Our Locals: Taylors Buttons

Over the decades, the shop has supplied some of the best-known names in British tailoring and fashion. "Over the years I've dealt with everybody, Savile Row tailors and some of the couture houses too," Maureen says. "Her Majesty the Queen had our buttons."

Today, much of the shop’s custom comes from film, television and stage productions, which turn to Taylors for buttons of every conceivable kind. 

There's history in the building itself, too. A plaque by the door marks the site as a former home of Charles Dickens - a reminder that this has long been a place of work, trade and making. 

What we admire most about Taylors is its singular focus. For around a hundred years, it has sold buttons. No expansion into other things, no attempt to become something else, just a deep knowledge of one small but vital part of making clothes. 

That continuity hasn't always been assured. Taylors was forced to close during the Covid lockdowns, leaving the business with £17,000 in rent arrears. Last year, with the future of the shop under threat, Maureen turned to crowdfunding to help clear the debt. The response was immediate, with hundreds of people contributing enough to reach the target and keep the shop going. 

It's perhaps a measure of what places like Taylors mean to the people who know them. In an era where small independent shops like this are increasingly rare, there was clearly no shortage of people who wanted to see this one remain. 

And it looks set to do just that. Maureen's son Mark now works alongside her behind the counter and will eventually take over the shop, carrying on what Mr Taylor started all those years ago.