In April 1963 TV and radio personality Lady Isobel Barnett opened a new £10,000 Bollom Ltd dry- cleaning shop in Christchurch Road, Boscombe. Her travelling coat was checked in by the receptionist for cleaning in one of the new electronically controlled machines and was ready for collection in 20 minutes.

Lady Barnett, a doctor's daughter, qualified as a doctor in 1940. She married solicitor and company director Geoffrey Barnett and gave up her medical career. In 1953 he was knighted for political and public service to the city of Leicester in 1953. About the same time Lady Barnett joined the panel of the BBC television programme 'What's My Line?' and became a household name, appearing on the show for ten years. She also made regular appearances on the long-running BBC radio series 'Any Questions?', on the radio panel game 'Many a Slip' and on the women's discussion series 'The Petticoat Line'.

Lady Barnett signed autographs and specially designed souvenir photographs for fans gathered outside the Bollom shop and was given a bouquet by the manageress Mrs May Brown. She went to the Winter Gardens Hotel for lunch and cocktails with Philip Bollom, the director of the firm and son of the founder Ivor Bollom, who started the Super Valet Service in a shop in Recliffe Hill, Bristol in 1924.

The business expanded to have its own colour consultants and fashion experts. By 1963 there were 25 dry-cleaning shops in Bournemouth owned by Bollom Ltd, and 200 in the South of England. Dry-cleaning and pressing was done on the shop premises instead of at the factory in Pokesdown.

Philip joined the company in 1947, quickly becoming works manager then general manger and retired in 1989. Bollom was later taken over by Johnsons Cleaners UK Ltd.