1970: The arrival of Remnant Kings on Kirkcaldy High Street

From Woolies to BhS, from Sharps’ to Sleeves, from Edwin Donaldson to M&S, they have all vanished from the landscape.

One long-established name, sometimes overlooked, which has also gone, is Remnant Kings.

It first opened its doors in Kirkcaldy in December 1970 as the family run firm expanded from its west coast base to the east.

It had five outlets across Glasgow, Paisley, Greenock and Kilmarnock before launching in Edinburgh where it noted many customers were coming across the bridge from Fife.

They looked for premises in the High Street, and settled on Number 282/4 - one of the Hugh Street’s historic buildings, and most recently occupied by the Asian Triangle restaurant.

The title deeds for it go back to 1750 and each owner has added a stairway or made some other addition, and by the time Remnant Kings took over, much of the old shop and flat above had been demolished

In 1970, where there were four different floors, there was now one, and the new owners built created more pavement room while, at the Esplanade a new glass and aluminium entrance gives access from the side

Reported the Fife Free Press: “The new store which has emerged is designed as a walk round store to give the customer the greatest freedom of access to the fabric shelves

“The material is meant to be seen and handled, and this way the customer has the greatest freedom to choose.”

A feature of this store was the number of fabrics in remnant pieces which are sold by weight

Such diverse fabrics as poplins to heavy furnishing velvets are offered this way.

The Press reported that remnants are a big feature and the business goes to great lengths to get the very best value in clearing lines from mills all over the country and even from abroad

The partners are constantly travelling to find the best sources of fabric value, and offer them at prices very often considerably less than the cost of making the cloth.

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