Skip navigation Skip hierarchy
Sainsbury Archive Logo
Video recording of interview of Laurie Holmes (manager of Sainsbury's East Grinstead branch during the Second World War). Filmed at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London, where the Sainsbury's Veterans Group Annual Reunion was being held. Topics discussed including his wartime experiences including him being severely injured during bombing of East Grinstead store, the temporary wartime shop in a church at East Grinstead. Filmed in front of a blue screen.

Summary of content:
Manager of East Grinstead during the Second World War. Story of surviving a bomb hitting a East Grinstead store. Set up temporary shop in Methodist church. Preparing staff meals. Recounts the bombing story again. [15'00" Description of shop in Methodist church. Salvaged marble counters from the bombed building. Hygiene. Second bombing. Arrangements for temporary shop from a van and tressle tables. Repairs to original shop took 6-7 years. Worked from Methodist chapel until 1951.

Some additional (non-digitized) video tapes are also included in this file but these may be duplicates.