^ I hope this makes some kind of sense.

I cannot add anything. I was still at school and just buying the shirts and shoes. I had no idea who JS was or who owned the various shops. I just saw a variety of sales assistants whenever I went to one, always seemed to be different people. I certainly wasn’t passing the time with the owner discussing modern jazz, current events or whatever. It was look in the window, or on the shelves, identify purchase, buy and head out the door. I only discovered who JS was via tinternet. I did not even know he owned both The Squire shop and The Ivy shop.

Just to chip in on a couple of points - the notion that The Ivy Shop went into decline because John Simons didn't like 15/16 year olds in his shops - well, it hung around for 30 years and was selling good stuff right to the end. And the teenagers would have been welcome in the shop if they were buying the occasional item, and not just clogging it up or nicking stuff. It was a tiny shop selling very pricey gear, and much of it used to get lifted. In the late 80s I was working there on a sale day. Some tough nuts turned up, now middle aged men in their 40s/50s, still into some of the clothes, the shoes mainly. Bostonian cordovan wingtips were in the sale, and one hard-faced little guy, who wasn't inclined to polite conversation, just grabbed a box in his size, chucked £60 in rolled up tenners in my hand, and stormed out with them under his arm. They were about £120 in the sale I think. I called after him "Excuse me, fine sir, but I believe you have underpaid and require a receipt". But this ex-bonehead, an innovative type of bargain hunter,  was off, scooting back over Richmond Bridge, his 'Royals' tucked away under his arm.