Memories of the supermarket beneath a nightclub

This building was already establishing itself as the home of Watford’s premier nightspot when a second business opened beneath it in the same year – a supermarket.

The Top Rank Watford Suite – which later became Bailey’s, Paradise Lost, Kudos, Destiny, Oceania and its final incarnation as Pryzm – opened in April 1965.

A Watford Observer photographer visited the building by the pond in High Street two months later to take these external snaps of Caters shortly before it opened.

Caters supermarket in June 1965 (Image: Watford Observer)

Founded by Henry John Cater, the business had begun as a butchers in the 19th century before moving into groceries.

It opened its first self-service supermarket in Bromley in 1958 and expanded quickly, opening as new store across the South East at the rate of around one per year.

This may have been the manager of the new store (Image: Watford Observer)

The business was sold to Debenhams in 1973, but it struggled and was in turn sold to Cavenham Foods, part of Allied Suppliers, six months later. They integrated the stores into their Presto chain, bringing an end to the Caters brand.