Mark Yates Carries on the Tradition with Brooks Collectibles

Brooks gifts was started In 1949 by Mr Brooks when he returned to Blackpool after having his home and all his positions destroyed during the second world war. The shop he chose was situated at the Talbot court building on the corner of Waterloo Road and the Blackpool promenade. It was built years earlier but was requisitioned as a munitions store during the second world war. Where Mr brooks is stood in the shop door way of this photo (taken in the 1950s) once stood an armed soldier guarding the munitions store entrances, and to the right on the forecourt on the promenade itself was an anti-aircraft cannon facing out to sea, in case of any air raids.

The opening of the shop, towards the end of rationing in 1949, coincided with the first year of the now famous Blackpool Illuminations, which no doubt contributed to the shop’s initial success. In fact, they still have the shops at the Talbot Court building to this day. It’s called Brooks Collectables and specialises in all areas of gifts collectables and souvenirs. This is where their website donkeyrides.co.uk is operated from. Their most recent shop, Brooks Collectables, opened in 1998 and is just out of sight to the left of the lamppost in this picture. Next to them is Notarini`s Ice Cream parlour. The front of Talbot court where the original shop was is now gift shops, where little has changed – even to this day!

The second image below from the 1950s shows the original shop layout that used all the homemade display cases and counters. After Mr Brooks retired his daughter and son-in-law took over the business in the late sixties. The expansion began in the early seventies, including the opening of one store under Blackpool tower and then another in the Pablos building (which we still have today and is run by Mr Brooks nephew along) with the original shop at Talbot Court.

In the early 1980s, they opened a smaller collectable shop on Central Drive near Blackpool town centre. This was to become the template for the rest of the Brooks shops, providing high end top quality exclusive gifts, souvenirs and collectables for visiting tourists. Many of their customers have grown up visiting their shops as well as many third generation shoppers who shop with them to this day.