MY recent item about long-established Inverclyde businesses past and present brought back memories for readers at home and abroad.

The story was prompted by the news that Aulds may be moving their bakery outwith Inverclyde and the undertakers P B Wright & Sons had been taken over by a national concern.

P B Wright had been the oldest family-owned business, dating to 1853.

I wrote that it would appear the Wright takeover left Aulds and Pearson of Wemyss Bay as the oldest family-owned concerns in the district. Aulds" website says it started "around 1900" and Pearson"s indicates it was established in 1931.

I suggested Pearson was the longest-established firm run by someone with the same surname as the founder. Well, I had completely forgotten about James Hendry the jewellers in West Blackhall Street, which is owned and operated by a James Hendry to this day.

Originally located in Cathcart Street, it dates to 1886, which makes it the oldest family firm and the oldest run by a namesake of the founder.

The Greenock directory for 1891-92 listed James Hendry, watch and clockmaker and jeweller, having premises at 59 Rue End Street. The 1898-99 directory showed the business as having moved to 34 Hamilton Street. The company moved to its present West Blackhall Street address in 1932.

James Hendry, whose late father James ran the company before him, said: 'The original James Hendry was my grandfather Duncan"s brother. James had been a watchmaker and also a ships chandler before founding the family jewellery business at 31 Cathcart Street.

'My grandfather joined the business some years later.' Meanwhile, J S Phillips is another Greenock concern which has been around for more than a century.

John S Phillips told me: 'J S Phillips was established in 1900 as a bicycle shop by my grandfather and was situated at the bottom of Kilblain Street for more than 80 years before moving to George Square.

'During this period, mainly under my father, many changes took place. In addition to selling and servicing bicycles, he opened the first local driving school in 1945 with his brother-in-law John Cuffe as chief instructor.

'In due course my brother Joseph and I joined the company and expanded into selling and servicing radios, televisions and electrical goods and indeed his was one of the first companies to rent televisions locally.

'There was a further move into car sales and servicing with a garage initially in Duncan Street, and now at Inverkip Road, where Joseph"s son Iain continues to trade to this day.' While now less involved in the family business, the Phillips brothers play active community roles. John is chairman of Greenock Arts Guild and Joseph is chairman of Inverclyde Leisure.

Another long-established family business is Murray"s the florists in Port Glasgow.

It came into operation in 1889 and is today run by brothers Alistair and Gordon Murray.