News from Chapmans Corner

Arthur Ewart Chapman known as Ewart wanted to be a portrait artist and he trained under Ivor Shaw at Dudley Art College at the same time as Percy Shakespeare. His father’s advice was to learn about this new thing called electricity so he started work at the age of 14 years as a trainee electrician at Noah Hingley (the makers of the Titanic anchor). When he left he was in complete charge of the electrical work within the Company.

After leaving there he worked for Chamberlain, King & Jones in Birmingham. This company did a range of things from having showrooms to being auctioneers. He learned his trade from these Companies so by the time the second war broke out he had a shop selling all electrical goods from radios to batteries with a number of electricians employed. His sister Mary had taken over the office side of the business and was supported by his wife, Maud. They had three children Arthur, Mary and Robert who as the family seniors retired took over the running of the business.

During the war the company carried out war work for the Admiralty and supported the numerous local factories that were making items for the war effort. Electrical installation in homes was increasing. There was one socket and one light switch per room. After one installation Ewart was called back as the light didn’t work. On arrival it was noted there was a pile of spent matches on the table under the light. He walked in switched the switch and there was light, the customer was astounded.

In the shop, you could get your radio accumulator batteries charged or buy a washer with a mangle. In the future there would be refrigerators, spin dryers, automatic washers, record players, radiograms, televisions, vacuum cleaners and all the mod cons which we know today.
As new appliances came onto the market these needed to be demonstrated, this was done at the annual show at Bingley Hall in Birmingham. One of the people there was Kenneth Wood demonstrating his new mixer.

When installing a new appliance a member of staff would go with the engineer to show the customer how it worked. On one occasion a Bendix automatic washer was being demonstrated and as it went into its spin the customer ran frightened from the kitchen never to return. Spin dryer were another item which cause problems. If the clothes were not loaded correctly, it would bounce around the kitchen sometimes with the customer sitting on top to steady it.

If a football match was being televised on a Saturday a television would be put in the window in no time a large number of people would be standing on the pavement watching it. Some were lucky enough to be invited into the showroom to sit on a chair to watch

After the war the business continued doing factory, local authority and domestic work. As tastes changed, the Company embraced these not only selling the new home improvement goods but selling televisions, first black and white then colour. There was a long waiting list to be one of the first to own a colour television. They took two engineers to carry and install them as it did with the first automatic washers. The spin off from these was aerial work which meant when it arrived we did satellite installation working for Sky and all local authorities. There were queues outside the showroom waiting to buy the Atari game or VHS tapes as supply was limited

We have, from the start always repaired items we have sold. This has meant that we now have a very strong service department for both white and brown goods

In the 80’s family businesses were finding it more and more difficult to complete with the big national companies so local electrical retailers decided to join forces and form a buying group. This was one of the first in the country and we joined shortly after conception. Birmingham Combined Independents was formed which later became part of a national buying group C I H and then part of the international group known as Euronics. This strategy has allowed us to compete pricewise with any of the large Electrical retailers

As family lead Company we have always valued our staff and without their loyalty over the years we would not have been successful, they are our Company‘s face to the customer. They all have over the years been part of our journey and have helped to take us to where we are.
When Ewart sold his first item which was a battery to Mr Bassano of Haden Hill House, he would not have known that 100 years later we would still be serving customers. Ewart had not quite got the correct change to give back to Mr Bassano so he said ‘don’t worry about the penny’. Mr Bassano said he would bring in the money as Ewart who not be in business long if he continued in that manner as every penny counted.

After 100 years the Company still tries to embrace change as it happens and have added to its expertise solar and car charging installation. This never standing still and always moving forward has to be our ethos so we as a Company can look forward to serving the local community in the years ahead.