Many of the shop signs are hard to read although Smith's Hotel sign, about half way down, is clear. Close to it is a vertical chemist's board; the chemist at the time was Frank Slawson who advertised as a pharmaceutical chemist of North Parade from 1912 onwards.

A property sale in 1920 included the names of the occupants of the building closest to us^[1]. It contained "Two excellent SHOPS and DWELLING-HOUSES, with restaurant adjoining" occupied by Miss Seedhouse, Matlock Bath Conservative Club, Miss Sexton, and Mr. D[aniel] Bryan. The dwellings had private entrances on the main road. Sarah Seedhouse, who came from Bonsall, was a bookseller and also sold newspapers, with premises on the ground floor of Rockvale House, the property with the long balcony on the right of the picture^[2]. In 1925 her premises was called 'The Library'^[3]. Miss Sexton ran a confectionary and tobacconist's shop next door; she sold Matlock rock. She lived with her mother, presumably above the shop. The right hand unit later became the Prom Café, run by the Stoddarts.

If you look carefully at the left hand of the two first floor windows above the shop, or pair of shops, with the long balcony close to the camera you can just make out the word CLUB written on the glass. This was where Matlock Bath's Conservative Club held their meetings for some years. The Club utilised the whole of the first floor of the building. In 1916 the secretary was Arthur Walker. He was succeeded by Joseph F Donegani, who was followed by Joseph Oliver and then Benjamin F O'Dowda^[4]. Unfortunately, after over 25 years in Matlock Bath, the Conservative Club was to close in 1935 because of financial difficulties^[5].

The signboard for the George Hotel is missing. The bracket is there, but no sign. So this photograph could date from the First World War period rather than just afterwards.

Finally, this photograph explains why Henry Gordon had installed large letters on the edge of the roof of his Prince of Wales Inn on Orchard Road in the 1860s. If you look upwards from the right hand side of the horse drawn waggonette, the Prince of Wales was still very visible. Trippers would have seen the sign from the middle of the road as they walked along North Parade.

The Orchard Road building a few years ago. Today without the sign on the edge of the roof!
A larger picture can be found on Matlock Bath Today (2)

Also see:
Advertisement for Mr. Gordon's Prince of Wales, published in Croston's Guide book of 1868 (image no.4).

References:

^[1] "Derbyshire Advertiser and Journal", 8 May 1920. Advertisement for Valuable Freehold Dwelling Houses with Sale Shops and Restaurant to be sold by Geo. Marsden & Son at the County and Station Hotel on Wednesday. May 19th, 1920.

^[2] Reminiscences of the late Mr. Frank Clay, from his private papers and notes owned by the web mistress.

^[3] Kelly's Directory of Matlock Bath, 1924.

^[4] Information extracted from various other Kelly's Directories: Walker (1916) | Donegani (1922 & 1925) | Oliver (1928) | O'Dowda (1932)

^[5] "Ashbourne Telegraph", 28 June 1935. Matlock Bath Club to close.