Stylo/Barratt Shoes HQ Bradford

W Barratt Boot and Shoe Company was established in Northampton in 1903 and became a highly successful brand known for its lavishly produced boot catalogues. In 1964, it was bought by the company Stylo and, under the Barratts brand name, expanded to over 400 stores at its height, before foreign competition in the 1990s reduced its market share. New stock was then merged with rival PriceLess. In 2009 it was announced that 220 Barratts and PriceLess stores would be closing with the loss of 2500 jobs.

Barratts entered administration for the third time in five years on 11 November 2013. The brand and website were bought by the footwear entrepreneur Harvey Jacobsen and the former buying and merchandising director of Barratts, Simon Robson, in January 2014.

This was a sneak visit on the way back from another big explore that day. We knew demolition was under way and as it was a Sunday we expected it to be quiet. What we never expected to find was the multitude of personal effects left behind....