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Lewis's Department Store

my memories of lewises is going to the remnents sales with my mom and gran. standing outside the basement doors waiting for them to open and then the mad dash when they did, us four kids going to stand where we had been told, out of the way but where mom knew where we were, and watching mom and gran pull bits of material out and shouting to one another that they had got this or that bit that they had talked about wanting before they got there. Dont ever remember going on the roof , but it was always a saying in our house that if anybody had a bit of luck " if they fell of Lewis's they would fall inot a new suit.
 
i only remember the toy dept.and the knickerbocker glory.a ice cream treat, (not some thing off adult tv) lol
 
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What a lovely photo Topsyturvey. Here is one of lewis's, i would say late 40s early 50s.





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Regards Stars
 
I don't think I can ever remember a trip to town in the 50s or 60s without a visit to Lewis's. Always loved a visit to the food hall, seemed almost exotic in a way, so much on offer regardless of whether you could buy it. The smells and the products on offer were fascinating as a child. Viv.
 
Loved Lewis's Also Gr(e)a?ys across the street. Many happy hours riding the #17 bus from Yardley to Brum to walk around the shops. Marks and Sparks also. John Crump OldBrin in SNOWY Colorado USA
 
Here are 4 pages taken from an old Lewis's magazine my uncle had (he was restaurant manager there for several years)


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Some great photos coming onto this thread bringing back lots of fond memories. Love the magazine extracts too. This aerial view from the 1930s gives a good idea of the scale of "the greatest store in the Midlands" Viv

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I had never given Lewis's a great deal of thought. I loved going there, but as my mother did not like shopping (I can see where I get it from) we did not go particularly often, but it really MUST have been the greatest store in the Midlands - surely not just an advertising slogan. Even if it had still been there today, it would have changed vastly, as most shops have, so perhaps it went at the right time, as the memories are still all good ones. The day it closed, I was working just over the road in St Phillip's Place, and I remember everyone being very shocked.
 
Hi all - just looked at David's photos on post 354 - if you look at the picture entitled "looking down Corporation Street toward the Central Fire Station" you can see, just behind Lewis's, what seems to be a fire brigade turntable ladder in the elevated position with crew, looking as if it is being (or has been) pitched into the semi demolished building on the same side of the road.

The crowds all seem to be looking in that direction so maybe there was some kind of emergency incident taking place when the photograph was taken.

Are there any more details with this picture?

Cheers

(on second thoughts it might not be - my eyes ain't that good these days....:dejection:!!!)
 
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Lovely photoa - I particularly loved the one from the 50's - I used to go in that door to buy my pale grey stockings for 2/6d every week - could only be worn once as they were very fine.
Sheri
 
Hi Speedy: Had a good look at the photo to which you refer on my scanner. It looks as though there was some kind of incident or an accident had taken place during the demolition of the old buildings
on the corner opposite Lewis's. There are so many people standing around and there is an ambulance in the photo. That building housed a Halford's store when completed for a few years and I also used to use the Post Office in there. At one point the level of Old Square was lowered and there were several shops down there and seating with flower gardens.
 
there seems to be two fire vehicles and an ambulance, with most of the crowd in the photo looking in that
direction one of the history buffs will unearth the story i'm sure.
paul
 
My auntie, Evelyn Hanson, used to work on Lewis's Make-up Counter for a few years before the war. She was always very smart and glamorous. She left to work in a factory for the War Effort but after the War she didn't return to Lewis's but went to work as Head Receptionist at the Grand Hotel. The Beauty Department was just down the few steps from the entrance shown in Stars photo No. 347 if I remember correctly. I loved Lewis's - it was a fantastic store and I have so many memories of it, from Father Christmas and his grotto when I was young, to the many wonderful departments it contained, even the Ice Cream Parlour in the basement!

Judy
 
judy i wished i had memories of lewis,s but alas i dont..from what i have read about it it sounds like it was an amazing place...
lyn
 
davidfowler said:
Here are 4 pages taken from an old Lewis's magazine my uncle had (he was restaurant manager there for several years)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the photos, I have so many memories of Lewis's - as well as shopping there, I banked there - Martin's Bank, had my hair cut there, saw Father Christmas there, and loved the lifts you could see them coming, and I went on the roof garden many times - it was the shop to go to on a visit to 'town'

oldmohawk
 
We often went when I was a child I had my hair cut there as well. My father banked there I remember the plush carpet and polished wood. My sister and I were told to sit and wait while our parents did their banking or whatever, I was a little scared of the place to be honest. I loved going to see Santa the highlight of the year.
 
I always thought that Lewis's and Father Christmas were the perfect match and at this time of year how many of us would be found queueing on the back stairs then looking up to see how far we still had to go to get to his grotto.

And remember, Lewis's used to have the real Father Christmas, the other stores were fakes.

How do i know this, because my Mom told me....
 
As a child I can only remember visiting Father Christmas once in my life and that was, of course, in Lewis's store.
 
Neville Philpott said:
I always thought that Lewis's and Father Christmas were the perfect match and at this time of year how many of us would be found queueing on the back stairs then looking up to see how far we still had to go to get to his grotto.

And remember, Lewis's used to have the real Father Christmas, the other stores were fakes.

How do i know this, because my Mom told me....
Click to expand...

Ha! Ha! Yeh, those back stairs went on forever didn't they Neville and of course your Mom was right!
 
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