Why it was nearly Harvey's Kidderminster Cream

They were demolished to make way for a much-maligned shopping centre and multi-storey car park in 1968.

But the legacy of a famous wine merchants' premises in Kidderminster lives on with a new book tracing their history.

Harvey's long-standing connection with Bristol's wine trade is well known — but many will be unaware Harvey's also had a link with Kidderminster.

It has been said that, in the early 19th century, the Midlands part of the business was so attractive that the two Harvey brothers, John and Charles, would vie with each other to stay in the Kidderminster area.

The Kidderminster cellars were used by the firm for nearly 150 years until the branch was shut in 1967.

Now there is only a blue plaque near the entrance to the Swan Centre that gives a clue to the site's history.

Historian Nigel Gilbert has called their destruction "appalling" and said he wants people to realise the history and heritage that was lost.

Mr Gilbert, of Tynings Close, said: "Planners were very concerned with what they thought was progress in the 1960s and Kidderminster was one of the worst affected.

"There is very little character in the town now, as so much has gone." The volume, called Harvey's Kidderminster Cream, tells the story of Harvey's, famed for its Bristol Cream sherry, which was first founded in 1790.

After the firm moved into an international market, the Kidderminster branch was no longer needed and closed its doors in December 1967.

The firm's premises were in 1 Coventry Street and 12 Swan Street — a road which disappeared when the shopping centre was built.

A complex of about 10 cellars was beneath the neighbouring property in Coventry Street.

Illustrated by the author's son, David Gilbert, the book can be bought from Kidderminster Library or via www.nigelgilbert.co.uk