There has been a lot of discussion about Frome's lack of business, with several shops now up for sale, including the long-term empty Shoe Zone building on the corner of Market Place. *

Part of the issue has been around the row about parking in the town, added to which come August 23 the last remaining bank, Barclays will be shutting its doors, leaving businesses with few options about where to bank their cash takings.

It is not just empty shops that are making people question whether Frome can still be called a market town, but also the lack of variety, with complaints tht all the town really has now is coffee and charity shops.

By way of contrast this is how the town looked in 1957 according to the front cover of the directory of businesses of Frome.

Sweets - ladies clothes - televisions - elastic items !

Thank you to Somerset History and Mystery for digging up this gem of a booklet, the yellow pages of their day.

One very interesting business, selling elasticated hosiery, the N.F. Maggs chemist up on 20 Bath Street in Frome. This is that address today - empty since the fancy dress hire shop Absolutely Fabulous left in October 2022.

This is that shop today.

Maggs was established in 1814 and eventually closed in 1976 so an amazingly long time in the town.

Could rates be putting off businesses?

According to the archive at Frome museum. rates were a little lower in 1957. The paper reported in March that year : Frome General Rate to be 19/6 in the pound plus Water Rate of 10d in the pound, giving a total of £1/0/4 in the pound, an increase of ¼d. Of this 14/4 is the County Rate, 5/2 is the Local Rate.

*Shoe Zone closed in 2017, the building including the offices above are now for sale by Cooper & Tanner