Gerry Wolstenholme's Blog - Posts Tagged "laurie-hardman"
Laurie Hardman
CK Broadhurst owner's death
I was saddened to read of the death of Laurie Hardman of CK Broadhurst and read your on-line article that invited comments. As I knew Laurie from the very start at Broadhursts, I thought I would just pen a few thoughts.
He was more or less a contemporary of mine and I well remember him joining Broadhurst, which I note was 1969. At that time I was just starting my secondhand bookselling career and Mr Broadhurst was my mentor (all the time I knew him I never knew the C stood for Charles for I, as an 18-year-old, respected him and always called him Mr Broadhurst). I was from Blackpool and regularly visited his shop to pick up books that I could sell on or add to my own collection.
He was very good to me and let me have some nice items at a price that I could pass on and whenever I called he used to take me up to his office, where there was usually a roaring fire going, and have a chat. He told me how he started the shop after World War I because when he returned to his previous occupation after the war, WH Smith said that they did not want him. So he told me he would show them and start his own shop ... to use that old cliché, the rest is history.
His manager at the time and for years thereafter was Mr Sankey and he too was a gentleman, with whom I established a good realtionship. He, too, looked after me whenever I called and all the years I knew him he was Mr Sankey; I am not even sure that I ever knew his forename either!
Then Mr Broadhurst told me he had taken a young man like myself and it turned out to be Laurie, who, even from that young age one could see that he had a love of books. He, too, was most personable and when I began issuing catalogues in the early 1970s he would purchase items from me, either for stock or for himself. I well remember selling him a boxed set, of about 16 volumes of one of my favourite authors at the time, Stanley Weyman, now virtually unheard of. I was a little sad about this because it was in my own collection but I wanted to enhance my catalogue so I listed it and it sold (sadly!). The fortunate thing was that Laurie bought it so I knew it had gone to a good home - perhaps he still had it in his personal collection! Incidentally I have never seen another full set.
I was working in London later and still used to pop in to see Messrs Broadhurst, Sankey and Laurie (I did know his forename!) and still was able to secure a few bargains to pass on to the London dealers with whom I associated. Mr Broadhurst and Mr Sankey knowing this, they did give me a generous discount so that I could make something for myself. Laurie meanwhile, in those early days, was mainly working on the ground floor.
Although I had not corresponded with him for a few years now (however, my daughter has dealt with CK Broadhurst and has mentioned that her Dad was once a customer and friend of theirs), I still cherish his friendship and I feel sure that his colleagues and of course his customers will miss him very much. He was a gentleman and will be sadly missed and I am delighted to be able to pass on these happy memories of him.
Rest in Peace Laurie.
I was saddened to read of the death of Laurie Hardman of CK Broadhurst and read your on-line article that invited comments. As I knew Laurie from the very start at Broadhursts, I thought I would just pen a few thoughts.
He was more or less a contemporary of mine and I well remember him joining Broadhurst, which I note was 1969. At that time I was just starting my secondhand bookselling career and Mr Broadhurst was my mentor (all the time I knew him I never knew the C stood for Charles for I, as an 18-year-old, respected him and always called him Mr Broadhurst). I was from Blackpool and regularly visited his shop to pick up books that I could sell on or add to my own collection.
He was very good to me and let me have some nice items at a price that I could pass on and whenever I called he used to take me up to his office, where there was usually a roaring fire going, and have a chat. He told me how he started the shop after World War I because when he returned to his previous occupation after the war, WH Smith said that they did not want him. So he told me he would show them and start his own shop ... to use that old cliché, the rest is history.
His manager at the time and for years thereafter was Mr Sankey and he too was a gentleman, with whom I established a good realtionship. He, too, looked after me whenever I called and all the years I knew him he was Mr Sankey; I am not even sure that I ever knew his forename either!
Then Mr Broadhurst told me he had taken a young man like myself and it turned out to be Laurie, who, even from that young age one could see that he had a love of books. He, too, was most personable and when I began issuing catalogues in the early 1970s he would purchase items from me, either for stock or for himself. I well remember selling him a boxed set, of about 16 volumes of one of my favourite authors at the time, Stanley Weyman, now virtually unheard of. I was a little sad about this because it was in my own collection but I wanted to enhance my catalogue so I listed it and it sold (sadly!). The fortunate thing was that Laurie bought it so I knew it had gone to a good home - perhaps he still had it in his personal collection! Incidentally I have never seen another full set.
I was working in London later and still used to pop in to see Messrs Broadhurst, Sankey and Laurie (I did know his forename!) and still was able to secure a few bargains to pass on to the London dealers with whom I associated. Mr Broadhurst and Mr Sankey knowing this, they did give me a generous discount so that I could make something for myself. Laurie meanwhile, in those early days, was mainly working on the ground floor.
Although I had not corresponded with him for a few years now (however, my daughter has dealt with CK Broadhurst and has mentioned that her Dad was once a customer and friend of theirs), I still cherish his friendship and I feel sure that his colleagues and of course his customers will miss him very much. He was a gentleman and will be sadly missed and I am delighted to be able to pass on these happy memories of him.
Rest in Peace Laurie.
