Address: 5 Patrick Pool, York, YO1 8BB (now Portal Bookshop)
Description
The old wooden sign for “Ernest Roy Electrical” at 5 Patrick Pool, once emblazoned in bold text with a contact number, has been painted over in black.
Yet, under the right lighting, you can still discern the original details beneath the dark coat.
History
Patrick Pool is a street with roots dating back to the early 13th century.
In 1957, Ernest Roy launched a shop near Shambles Market, specializing in small electrical items like radios, telephones, clocks, and speakers.
The shop, compact and overflowing with electronics and wiring, could only accommodate three or four customers at a time, with wires dangling from the rafters and shelves brimming with gadgets.
In 1993, Mr Devey took over the business, but the building remained in the ownership of Ernest Roy’s family, leaving him with no control over its future use.
The shop closed in 2019, later becoming the Portal, an LGBTQ+ bookshop and a significant part of York’s queer culture.
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