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Woolworths Memories

My mom started work at Woolworths in Erdington High Street, just after the war at the ripe old age of fourteen; her name was Doreen Pardoe
I used to work at woolworth's in the bullring. I worked in the cafeteria.(in the kitchen). Absolutely loved that job & store. Almost cried when the Bullring was redesigned & woolies being demolished.
 
i bought a fishing reel. from woolies aston cross. 2/- then made a fishing rod out of a bamboo cane. the reel was held on with the rubber rings out of pop bottles. the rings was safety pins cut,and tied on with cotton. i caught as many fish, with that
liked the layout, all the goods were in an island that you walked around.you could see what you were after. not like todays shops. it could be anywhere. you did not have to ask a shop shelf filler. "excuse me were is such and such"
set up from woolies bits and bobs. as i do now with expensive gear woolies.png
 
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My mum bought me my first Ponds pale pink lipstick and face powder from Wonderfull woolies down the Bull ring, it was one of the happiest days of my teenage years
Hello Jeannie. I used to work at woolies in the bull ring. a really lovely place to work at. I was working in the cafeteria, in the kitchen. I think it was in the early 70's. How I miss that place. Love the new bull ring, but would have loved it even more if they could have incorporated some of the old building into it too.( especially the old woolies building).
 
A forum pic from another thread showing the Bull Ring Woolworths in the 1960s
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I have to admit that the Bull Ring is devoid of real atmosphere now and it is largely the usual multi-nationals selling exactly the same goods as all their other stores do throughout the country and the world, all sourcing their goods from multi-national manufacturers. It's becoming increasingly difficult to find "something different" that no one else sells. A sign of the times methinks.

Maurice
 
A forum pic from another thread showing the Bull Ring Woolworths in the 1960s
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from https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/hobbies.46731/post-605525
That’s just how I remember Woollies in the early 60’s ,my first port of call for Shopping for Aunts n uncles small Christmas prezies ( gifts) , I revisited the Bull ring late 2017 and was compleatly lost ,with help from locals I found a few places,The church,the rag market and the fish market, Happy memories ,thanks for the pic,
 
I have to admit that the Bull Ring is devoid of real atmosphere now and it is largely the usual multi-nationals selling exactly the same goods as all their other stores do throughout the country and the world, all sourcing their goods from multi-national manufacturers. It's becoming increasingly difficult to find "something different" that no one else sells. A sign of the times methinks.

Maurice
I totally agree Maurice. I go over there on a regular basis, & just visit 3 shops. how it used to be before the change, I used to go in many,many more. I could spend all day in the old bull ring, but now, it is just an hour or so.
 
I have to admit that the Bull Ring is devoid of real atmosphere now and it is largely the usual multi-nationals selling exactly the same goods as all their other stores do throughout the country and the world, all sourcing their goods from multi-national manufacturers. It's becoming increasingly difficult to find "something different" that no one else sells. A sign of the times methinks.

Maurice
Apart from convenience, the lack of choice in some shopping areas, maybe why many look and buy online.
This is where some small town shops often win out as they buy from different sources.
 
Apart from convenience, the lack of choice in some shopping areas, maybe why many look and buy online.
This is where some small town shops often win out as they buy from different sources.
I much prefer the old layout of the old bullring. The change was all about cramming as many stores into one place so that the council got more rent. They did not consider what the people of birmingham wanted. I used to love walking through from the old bus station & into the meat market or across to the rag market. I miss those wonderful days.
 
after mooching around woolies.we would watch the men on soap boxes shouting.and the man in chains.and when it got dark the barra boys lit the lamps. i loved saturdays.in town,as we called it in the 50s
 
Hi Derek, I recall Woolworths on the Coventry Road Birmingham, at what is known as the Wheatsheaf (junction of Lode Lane and the A45 Coventry Road). I think Pep & Co. and Poundland now occupy that building judging by the brickwork. For me, the single item that made it so special was the vast range of Airfix kits. These were all made up, painted and pinned to a huge board over the model counter, maybe a dozen or more kits. Yes, they sold more than just wool! They were mostly WW2 planes both British and German as I recall. Of course, they were all done to a far superior standard than I could ever hope to do myself. Being around 7 or 8 at the time (and an avid Airfix modeller), this was a constant source of fascination to me whenever I went in with my Mom (which was a lot as we lived in Ventnor Road). I'm not sure whether a similar display was in all of their stores. However, the importance of Woolworths and model kits should not be underestimated! Kind Regards, Gary
 
:rolleyes:seems that a lot of us preferred the old bull ring...what springs out to me about the new look area is the lack of atmosphere...the sights and the sounds.. the smells and of course its characters ...its totally soulless now and i only go into the city centre if i really have to..its sad but thats the way i have felt for over ten years now...as most of you know i have nothing against change..it has to happen but surely not at the cost of destroying most of birminghams history than can never be bought back..moan over again

lyn
 
i used to buy electrical bits and bobs for my experiments .the counter fascinated me. if you bought light bulb they try'd it first,in one of assorted holders.and after xmas sold all the odd left overs "cheap". thats my kind of shop:laughing::laughing:mom bought a winfield record player,i have it here and it still works
 

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:rolleyes:seems that a lot of us preferred the old bull ring...what springs out to me about the new look area is the lack of atmosphere...the sights and the sounds.. the smells and of course its characters ...its totally soulless now and i only go into the city centre if i really have to..its sad but thats the way i have felt for over ten years now...as most of you know i have nothing against change..it has to happen but surely not at the cost of destroying most of birminghams history than can never be bought back..moan over again

lyn
I totally agree Lynn.
 
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