In 1888, it is reported that J R Roberts opened the first Christmas grotto in a UK department store.
[5] During the early part of the 20th century, the postcard artist Hermann Fleury Jnr fitted out the Christmas display for a fee of £200.
[7][8] In 1895, Queen Mary Hospital at West Ham opened a new wing and the two main wards were named after J R Roberts who had paid for the furniture.
[9] The business expanded in 1899 when they opened a second store[10] in Nelson Street, Southend-on-Sea, as a subsidiary (Company no.
They also announced they would stop selling alcohol in their Stratford store as part of the temperance movement.