Sell Fridges?

Looking 0utside on a sunny morning I went out at lunch time to meet up with my daughter for a quick lunch. Guess what - it rained again!!! This picture is near her work place so I took the easy option. The plaque says: HARRY GORDON SELFRIDGE 1858-1947 Department Store Magnate lived here 1921-1929. Born in Ripon Wisconsin USA he made his way in retail and worked for Field, Leiter & Co which became Marshall Field & Co (now Macy's). He was the first to promote Christmas sales with the phrase "Only... Days before Christmas" whilst working there and became a junior partner. He came to England in 1906 with money he had amassed and opened his department store Selfridges in Oxford Street in 1909. He obtained from the the GPO the telephone No 1. and anyone ringing that number was connected to the Selfridges store!! He lived at Lansdowne House off Berkeley Square (above) to cater for his busy social life after his wife had died. He also leased Highcliffe Castle in Hampshire (now Dorset) for the family and bought Hengistbury Head a mile-long promontory on the southern coast where he planned to build a castle! During the great Depression his fortune declined and rapidly disappeared. He left his lavish house and travelled around London by bus. He died in Putney in poor circumstances in 1947. He is buried with his wife and mother in St Mark's Churchyard at Highcliffe.

There is another blue plaque on the other side of the door which is not in this photograph which is for William Petty, British Prime Minister from 1782-83