IN its long and distinguished business history, Worcester has been home to some top companies. But while several are household names, like Royal Worcester Porcelain and Lea and Perrins sauce, there are others that have been legends only in their own backyard. Although their impact on the city has been no less important.

One such was Bromage and Evans, general contractors and builders, which had a yard and workshops in Derby Road, off Wyld’s Lane and alongside the Worcester-Birmingham canal.

Long forgotten now it may be, but the firm operated for almost 40 years, from 1880 until 1916, and left its legacy through a fine array of Victorian and Edwardian buildings.

Under the direction of James Bromage, the firm's founder, B&E’s skilled workforce built the Hopmarket Hotel, the former National & Provincial Bank (now Lloyds

TSB) near St Nicholas Church on The Cross, the former Kay & Co branch in Northwick, The Old Rectifying House on North Parade, the Barley Mow pub in Sidbury, St Mark's Church in Cherry Orchard and the original buildings of the Worcester College for the Blind in Whittington Road, which was first known as the College for the Blind Sons of Gentlemen.

The company also handled the extremely tricky task of moving the centuries-old and historic Queen Elizabeth House a short distance to its present site in Trinity Street. That was in 1891.

And among other major contracts undertaken by Bromage & Evans - physical evidence of which is no more - were large-scale extensions to the County Gaol in Castle Street and to Norton Barracks, Williamson's tinplate factory at Providence Works, Sigley's sweet factory in Carden Street, Dent's glove factory at the riverside near the Old Palace, and St Martin's Boys School.

The Worcester Daily Times in its souvenir Trade and Industry brochure published in 1903 praised Bromage & Evans for building "innumerable large structures, handsome hotels, shops, factories and private residences" and for having undertaken "a very important share in the work of reconstructing and modernising Worcester during the past quarter of a century".

So hats off to the relatively unsung heroes of Bromage and Evans and while we are at it, here are some photographic memories of other well known Worcester businesses at around the same time.