William Hamley
Encyclopedia
William Hamley in Bodmin
, Cornwall
, in England
, founded what is today known as Hamleys
, one of the largest toy stores in the world. The shop was originally called 'Noah's Ark
' and opened at High Holborn
in London in 1760. It was highly convenient for the wealthy families of Bloomsbury when buying toys for their children. A branch in London's main shopping thoroughfare, Regent Street, was opened by Hamley's descendants in 1881. The Holborn branch was destroyed by fire in 1901 and was relocated from 231 to 86-87 High Holborn. The business has survived in various forms to the present day, and at one time was the largest toy shop in the world. Hamleys moved to its current Regent Street premises in 1981. The store is considered one of London's major tourist attractions, and receives about five million visitors a year.
Bodmin
Bodmin is a civil parish and major town in Cornwall, England, United Kingdom. It is situated in the centre of the county southwest of Bodmin Moor.The extent of the civil parish corresponds fairly closely to that of the town so is mostly urban in character...
, Cornwall
Cornwall
Cornwall is a unitary authority and ceremonial county of England, within the United Kingdom. It is bordered to the north and west by the Celtic Sea, to the south by the English Channel, and to the east by the county of Devon, over the River Tamar. Cornwall has a population of , and covers an area of...
, in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, founded what is today known as Hamleys
Hamleys
Hamleys is one of the world's largest toy shops. Its flagship store is in Regent Street, London. Major stores worldwide are in Dublin, Dubai, Amman, Glasgow, Mumbai and Chennai....
, one of the largest toy stores in the world. The shop was originally called 'Noah's Ark
Noah's Ark
Noah's Ark is a vessel appearing in the Book of Genesis and the Quran . These narratives describe the construction of the ark by Noah at God's command to save himself, his family, and the world's animals from the worldwide deluge of the Great Flood.In the narrative of the ark, God sees the...
' and opened at High Holborn
High Holborn
High Holborn is a road in Holborn in central London, England. It starts in the west near St Giles Circus, then goes east, past the Kingsway and Southampton Row, and continues east. The road becomes Holborn at the junction with Gray's Inn Road....
in London in 1760. It was highly convenient for the wealthy families of Bloomsbury when buying toys for their children. A branch in London's main shopping thoroughfare, Regent Street, was opened by Hamley's descendants in 1881. The Holborn branch was destroyed by fire in 1901 and was relocated from 231 to 86-87 High Holborn. The business has survived in various forms to the present day, and at one time was the largest toy shop in the world. Hamleys moved to its current Regent Street premises in 1981. The store is considered one of London's major tourist attractions, and receives about five million visitors a year.