Former business owner Elinor Hughes’s memories of Temple Street have prompted other residents to say what they remember.

Writing on Facebook, Peter James Evans recalled Ken and Margaret Richards’ butcher’s shop on the corner with the car park, which is now Northcott Brothers Funeral Directors.

Teresa Willey remembered the DIY store next to the police station and how Woolcombe House, now home to Sidmouth Town Council, used to be the museum.

Stuart Hughes said: “There was also the dairy, which operated from what is now Temple Mews. Some thought it should have been named Temple Moos.”

Speaking to the Herald earlier this month, Elinor Hughes – the retired owner of what was the Temple Café – had remembered the Hargreaveses owning the grocery store, but Sidford Women’s Institute president Marion Baker said that was only a trading name, and her husband’s family owned it. Mrs Baker also recalled that the Temple Café had been owned by the Freemans and, before it sold fish and chips, it was a drapers shop.

Vicki Marshall moved from London to Temple Street in 1958, where her father opened an antiques shop under his Christian names, Laurie Charles.

Next door was Baker’s dairy and grocery, which went on to become Clifford’s, then an exclusive wine shop, and now The Gearbox.

She recalls Spar when it was a bakery, and the few quaint cottages in a ‘sorry state’ that were demolished to make way for the supermarket. Mrs Marshall said she would love to see a photo of those homes.

Also remembering the Hargreaves shop on Facebook, Alvin H Barratt said: “Not forgetting Hargreaves Stores, the corner shop opposite WV Fish.

“A man would go round on his push bike calling on customers, sit in the kitchen while you checked your larder, writing your order in his little ‘Winfield’ notepad, which would then be delivered a couple of days later.”

Chris Johahnsen said he worked in the Temple Café when he was about 16 and Chris Vanstone praised it as the ‘best chippie in town’.