The ‘Trewins’ tale began in 1880 when Cornishman Arthur Trewin bought a small draper’s shop in Queens Road. Seven years later, he opened the newly-built Osborne House at 26/28 Queens Road, near the Derby Road intersection. Close to the Post Office and the Wesleyan Church across the road, it was a time when Queens Road boasted a wealth of individual traders and a dedicated clientele.
The striking frontage measured 54-feet and had large, tastefully-dressed display windows. The roomy interior was well-stocked with several departments that sold goods according to the season. The premises were further extended to 20, 22, 28a and 30 Queens Road, whilst an additional 63 feet by 30 feet development at the rear provided a showroom for costumes and millinery and showrooms for ladies’ outfitting, as well as living accommodation for staff members.
In the early days, the shop specialised in general drapery, millinery and fancy goods, dress and mantle making, ladies’ hosiery, gloves and mourning clothes. Suitable materials for the latter were stocked and assistants promptly responded to letters or telegrams from ladies living at a distance who wished to make purchases. Dressmaking materials of ‘good lines’ were sold and the proximity to London enabled Arthur Trewin to rapidly adopt new styles and fashions by make or material.
A popular venue for shoppers, he noted ‘it is sufficient to say that every lady in Watford and around knows all about the styles and range of fashions.
