I Do Miss…..

In the north, we had a chain called Ethel Austin for clothes. Such good value, especially for babies and children growing out of things as well as ladies underwear.
I miss the fabulous grottos the city centre large department stores put on every Christmas. They were so exciting to a child.

C&A and Littlewoods. Used to love going into Littlewoods, waiting for the Happy Hour announcement, then rushing to get all we wanted before time ran out, in order to get the 10% off!

When I was about eight or nine years old my older sister and her friends dared me to go into Woolworths and steal something, actually they goaded me until I was scared not to do it. They waited outside while I went into the shop in absolute terror. My face felt as if it was on fire as I walked down the centre aisle, around the sweet counter, back out of the door and didn’t stop walking until I got home.

Even though I hadn’t taken anything it took me years before I could feel comfortable in Woolworths.

I miss Woolies too, much more than any other store that’s gone
I guess BandM is it’s nearest equivalent as it sells a few kids clothes, Wilco doesn’t sell any clothes
Used to buy the broken biscuits when the kids were small and pick and mix and just wander around I m sure they sold literally everything I used it every time I went to town

I used to like the ladybird clothes for children.
They were very well made.

Interesting thread and posts.

so many of our old shops gone forever...
can`t help but wonder why? not for lack of use, or profits?

our little Morrisons, soon to be taken over by some Equity Company in America?????? and we wonder why!

loss of retail shops the media screams at us... rents too high!

rubbish, we want the old style shops back, then we`ll show them!

I loved their Ladybird brand clothes. Dressed my daughter & son in some very good value for money pieces, including school uniform which always washed well.

My Mum had the Woolworth's gingham tableware for the kitchen. It's very collectable now, I think.
Goodness knows what happened to it, it probably went to the church jumble sale many years ago.

Still using the "every day" cutlery we bought from Woolworths 55 years ago!

We used to go to the "restaurant" at the top of Woollies in Gallowtreegate, Leicester. It was a great place to meet up and hang out. I remember taking my daughter there as a baby. I was 19 and she'd get cuddled by all my friends up there, giving me some much needed respite!!

BHS.

Another one here for Woolworths. The memories of Saturday afternoons with my friends looking at records and feeding our faces with pic a mix

I remember our local Woolworths becoming self-service. It was the first time we had experienced the concept of self-service and it caused quite a stir. Take a wire basket and help yourself. My mother declared it "a rum do".

Wow me too! Pick & mix before it’s time.I was 14 & my friend worked on the record counter- we had a great time.

Yes i too miss woolies! And C&A, and even little chef- years ago, when my then hubby and i went anywhere, holidays/days out etc we would try call in to a different little chef each time, as the kids loved it, and the play tables.?There was one left locally till only a couple of years ago.

Nell8 love your comment about Maplins. The middle aisles at Aldi are a reasonable substitute!

Ethel Austins became Peacocks- and a lot of their branches are closing one by one as well.

C & A. I still have a hat from there. Woolworths. When they were closing down bought hand blender and crockery. When my children were eight and ten (1957) they bought me some daisy earrings from Woolies for my birthday. I still have them. Also Weigh and Save. For a person living alone it was useful to be able to buy small quantities.

I didn't know that.
I used to like Ethel Austin, but Peacocks I'm not at all fussed about.

Had my fisrt Saturday job there, on the seasonal counter, Auguat Bank Holiday Monday, Southend on Sea, me and another Saturday girl run off our feet. Manager said we did an excellent job but you can't spend thank yous so we both got a £1 bonus, we only got paid £1 (folding money then) so it was great. Can't remeber what I had for lunch yesterday but remmeber Woollies!!!

There was a HUGE dept store, when we moved down south when i was little, Camp Hopson's it was called- it was similar to Debenhams, or John Lewis, but also had gardening depts and a food floor etc (think the "are you being served" store?) every christmas it trimmed up big style, and the grotto was wonderful, all silver 'icicles' trimmings and an elf-land type route leading to a big, shiny santa's grotto! It was so magical! (i was about 5/6 then) Kids these days have never seen anything as nice, on that big a scale.And probably wont, as all department stores are almost gone.?

Saturday job in Woolies. First the sweet counter then promotion to china and footwear. It was okay, but found the supervisors rather stern, even for late 50s. Woolworths was the go to shop in those days.

Does anyone remember Lewis's in Manchester? I worked there for six weeks after I left school, and was what was called "mobile" - different counter each day. You got a penny in the pound commission, so we didn't like the button counter. Lost a stone in weight just standing up for 5 and a half days a week.

I agree with Teacheranne miss lighting section in BHS always had lovely table lamps

Talk about a trip down memory lane…I had forgotten about so many of these shops Ethel Austen, Adams etc…guess the fact I haven’t thought about them is the reason they didn’t last….