55 High Street
Mercer and draper William Good occupied this building from 1839, followed by Anna Good in the 1860s and William Good in the 1880s. He was succeeded by GJ Keddie in 1895, another mercer and draper, and then a Post Office from 1905 to 1960 (when it moved next door). Violet Bennett worked here during the First World War and was one of the first women to be employed by the GPO, learning morse code in order to send and receive telegraph messages. Also the organist at the Catholic church, Violet appeared in the Guinness Book of Records in 1991 at the age of 101 as the oldest practising church organist. It is now Prezzo.
56 and 57 High Street
These buildings were two residences until 1939, when the Wessex Electricity Co moved in, followed by the Southern Electricity Board in the 1950s. They are now occupied by Cook.
Mrs Russell who ran a boarding house at Nos 56-57, is shown here in these photos from the 1930s.
