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Which high Street shops do you miss the most past /present

(185 Posts)
TrendyNannie6 Tue 12-Jan-21 20:45:55

I’m meaning before covid! I think mine will always be woolies, Bhs, C&A

cc Wed 13-Jan-21 13:17:54

Macfisheries was great, a national chain I think. Any local reasonably priced fishmonger would be great, though Morrisons is OK. One of my neighbours organises a joint Saturday delivery from a fishmonger which he then drops off to us, but its really pretty expensive.

BlueBelle Wed 13-Jan-21 13:10:15

Just Woolies and more recently BHS

Googes41 Wed 13-Jan-21 12:52:39

East, Jaeger and Country Casuals.

kwest Wed 13-Jan-21 12:39:45

M&S closed down their store in the centre of our little market town. It took the heart out of shopping there. I loved being able to pop in there for basic clothes and nice food.

Blossoming Wed 13-Jan-21 12:38:41

Etam

Ladyleftfieldlover Wed 13-Jan-21 12:34:53

Laura Ashley used to do brilliant sales. I remember taking my three children to the Oxford store on the first day of the sale and sitting them on a sofa while I shopped. Does anyone remember Fenwicks? I remember having a £5 perm in their Newcastle shop. I loved East. They did something a bit different for a posh do. Currently I still love John Lewis and over the last months have bought a lot on line! I miss bookshops, especially when they have a cafe. Someone mentioned Snob. When my daughter was around four, I bought her the most amazing patterned black dress. My mother was horrified and thought black wasn’t suitable, but she looked lovely in it. Now, nearly 40 years later I am buying my granddaughter black dresses and cardigans and she loves them.

annifrance Wed 13-Jan-21 12:33:24

In England BHS and Dickins and Jones. Here in France I miss John Lewis, Boots and M&S.

grannybuy Wed 13-Jan-21 12:27:01

When ' we ' were teenagers, a lot of the aforementioned shops would have been full of groups of teenage girls on Saturdays ( I remember some with heads full of rollers in preparation for the ' Saturday night out ' ). That doesn't seem to happen now. When I was in Miss Selfridge on a Saturday about eighteen months ago, it was empty. My seventeen year old DGD certainly doesn't ever trawl the shops. A sign of the times, sadly. The dance halls are long gone too.

Charleygirl5 Wed 13-Jan-21 12:26:51

I loved BHS for bras and tights- both were a perfect fit and very reasonable.

I loved Bon Marche for tops and I still have some well made ones which I have had for years- they wash and wear so well.

Woolies as a child- their pick and mix for me!

Elvis58 Wed 13-Jan-21 12:23:37

Definitely C&A, The Pier, BHS, Littlewoods.

GreyKnitter Wed 13-Jan-21 12:23:17

Oh Jang - you just reminded me that I bought swimsuits in BHS as they always better than from anywhere else. Also bought a lovely shoulder bag in there in the sale once which got many compliments. More recently I bought most of my furniture and household stuff from BHS when I set up home after my divorce! Sales were always excellent value.

Jane43 Wed 13-Jan-21 12:23:15

tanith
I bought my wedding dress from C&A too, it was £11 in 1965.

I also miss BHS and The Pier. I also missed Marsh and Baxter the butchers and MacFisheries when they closed. I used to buy a lot of groceries from George Mason when I was first married. You just wrote your weekly order down in a book, handed it in and they delivered the order on an arranged day, you paid on delivery, cash of course. DH worked long hours and I didn’t drive so it was a real help. Going back to childhood in the 1950s there were grocers shops called Liptons. I used to go there on errands for my Mum and you cold get broken biscuits and cracked eggs from them.

Craftycat Wed 13-Jan-21 12:18:36

Woolies & BHS too. Also Debenhams.

DianaLouise Wed 13-Jan-21 12:16:46

Hammels used to love it, Richard shops and principles

Polly4t42 Wed 13-Jan-21 12:12:27

C&A, as a teenager I got loads of fashionable clothes there, also got clothes for my son when he was little. BHS for long nighties and boots and jumpers, sadly their trousers were always too short.

Kate1949 Wed 13-Jan-21 12:06:07

I went into C&A in Seville a few years ago. The clothes were very dull.

Lilyflower Wed 13-Jan-21 12:01:26

I spent so many happy hours mooching around Laura Ashley and half of my house is from there, not to mention all my good coats.

Roses Wed 13-Jan-21 11:59:58

I used to love the hot salted peanuts sold in woolies when I was a child.
Also C and A in Liverpool
Hendersons was over the road from C and A that was more upmarket I bought an apple green mini dress there and loved it

Quaver22 Wed 13-Jan-21 11:58:07

I really miss Country Casuals. They had a petite range and as I am 5’ 2” I could always find something to fit me. Their trousers and jeans, though a bit expensive, were wonderful quality and still looked like new after dozens of washes.
I am also mourning Laura Ashley for their pretty t shirts and tops.

JadeOlivia Wed 13-Jan-21 11:53:35

Still have it in France!

junie1 Wed 13-Jan-21 11:53:05

Same as you TrendyNannie6

C&A... Woolies and BHS.

Oh Clockhouse, fantastic

JadeOlivia Wed 13-Jan-21 11:52:45

In France we still have C and A and they still do the clockhouse brand!

JaneJudge Wed 13-Jan-21 11:41:03

Yes it was Etams! smile My Mum would shop at the front and I would head to the back...any men would hang about outside grin it was brilliant

Ro60 Wed 13-Jan-21 11:38:46

Just remembered another: Hammells (sp)

Bazza Wed 13-Jan-21 11:38:06

I miss East too, and Jaeger when they were something special. I also remember Snob too, my friend was the manager and used to give me a discount. And Biba, and Dickens and Jones.