History of
Preedy Glass

Within a few short years Preedy Glass was coming to the aid of shopkeepers and homes after limited attacks from German Zeppelin’s during World War I.

Here, Joseph’s son, Stanley Preedy, recalls his earliest days in the company*.

“When I first started in the family firm, my first job was as delivery boy, pushing the firm’s barrow all over London having filled it full of glass the night before. At that time we were doing a lot of glazing work at the House of Commons, so each day I would push my barrow from Marylebone to Parliament Square. At other times I would walk as far as Shepherdess Walk in Islington and Upper Street in the City.

As time passed I enrolled at Regent Street Polytechnic, where two nights a week I took courses in shorthand and typing, commerce, book-keeping and accounts. This continued for about two years during which time I would go straight to the Polytechnic from work at six o’clock and not arrive back home until very late. These were exhausting times but essential if I was ever to bring value to the company.

As a glass merchant we dealt with most of the builders in Marylebone; I clearly remember there were about 50 local builders, many of which were quite small – apart from J. Simpson’s, who had their own saw mill and their joinery works on the premises. If you went down into a tunnel below their building you would see complete trees, such as oaks, pines and cherry.

Of the shops on Chiltern Street around the early 1920’s, I particularly remember Mr Haddock the undertaker who could be seen making coffins in his shop. He was a fabulous craftsman and would saw away at his trestle tables, labouring over his work. His funeral parlour was opposite the fire station, and when a funeral took place he would hire horses to pull the hearse, and he would lead the cortege in front with his black top hat tucked into the crook of his arm.