Shops - Premier Supermarkets

IN DEPTH

Illustrated film script of 'Time for Leisure' advertising Premier Supermarkets in 1957

VIDEOS

Promotional film produced by Turners Film Unit in 1957 advertising Premier Supermarkets, the first American style self-service retailing in Britain, with Express opening the first store in Streatham High Street, London, in 1951. The film features opening scenes of young women enjoying leisure time with family and friends contrasting with the effort involved in shopping before the advent of the supermarket. It also records the food production, processing and packaging industries that deliver to Premier Supermarket's warehouse at Ruislip, including Thorpe Lea Nurseries.

"TIME FOR LEISURE was produced by the Express Dairy Public Relations Department for Premier Supermarkets, runs for twelve minutes and was to be shown to people visiting our processing centres and also to Women's Institutes, Clubs and Guilds in the Greater London area. The film, which has a spoken commentary by Peter Haigh, explains to housewives the advantages of shopping in Premier Supermarkets by presenting graphically the various departments and products, and the services that are available. The main store scenes were shot in Kingston branch between 5.30 pm and midnight; other scenes were taken at Ruislip Stores, at Thorpe Lea Nurseries and at the Fatstock Marketing Corporation's depot in Salisbury. The biggest difficulty encountered in this production was the lighting requirements for the shopping scenes. The store was so big that the only way to obtain moving colour shots of the whole of it would have been to set up a complete replica at a film studio. As this would have cost our entire film budget for the next twenty years, we settled for medium shots and close-ups."

View video, from the North East Film Archive.

1950's Express Supermarkets delivery truck ?GF 764, Co: 1377. (Courtesy Richard Gaylard)

1950's Premier Supermarkets AEC 458 CXM at South Ruislip (Courtesy Wes Garlic)

1955 Seen at one of the many Lorry Driver of the Year competitions, this small Bedford supplied fruit and veg to the early Premier supermarkets, from their inception in 1955. Fleet no 1142 was new in June 1950, on chassis no OLAC142505, and was supplied by SMT Sales of Church Street, Carlisle, for £500, with the produce body adding a further £180. Disposal came in January 1959 to Hamptons, Fenstanton, for £110. (Courtesy The Express Dairy Motorised Fleet, Allan Bedford, Heritage Machines)

1956 Premier Supermarkets director A.F. Farnell attended the Third International Congress of Food Distribution in Rome, with Walter Nell and E.K. Robarts. (Express News September)

1956 Premier Supermarkets opened their 10th store in Reading, with 7000 people attending to watch 'Miss Reading' open the store, with Mr P.D. Galvani helping her make the first purchase, of a steak! (Express News September)

1957 Premier Supermarket in Kingston on Thames

1957 Premier Supermarkets-summary and description of ‘Time for Leisure’ film - Page 1

1957 Premier Supermarkets-summary and description of ‘Time for Leisure’ film - Page 2

1957 Premier Supermarkets-summary and description of ‘Time for Leisure’ film - Page 3

1957 Premier Supermarkets-summary and description of ‘Time for Leisure’ film - Page 4

1957 Public Relations Officer F.A. Barker explains the making of films for Express Dairy. (Express News March)

1957 Premier Supermarket sign

1957 Premier Supermarket Streatham. ‘Time for Leisure’ film (Yorkshire Film Archive)

1957 Premier Supermarkets ‘Time for Leisure’ film (Yorkshire Film Archive)

1957 Premier Supermarket Streatham. ‘Time for Leisure’ film (Yorkshire Film Archive)

1957 Premier Supermarket Streatham-Express Eggs for sale. ‘Time for Leisure’ film (Yorkshire Film Archive)

1957 Premier Supermarkets Logo

1958 Crawley supermarket has an illuminated wall map showing the origin of the 87 cheese varieties that it stocks. Sales Director A.F. Arnell and P.D. Galvani demonstrated. (Express News July)

1958 "Shoppers browsing the dairy counter at a newly opened self service food store in North London, probably Premier Supermarkets, 14th November 1958 (Courtesy www.mediastorehouse.com)

1958 Crawley Supermarket had a 'Record Rendez-Vous' where you could browse and buy records. (Express News December)

1959 Premier Supermarket opens in North End, Croydon, equipped with 'luxurious' restaurant 'The Horseshoe Room'. (Express News March)

1959 Premier Supermarkets dance at the Hammersmith Palais, with Miss Beryl Friedlander (Kingston cashier) being awarded the 'Miss Premier' award. (Express News March)

1959 Christina Mayo, Miss Great Britain 1958, opens displays at Premier Supermarkets during the June Dairy Festival. (Express News October)

1960's Premier Supermarkets (Courtesy Dave Fane)

c1960 Premier supermarket, Uxbridge High St, c1960. Richard comments "like the way the word "SUPERMARKET" wraps round the building facia". (Courtesy Richard Gaylard

1960 Brian Goshawk of Premier Supermarkets starts fact-finding trip to the USA. (Express News Spring)

1960 Premier Supermarkets dinner-dance at the Hammersmith Palais. (Express News Spring)

1960 Premier Supermarkets headquarters and warehouse at South Ruislip. (Express News Autumn)

1961 Express Premier Supermarkets at Worcester Park and Reigate, Surrey

1962 Planning Christmas-Mr F. S. Glyde, Premier Supermarkets Executive Director. (Express News Christmas)

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