William Hamley

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William Hamley (b. 18th century) in Bodmin, Cornwall, south-west England founded what is today known as Hamleys, one of the largest toy stores in the world. The shop was originally called 'Noah's Ark' and opened at High Holborn in London in 1760. It was highly convenient for the wealthy families of Bloomsbury when buying toys for their children. A branch in London's main shopping thoroughfare, Regent Street, was opened by Hamley's descendants in 1881. The Holborn branch was destroyed by fire in 1901 and was relocated from 231 to 86-87 High Holborn. The business has survived in various forms to the present day, and at one time was the largest toy shop in the world. Hamleys moved to its current Regent Street premises in 1981. The store is considered one of London's major tourist attractions, and receives about five million visitors a year.