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History (Part 2 / 3)

The business had succeeded by selling paints and varnish. After the First World War with trade in a healthy state, a decision was made to expand by moving into their manufacture. To this end, land on Little London Road in Sheffield was bought and in 1921 a paint mill and varnish kitchen were operating. In 1925 the firm was made into a limited company.

The next ten years brought new shops in Chesterfield, Sheffield, Wrexham, and Rotherham, and extensions to the paint factory.

In the forty years up to the outbreak of the Second World War the enterprise had become a limited company involved in retail and manufacture, and owning buildings and land in four towns.

The war, inevitably, brought change. Many of the employees were called up immediately, being in the Territorials, and others followed, although R. J. Stokes was eventually scheduled under an "Essential Works Order", which meant they were able to retain the remainder of their staff.

By order of the Ministry of supply all private sales of decorating materials were stopped, with the exception of those to be used to repair blitz damage. However, the company was appointed to manufacture camouflage paint to help protect the steel works. They also supplied many Army and Air Force units.

As with many towns and cities, Sheffield was heavily bombed during the war. Perhaps fortunately for the major war effort, the prime targets, the city's East End steelworks, went largely unscathed.

However, the paint factory, on the opposite side of town, was hit by German bombs on the night of May 9th. 1941.

Extensive damage was caused by the bombs and subsequent fire. Particularly the No. 1 Paint Mill and the stockroom and contents were destroyed.

This must have been an awful shock for Robert Stokes - half a lifetime's work destroyed in a single night.

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