Stores that are no longer in existence.

Ronson!! Bloody phone!

Gerald Robson, Jalima - getting my Gerald mixed up and I think it was around the same time! I'll get my coat!!!

C&A in Spain is always worth a visit for jeans, tops, the shirts etc. Didn't like it when it was in England but go in every time we are there. As a child in the Midlands we went to see father Christmas in Lewis's. I can remember queuing on the stairs thinking I would never get to the front! Uncle Holly wandered around the grotto too! There was a Marshall and Snellgrove in Manchester also - not that I went in it - more likely to be Paulden's on market Street or Lewis's. Loved Chelsea Girl but not sure about the communal changing rooms of the time!

Rackhams in Birmingham is now House of Fraser, as is Beatties in Wolverhampton. I remember being taken to Lewis's in Birmingham to see Santa. It had the best, most magical grotto. Birmingham also had a Marshal & Snelgrove. Ah, the good old days!

Thanks DannieRae, glad to know that Bentalls is still there.
We used to go to get DC's school shoes.
And a pram!

Can't remember who I was thinking of.
kittylester was it Philip Green? Or is that just wishful thinking?

katyk yes I remember my mum shopping in George Masons.

My Gran used to shop in the Co-op butchers a separate shop from the Co-op store
I loved it because it had a money chute and sawdust on the floor.

My first saturday job wages were spent in Chelsea Girl.

Chicken forgot to say , thanks also for reminding me about Pontins. I could remember there were three shops all next to each other and knew one was Barkers but couldn't recall the bargain basement Pontins. I think this was the Barker group equivalent of of Whiteleys in Queensway(which if the Mr Selfridge TV series was correct belonged to him). It was, as they say, cheap as chips, but nothing you'd want to buy, whereas Derrys was full of stuff you wanted but hadn't a hope in hell of ever owning (well it was all beyond my pocket).

We lived in Canada for three years in the eighties at a place called Trenton, Ontario. Up the road was the Bata factory. We and the children bought lovely leather shoes and boots cheap from the factory. I wish I could go back and get some more.

Jamila - Yes Bentalls is still in Kingston. At least it was last time I was there. My mum used to work there many years ago in the sensible vest department. I don't know if they still sell sensible vests??

Chicken well fancy owning furniture that belonged to the original Mr Derry, that's amazing. I fear the next high street name to go will be W H Smith. Every time I go in one it looks worse than the previous visit. It seems to be losing its way just like Woollies and BHS did. It's a right jumble of stuff, always chaotic and messy, never know what will be stocked and what won't. I hope I'm wrong but I give it another 3 yrs at the most.

I think I got my shoes for my first date with DH (1967) from Bata. They were 19/11d

Yes Bata is a shoe shop and again there is one in Limoges. Used to sell cheap shoes but better quality now.

We had a large department store in Birmingham called Greys. Also my mum used to get groceries from George Masons.

We had a small supermarket called Bishops
Does anyone recall one near them in the 70s?
I think it was part of a chain.

There was a shoe shop called Bala.

Jalima, wiki agrees with you Re Ratner. Can't remember who I was thinking of.

Was there a shoe shop called The Bata or something similar?

All these memories. I used to love Chelsea Girl and Etam. My parents used to buy us the odd item of clothing from Goldbergs. Jalima Rackhams in Birmingham is now House of Fraser. I also remember The Beehive in Birmingham city centre.
Lewis's in Birmingham is now a Wetherspoons pub. I can remember the long queues outside Lewis's each year to see Father Christmas. We also had a great clothes shop called Henrys. I used to rush in there on payday for some cheap trendy clothes.

My first heels came from Saxone, 29/11d, they were white with wine glass heels. Probably in the mid sixties. I can still remember a lovely pair of blue shoes with low heels and a black slim long line black coat with frogging fasteners from Hammonds in Hull. Peter Robinson in Leeds, Marshall and Snelgrove (always seemed a bit 'posh'), Woollies, Chelsea Girl and all the smallish independent shops for clothes, fabrics, haberdashery etc that used to be in the city centre.

Definitely BHS - just been trying to get some nightdresses for my 94 year old Mum and most stores only seem to have these awful T-shirt things, pyjamas or skimpy little camisoles. If BHS was still around I know I would be able to get exactly what she would like. The demise of BHS has left a gaping great hole on our high streets!

I miss B.H.S.

Antonia I was taken to see Father Christmas in Marshall & Snelgrove's Leeds store. I must have been aged 3 or 4 as my young sister wasn't there. I don't recall the man himself but can remember the feeling of being squashed against a sumptuous fur coat in the lift and saying 'Mummy that lady's wearing a bear's skin'

karen1959 i still have a chelsea girl coathanger, it is the only hanger in my wardrobe that isnt made of wood, i think i am just holding on to my youth

SKweek1 i forgot about Etam, i am pretty sure there was a branch in the oracle shopping centre in Reading about 10 years ago and i am sure i bought a lovely Orange handbag in there and couldnt wait to use it so decanted everything from my old one into the new one whilst i was stood at the cash desk.

Bobby's in Bournemouth - now Debenhams, but the old 'Bobby's' sign is still there!

Wasn't there a Swan and Edgar at one time?