Christmas at the Farmers Co-Op

The distinctive concertina façade, the floating roof and giant Christmas decorations. This Bernard Woods Studio photograph of the Farmers Co-Op building on Devon Street East, taken in 1965, is incredibly evocative for many people who frequented the building in its heyday. Puke Ariki visitor Val West explains her memories of the Farmers Co-Op: “I started work at the Farmers Co-Op in 1969, working in the ‘Fancy Department’. My now husband, Allan, worked as the electrician. Before the top floor was added, people would gather on the top for lunch or just to enjoy the view of New Plymouth from high. Each year the circus would set up on the roof. The exciting part was when the elephant was walked up the stairs, causing the building to shake.” Recent renovations have removed the concertina façade, making this image an even more poignant reminder of the building’s glory days.