A b o u t  S t r i c k l a n d  &  H o l t

The firm has bucked the trend to become a modern, fun and varied business four generations on. Founded in l852 by Oliver Strickland , wine and spirit merchant and John Holt, Pharmacist the firm has a fascinating history. The town centre property runs down to the River Tees and the warehousing and quay on the riverside received sherry, port and claret from Europe for bottling and labeling. Tinned fruit was imported from Spain and Portugal and own brand whisky was blended and bottled "HOB NOB" for Holts own blend, no other better! The wines, spirits and groceries were sold as far afield as Wensleydale, Swaledale, Westerdale and Bilsdale. At one time the firm had its own Pub. A glance at the old accounts gives a fascinating insight into the liquor prices in 1899 - 12 bottles of claret £1.10s, 2 gallons of rum £1.12s, a gallon of scotch whisky £1.06d, 6 gallons of gin £3.18s, 100 Havanna cigars 17s - Happy days!

In 1891 Oliver Strickland died of pneumonia caught while trying to save stock in one of the devastating floods to hit Yarm. The business was continued by John Holt who was joined by his son Charles and then by his nephew John, also a pharmacist, in 1938. John Holt senior and Junior involved themselves with the institutions of the ancient township and had friends and business connections all over the world. The Strickland family now lives in Canada but the connections and friendship is kept alive with correspondence and visits.

The duties of the town pharmacist were busy and varied. On call to dispense urgent medicines at any hour it was important to the family to live beside the business. The mixing of medicines and ointments was a precise art and some pills and capsules were made in the dispensary to exact recipes. Several favourite remedies were unique to the shop and the own brand bronchial mixture famous in the area. Teeth were extracted, sick animals put down, shotgun cartridges made, soda siphons filled and bottles of sherry, port and claret filled from huge barrels, labelled and corked. John Holt junior developed and printed many of the town's photographs - never a dull moment.

The business has changed rapidly in the last 30 years. The pharmacy has been sold to Boots and one of John Holt's daughters runs the shop which has become a valued individual department store attracting customers from all over the area. The very personal choice of merchandise gives the fashion, card, gift, toy and food departments a different look and the shop is often called an Aladdins Cave as each exciting department leads to another filled with varied and unusual gifts from around the world. The owners have also developed Poppy, a design led childrenswear company making dresses from their own prints on fine cotton - www.poppy-children.co.uk and the current collection is always on sale in the shop in Yarm.

Strickland & Holt is a fashionable store with the feel of fun and a friendly atmosphere long lost in some towns. Yarm, with its Georgian high street set in an oxbow in the river Tees is a delight and well worth a visit. This foray into the internet will herald access to a new market place. We cannot send you the sounds smells and our friendly atmosphere down the line but hope one day you will be able to visit us.