Iveson's Carpets by Alison Iveson

My name is Alison Iveson.

For many years, my husband Mark’s family had a shop on Drake Street in Rochdale, dating back to the early 1800s.

To begin with it was a saddlery, however over the years the business expanded to sell a whole range of home furnishings. By the time of the First World War, Ivesons claimed that they could furnish any house from top to bottom. They sold furniture, carpets, linoleum, curtains, blinds, china and glassware, domestic appliances and baby goods.

By 1930, the firm was supplying carpets, curtains, blinds and linoleum to larger building than homes such as cinemas and hospitals and, as you see in the photos in front of you, to Rochdale Town Hall.

The photos show Ivesons staff fitting a bespoke carpet to the Council Chamber towards the end of 1951.

Sadly, as with many family businesses, times and shopping habits changed and the business closed towards the end of the 1990s. Its iconic building on Drake Street fell into disrepair and had to be demolished.

The family is, nevertheless, proud to have been one of the longest privately-owned department stores in Rochdale and also to have been able to contribute furnishings to its wonderful town hall.

My husband still sells blinds and curtains today for a more national company and he often comes across customers with a long memory and who bought their house furnishings from Ivesons.