way for yet another state-of-the-art retail emporium.
The new store was opened in July the same year and included Southend’s first formal wear hire department. In 1945 Percy Raven was 70, which meant that keeping the family business operating on such a scale was impossible.
So in 1947 Horne Brothers, London-based, quality outfitters took over the store employing existing staff including Cecil and Douglas Raven.
When Cecil Raven’s son, Roy, finished his national service he joined his father in developing two vacant shops in Clifftown Road into the Ravens store still operating today. Opened in 1952, it initially returned to the Ravens’ specialities of tailoring and dress hire, but as the economy recovered more top quality menswear appeared.
Ravens underwent major changes after Cecil Raven retired in 1968. A new shoe department enabled the store to offer male customers clothing ‘from head to toe’. Roy Raven continued as Managing Director and was joined in 1976 by his son, Neil, who was born above the Clifftown Road shop in 1956.
Neil’s particular influences have included the development of the gift department into one of the county’s best for finding ‘something for the person who has everything’ and introducing kingsize menswear up to a 60 inch waist and chest.