• Welcome to this forum . We are a worldwide group with a common interest in Birmingham and its history. While here, please follow a few simple rules. We ask that you respect other members, thank those who have helped you and please keep your contributions on-topic with the thread.

    We do hope you enjoy your visit. BHF Admin Team
  • HI folks the server that hosts the site completely died including the Hdd's and backups.
    Luckily i create an offsite backup once a week! this has now been restored so we have lost a few days posts.
    im still fixing things at the moment so bear with me and im still working on all images 90% are fine the others im working on now
    we are now using a backup solution

woolworths gone into administration

mariew

mariew

master brummie
I cannot believe Woolworths has gone into administration, it has been trading for nearly one hundred years.
 
I was so sad when I heard about Woolworths......oh dear what next!
 
i was in woolies sunday and got loads of socks.for a tener.
mfi well,i went in there to use the loo and the manager told me i would have to assemble it first,
 
I worked as a Saturday girl on the cross when i stayed on at school. My son sent me an e.mail with money off vouchers last week but i think it's gone down the swanny. The Littlewoods ex cat shop Hawthorn rd next to Woolies has also gone into liquidation. Jean.
 
jean,littlewoods ex,i went to bangor to buy a tv from littlewoods ex,when i got home it did not work,so a30 mile drive back for another,home again
would you belive it,that was us as well,next day i went back again,this time the tv worked,for smonths.120 miles for a 14" tv i must be mad.
 
Very sad to hear that Woollies has gone into administration. We lost all our
branches in Canada at least ten years ago. We all have such fond memories of Woolworth's. The Erdington High Street branch has been there for almost 70 years.
I used to buy my Mom "Evening in Paris" Gift set at Christmas when I was growing up, saving up for what seemed like for ever. Also, boxes of Toffees for my school friends, sugar mice and chocolate Santas after sweets came off ration, that tasted very gritty. If Marks & Spencers had failed a few years ago there would have been little recognizable in the way of long time chain department stores left on the High Streets of Britain now.
Speaking of Marks & Spencers, we had three stores in the Vancouver area until the late l990's. They were all withdrawn and any others in this country. Such a shame.
Forgot we also had Boots for a while. Gone, of course.
 
I don't think we've ever had a Woolies in Belgium, though we did have Marks & Sparks until that went a few years ago.

Early 60's my oldest sister, Barbara, worked at Woolies on Ladypool Road, Sparkbrook.

Graham.
 
Woolies lost there "everything in store" name a long time ago.
Ours here is mainly full of toys and childrens clothes!!

Remember when you could buy everything and anything in there? That's the Woolies I loved. I never went in there after they changed the format............that was the sad day for me.
 
Weve all got memories of Woolies.....

For me it was where I stood with gaping jaw looking at all those brilliant little Airfix kits, they even had a little squeezy bottle of glue. My dad built the Three Muskateers from an Airfix kit bought from Woolies on High Street Aston, he turned Porthos into a Table lamp by cutting off the top of his head and gluing in a light fitting, and then adding a small shade.

They sold bulbs in the shape of snowmen, father xmas, xmas trees etc etc, fo Xmas lights. The display was so bright and attractive to a young lad, conjures up Xmas in the early sixties for me.

Pick and Mix

There toys were brilliant, me and my brother Alan used to go in Woolies and play with the toys, that is until they turffed us out :)

Its so shocking this fine institution is going under, all those jobs lost too!!
 
Oh i bought my wii from there will have to phone Dooly to find out what happens if it were to break down and they no longer exist. Must admit have never been a great fan of Woolies but it will be sad to see a store of such long standing go. Jean.
 
I cant believe Woolies has closed down the one here in Weston is always packed

Mau-reece
 
I was so upset when I heard the news - yet another link to our past has been taken from us.

I worked as a Saturday lad at the Bull Ring store when I stayed on at school in 1967/8. My job was supplying and replenishing the up-stairs counters with stock. I remember that I had to wear a brown cow gown and push this ridiculous trolley through hoards of paeople all for the princely sum of £1-2s-6d (of which I had to give my mom 10s)?

Memories...

[ame="https://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=AqecIazxkxA"]YouTube - Elvis Presley: Memories[/ame]
 
I worked in Woollies Erdington high street in the late 50s.
I worked on the Jewellery counter.All those large round brightly coloured earrings,just like mini frisbees.They were clip on and the 'gold' clip left a green patch on your ear lobe LOL.
Everyone could afford to shop at Woollies,it was always very busy.
 
When I was a nipper, many Woolworth shops still bore the old "3d and 6d" logo against the F.W. Woolworth name. When the reason was explained to me - that at one time everything in these shops was priced at either threepence or sixpence - I found this concept strange in the extreme and couldn't understand how it worked. (3d = 1.25p = about 63p in today's money; and 6d = 2.50p = £1.25).

And still can't, to be honest. It's ironical that one of the reasons for the tragic demise of these wonderful shops is the success of chains like Poundland.

Chris
 
Last edited:
Hope they keep trading as have just bought a load of gift vouchers for the kids in the family. Think i'll post then now.
 
Memories of Woolworths, counter girls too busy chatting to serve you, gas lamps strung between the modern fluorescent lights as if they didn't trust the 'new fangled electricity', pick and mix sweets anyone's dirty hands could have dabbled in.
Sadly they didn't move with the times and have now paid the price.

Woolworths, MFI, Littlewoods all in trouble, and no doubt others will soon follow. It's going to be a hard Christmas and New Year for quite a few workers this year, I'm afraid.
 
shame.it is the only good store in our town,or was.
i loved woolies as a kid we went to the woolies in alum rock rd.just after christmas,when they sold off all the shop soil'd things,very cheap.
does any one remember em selling hot peanuts.yumyum.
 
I was surprised to find C&A in Bruges when i was visiting Belgium.

Great shame about Woolworths they were the store for Christmas
when i was a youngster. Full of trimmings and balloons, magical..
 
Another sad day - I remember buying my first record from Woolworths on the Lozells Road. It was Mr. Blue Sky by ELO. My husband also bought his first single from there. Bet it was the same for a great many people of a certain age!!
 
Hi all, It's a sad about Woollies - but they said this morning that the shops would remain open until after Christmas. Where I live in N.London its the only shop in this area that sells bits and pieces like hardware (not much but there is nowhere else since the lovely big hardware shop was forced to close due to the very high rents) - there are alot of primary schools around and you know how many parties young children go to and Woollies always has Mums in there buying birthday presents. As it is there are very few toy shops around - which means you have to buy on line!! But we have Loads of coffee shops and estate agents!! - for the moment.
Sheri
 
Most of Woolworths traditional market has been captured by Poundland
and Wilkinsons.
 
Neville Philpott said:
I was surprised to find C&A in Bruges when i was visiting Belgium.
Click to expand...

It's no surprise to find C&A in Belgium as they originated Holland when two German brothers, Clemens & August (C&A) moved to the Dutch town of Sneek where they opened a textile warehouse in 1841.

Graham.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top