They seem to have had fingers in various pies. Here's an advertising card for Lewis's Removals and Storage. Viv.
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Paul Walton
master brummie
My father drove Lewis's delivery vans from 1937, when he was 17, until 1967 the exception being while he was in the RAF from 1940 to 1945. The delivery pantechnicon were a little smaller than the removal ones. In the 1950's I remember my dad driving a Guy van with a red Indians head on the top of the radiator grill. In those days they were painted green at the bottom and black above the line level with the bottom of the cab windows, lettering was straw or gold as I remember
Thanks Paul. I expect it was a bit of a nightmare manoeuvring those vans around the ring roads. Seem to vaguely remember the Lewis's delivery area alongside Priory Ringway (or Queeensway? can never remember it's name).
To add to the festive spirit, here's a nice (albeit 'posed') seasonal photo of the Minories all decked out in the 1960s. Pretty sure I remember these exact decorations. Viv.
To add to the festive spirit, here's a nice (albeit 'posed') seasonal photo of the Minories all decked out in the 1960s. Pretty sure I remember these exact decorations. Viv.
Paul Walton
master brummie
Yes I have fond memories of Lewis's from summer 1967 to 1970 I used to work there during school and later college holidays and on Saturdays in term time, mainly in The Concourse Snack Bar, in the Bull St/Corporation St subway. Having difficulties getting a grant to continue my studies in 1970 I asked I could stay working for the year. Well I stayed until August 1987, used to love working on the food hall especially at Xmas time, all that seasonal fare, ham on the bone, cooked turkeys, pork pies, Christmas cakes, mince pies and the confectionary, Chocolate Liquers, Picture Chocolate boxes from all the big makers, massive stacks of After Eight, Quality St, Roses. The deli with all the german and continental foods, pfeffernusse, lebkuchen, stollen, gingerbread father Christmas, all organised by wonderful supervisor on there Mildred Hall, remember one year having an enormous display unit in the shape of a Gingerbread house, that was from Bahlsen biscuits and was rammed with their fare, there wasn't a german market in those days but Lewis's and Rackhams to a lesser extent did a fair imitation. One year we got the soldier and crinoline lady costumes from Quality Street and the display team dressed two mannequins in them and made a wonderful display with the lady sat in an antique chair with a table with wine and mince pies on it, all in the largest display of tins, jars and boxes of QS you could imagine. One year I did my turn as the extra Assistant Sales Manager they added to the toy floor from October to January, that was a magical time indeed but enough I'm getting maudlin now
Wow great memories Paul. I can smell the continental sausage in the food hall all over again! I loved the food hall for that very reason; they had more interesting food. When we used to go there for fresh, uncut bread I think that section was at ground level leading onto Bull Street and the rest of the food hall was lower down. Well in my mind that's how I remember it in the 1960s but I may be wrong. The Quality Street display must have been great. I loved the Regency figures on their tins. Later when I shopped in Lewis's all this would have passed me by, as all I was interested in as a teenager was the clothing department and haberdashery. Just seems so wrong that it's now all offices. Viv.
jennyann
Gone but not forgotten. R.I.P.
Loved reading your Lewis's memories Paul. The Food Hall was such a great place to visit especially at Christmas. I can remember the huge turkeys
on sale and all the other things that you mention. Most families going into town on a Saturday would include a visit to Lewis's. As Viv says,later on
the clothes and makeup counters took my interest. My friend and I used to go in on late closing night..Thursday, I believe and get free sprays of perfume
before we went out for the evening. I loved the makeup counters.
on sale and all the other things that you mention. Most families going into town on a Saturday would include a visit to Lewis's. As Viv says,later on
the clothes and makeup counters took my interest. My friend and I used to go in on late closing night..Thursday, I believe and get free sprays of perfume
before we went out for the evening. I loved the makeup counters.
Paul Walton
master brummie
Late night closing was 6:30 !!!!!!!! when I first worked there.
brenda barr
master brummie
Jennyann, oh! how you brought back memories of Lewis, in the early 50's my friend and l would go to Lewis's saturday afternoon 1st to the record dept and later go to the make up counters always used pancake and got a good shot of free perfume then it was rush home to get ready to go dancing...oh those were the days...lots of fun always tried to get the last bus home many a time l missed it and it was run run all the way home, dad would be waiting up for me my curfew time was 10.30pm can you imagine, 10.30pm is about the time the young people go out now....Brenda
jennyann
Gone but not forgotten. R.I.P.
Hi Brenda, The cosmetic and perfume section of Lewis's was full of wonderful things mostly that I couldn't afford to buy. However, there were
lots of demos and you could get your face made up for free by the different assistants. That was always a bonus. I also loved the shoe sales which were held
in the store extension on Bull Street. Another thing I remember when they had sales they used to put all kinds of goods in the window on sale and if you liked something and they only had what was in the window left in stock you had to wait while the assistant went to the particular window to see if the item was still there! Happy days.
lots of demos and you could get your face made up for free by the different assistants. That was always a bonus. I also loved the shoe sales which were held
in the store extension on Bull Street. Another thing I remember when they had sales they used to put all kinds of goods in the window on sale and if you liked something and they only had what was in the window left in stock you had to wait while the assistant went to the particular window to see if the item was still there! Happy days.
Jayell
master brummie
My Auntie worked on the Make-up/Perfume counter at Lewis's before the war. She was always a very glam lady and loved the job, but when the war started she left Lewis's and worked in a factory making munitions for the War Effort. I loved Lewis's and it always played a big part in my growing up! From the children's hairdressers when I was little - sitting on the animals to have my hair cut, Father Christmas and his grotto after queuing on the stairs for what seemed hours, to later when I loved the haberdashery department and choosing materials to make clothes. As a teenager it was the basement record department and the Ice Cream Parlour that we were always in on a Saturday.
brenda barr
master brummie
Jayell, like you the record dept was a must for sat afternoon also the icecream, l loved Lewis's basement too, when ever l would go home in the early days Lewis's basement was the first place l would go especially in the household and kitchen items ..l still have items l use that l bought there...oh! of course we always ended at the Kardoma, for a quick beans on toast, that was eating out to me...Brenda
My great-grandfather was at Lewis's the day it opened (1885, I think). He went with a friend. As you can see from the advertisements one specialty of Lewis's were the ready-made suits for men and boys. These were expensive compared to the clothes made by mothers at home. Great-grandfather's friend became the proud owner of one of these off-the-peg suits. A few weeks later it poured rain. The friend got wet and the suit shrank so much that it was not wearable. The department store refused to give the family their money back. For that reason, great-grandfather's family would never shop at Lewis's. The story of great-granddad's friend and the "shrinking suit" was repeated for generations. Old sins do indeed have long shadows it seems.
SandyBrook
knowlegable brummie
Dad (Howard Sanbrook but known as "Mac") was foreman carpenter at Lewis's for a while in the 1970's and used to come home with various tales of "behind the scenes". One of his jobs was to help with the erection of the grotto and he had this photo taken with Santa to send me one Christmas.
One of his tales of the escalators was going up them carrying some long thin lengths of wood and when he turned round to laugh at something silly his mate was telling him that he'd done (maybe hitting his thumb with a hammer) one end of the timber went up and caught on the ceiling and the other caught somewhere on the moving stairs until it bent like a bow, broke, and whacked him across the back of the neck - he often said you should never laugh at someone else's misfortune.
Best Regards to everyone for Christmas and the New Year
Sandy
One of his tales of the escalators was going up them carrying some long thin lengths of wood and when he turned round to laugh at something silly his mate was telling him that he'd done (maybe hitting his thumb with a hammer) one end of the timber went up and caught on the ceiling and the other caught somewhere on the moving stairs until it bent like a bow, broke, and whacked him across the back of the neck - he often said you should never laugh at someone else's misfortune.
Best Regards to everyone for Christmas and the New Year
Sandy
Great photo Carolina. What a lot of effort to produce the detail in the display. Think this must be a rare photo of it. Viv.
paul stacey
master brummie
Looks faintly remonisent of the fair at the Lickeys, in the early 50's Carolina.paul
Hi Andy,
I remember your father-in-law. I was the assistant publicity manager in the Hanley (1962-64) and Liverpool (1964-68) stores. I left the Liverpool store to work for an advertising agency in the Fiji Islands. I returned to Liverpool and became the Press Production manager in Central Advertising, Liverpool. (1971-79). Central Advertising was closed down in 1979 when the advertising operation was awarded to an outside agency Don became the liaison manager, initially, between the new agency and the stores. As for who he worked for could it have been for Don Ayres who was the Publicity Manager in the Glasgow store? I know there has been a six year gap between our posts but here's hoping.
I remember your father-in-law. I was the assistant publicity manager in the Hanley (1962-64) and Liverpool (1964-68) stores. I left the Liverpool store to work for an advertising agency in the Fiji Islands. I returned to Liverpool and became the Press Production manager in Central Advertising, Liverpool. (1971-79). Central Advertising was closed down in 1979 when the advertising operation was awarded to an outside agency Don became the liaison manager, initially, between the new agency and the stores. As for who he worked for could it have been for Don Ayres who was the Publicity Manager in the Glasgow store? I know there has been a six year gap between our posts but here's hoping.
Chris B
master brummie
if I remember rightly the FURNITURE DEPOSITORY was in Great Hampton Street
Chris B
master brummie
paul stacey
master brummie
What date did Lewis's actually close, and my, (flabber is truly gasted), about a strike in Lewis's of all places.Paul
Chris B
master brummie
Lewis's closed on the 13th July 1991
