Handleys of Southsea was originally a Southsea and Portsmouth shopping institution located on the corner of Palmerston Road and Osborne Road. George Handley opened his store in 1869 and stocked pretty much everything but it was completely destroyed in bombing during World War II. After the war Handley’s was rebuilt on the same site and then in the 1970s finally disappeared from the street’s of Portsmouth when it became part of Debenhams, which it still is to this day. ‘Handleys Corner’ is still used by some locals for the bus stop area outside Debenhams.
You don’t often see many objects or items from Handleys these days but recently Dave Wiseman discovered an original Handleys paper bag in a drawer which is a real flashback to a different time in the city’s history. The bag also has ‘Southsea, The Hub of Hampshire’ as part of the artwork too, a great motto for the city at that time. A huge thank you to Dave for sending in the photos of the bag and allowing us to share them.
Anne Wren
5 September
Is there any truth in the story that a servant of George Handley hanged herself because she had been made pregnant by his son?
Jan Henderson
18 June
I have many happy memories of Handleys from my childhood in the sixties. Having cream cakes on the top floor fancy cafe with my mother and gran, or the cafe on the first floor that had fake fruit hangs from the ceiling. The carpets were thick and green and I remember the varnished bannister handles and the lifts.
Janet Henderson
18 June
I have many happy memories of Handleys from my childhood in the sixties. Having cream cakes on the top floor fancy cafe with my mother and gran, or the cafe on the first floor that had fake fruit hangs from the ceiling. The carpets were thick and green and I remember the varnished bannister handles and the lifts.
Gill Drage
20 February
I went to work at Handleys before it was re built and all the departments were in small empty shops around the erea,
I was in the corner shop ,in the material and paper pattern department. Mr Pocock was our buyer/ boss, a very nice man.
Once the new store was built we had a busy but fun weekend moving into the new store.
A lot of memories. I stayed until I was married ,In 1963 and moved to Coventry. Thank you .Gill Drage/Griffiths
Abigail Wallace
10 August
My maternal grandfather, Charles Stephens, was a buyer for Handleys. In the 50s and 60s I would say. I think Haberdashery.
Eliza Bliss
11 February
I have many fond memories of being taken to the posh cafe on the top floor in the 60s and 70’s. Waitresses were in uniform with frilly caps and aprons. There were huge ornaments of china fruit piled into a cone. I had my first knickerbocker glory, at huge expense for my grandparents as it was nearly 10 shillings (50p)! Christmas at Handley’s was magical. Their impressive staircase had mechanical characters and decorations hanging down through the centre from the top floor. People flocked to creep up the stairs slowly to see everything. Amazing memories ❤️