A.P. Gilbert & Sons

Located at the corner of Meneage Street and Horse & Jockey Lane.

As a young lad growing up in Helston in the 1960`s and 1970`s there were only two shops that really interested me in the town.

The first was EDDY & SON where I used to go to buy Airfix kits and bits for my model railway and the second, A.P. GILBERT & SON where I would go to get sports equipment and clothing plus anything to do with Scouting and camping.

I still have a small sailing yacht bought from the shop for me by my parents for Seven Shillings and Six Pence (old money) in January 1968. I had many outings down to the Coronation Lake with that boat and several fallings in whilst trying to retrieve it. Well they say you are not a true Helstonian until you have fallen in the lake!

Gilberts sold just about everything to do with the outdoors. Whether you wanted a new saddle for your horse, a cricket ball or some fishing tackle, then this was the place to go.

Unfortunately for Helston, the shop closed in the late 1980`s and the premises was `bulldozed` in the summer of 1989.