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Shops on High Street in the City.

Phil

Phil

Gone, but not forgotten.
Pollypops has asked me to start a thread showing some of the photos I have of shops on the High St in the City. Over the years there have been many shops on this little High St. Just as there have been many that have stood there for years.

I thought I would make a start with Marks & Spencer who have been there a great many years. After all where would we be without Marks & Sparks.

These five photos map the first shop through to the one that stands today. If I have posted these before then please forgive me. Each one bears the date that was with the photo except the original penny bazaar shop, so I make no guarantee that they are dated correctly. But I would think they are near enough.

I have just noticed that the dates on the photos havent been posted, they are left to right, 1st shop no date, 1930, next line below 1938 & 1954. Next line 1960.

Phil
Lost photos replaced by identical ones

City High St Marks & Sparks High St.jpgCity High St M & S 1930.jpgCity High St Marks & Spencer 1938.jpgCity High St M and S 1954 .jpgCity High St Marks & Spencer 1960.JPG
 
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Great pictures Phill - has M&S always been in the same spot on the High Street or has it moved around.
polly
 
Polly

As far as I am aware it has always been on the same site from it's humble beginnings as a penny bazaar, on the corner of what was Castle Street. It has just got bigger over the years.

Phil
 
Love the photos,the penny bazaar,bit like a pound shop
 
Great Photographs Phil. It would be great to take steps back in time and walk into their first shop to look around.
 
OK, Ernie. Marks & Spencer opened their first shop together in 1894 in Manchester; how much would you have to have in your pocket today to have the buying power of a penny in 1894? David
 
Another well known department store on the High Street was The Co-op. Not that I was ever a shopper there although I did use their restaurant on occasion. I also went to quite a few functions in their banqueting suite. I know reams have been written about the Co-op on this forum so I have no need to add any more. My only personal experience of the store was being turned down for a job there. I remember the personnel department was up a rickety old flight of stairs through a door in Castle Street.

This photo was taken sometime after the purchase and conversion of the Metropole Hotel in 1916.

Phil

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City High St New Central Co op after purchase of the Metropole Hotel 1916.JPG
 
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Phil
Is the one of the coop a photograph or a drawing. Looks too perfect for a photo
Mike
 
Mike

You got me guessing now, I've never looked at it closely. I suppose it could be one of these retouched photos, because it does look a little too perfect for the 1920's. It even looks better than this second view some 30 years later.

Phil

Lost photo replaced by what was probably the same photo

City High St Central Co op 1951.JPG
 
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Phil I remember my Nan taking me there to pick up her "Divey" great memories. She was an active member of the Co-op. My wifes mates used to work in this building as "comptomitor operators"
Keep them coming folk's, love it!

Regards
Bobby
 
The co-op was where I first saw Steve Davies the snooker player, the year he first became world champion.He was promoting some small snooker tables he had put his name to and he challenged a young lad aged about 10-11, and guess what, Davies lost, I don't think it was deliberate either.

Terry
 
Don't forget after a busy morning shopping on the High St we needed lunch, and what better place than the Oxford Restaurant. Where we could have a meal in the restaurant upstairs or a cake and coffee in the snack bar.

Phil

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City High St Oxford Restaurant 1954.JPG
 
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Another great photo phil - do you know where about that was on the High St?
I like the Phillips shop next door - would that have been TV's & radios?
Polly
 
Hi Polly

The Oxford was at 52-53 High St which was about mid way between Carr's Lane & Albert St. Which would be just before where MacDonald's is now. Phillips was in fact a furniture store I believe.

Phil
 
Yes Terry

It was the News Theatre that sometimes showed cartoons between newsreels. It opened in 1910 as the Cinematograph Theatre later became the Imperial Playhouse and the Oxford. In 1932 it became The News Theatre then it closed in 1960 and was demolished soon after.

Phil

Photo replaced by what was probably the same as the original

City News Theatre High St.jpg
 
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Hi Dek

Another view of Henry's in 1958 whilst being demolished after their move to the new store in Union St. It's amazing how many people shopped at Henry's, then walked over the road to Rackhams and purchased a little thing there and put the purchase from Henry's into that bag.

Phil

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City High St Henry's Demolition 1958.jpg
 
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Yes Phil i also remember Henry,s in Union St they then knocked that down and gave us the Tax Offices. Rackhams was one of the first building sites i ever worked on i must have been 15- 16 at that time it was quite frightening in those days no health and safety but also exciting. Dek
 
Thanks for the memories Phil. It is surprising the number of shops that I remember now you have posted these photos. The city centre has changed out of all recognition over the years, and continues to do so.
 
pmc1947..l remember the news theatre so well.....being as we did'nt have tv l went to the news theatre to see the film of princess Elizabeths wedding...also the coronation in 1953...and yes it was all in colour, and it was such a treat....of course they always showed a couple of cartoons, it seems so tame now to what we see to-day....it did'nt take much to make us happy.....Brenda
 
These are the five pubs that stood on the High St. Mike The Star Vaults was in Dale End. There was the Red Lion at the top of Albert St, the Lion & Lamb and the Comet at the top of the Bull Ring, Stevens Bar where the Rotunda stands now and The Board Inn adjacent or close to the old Market Hall at the end of the High St. Regret the Lamb and Lion does not show much of the pub.

Phil

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City Dale End Star Vaults.jpgCity Red Lion High St - New Meeting St.JPGCity Lion and Lamb High St City 1930's.jpgCity Comet Bull Ring.jpgCity Stevens Bar High St.jpgCity Board Inn Bull Ring.jpg
 
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Phil do you know if there was a pub at the top of Cars lane. I have a memory of a pub that was sort of triangular shape.
 
Robert

The only pubs on the High Street were those that I have mentioned. There were no pubs at all as far as I know in Carr's Lane.

Are you thinking of The Red Lion it was a strange shape, the bulk of the pub was in New Meeting St and I think that part of it was called The Waverley Hotel.

Phil
 
Phill, it was coming down high st from the co-op towards Dale End Is that were New Meeting st would have been.
 
Robert

The Red Lion would be where the Blue X is marked in the centre of the map. It was at the end of the High St where it met Albert St originally. Not where Albert St comes out on Dale End now.

Phil
Lost map replaced

View showing approx. position of where Red Lion was.jpg
 
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