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Lewis's Department Store

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kandor
  • Start date Start date
From memory if one looked towards The Minories from Temple Row , the B block was on the left. From that street level you could walk into the store or the Travel Bureau ( staff discount applied to all holidays etc). Above that was the Bank, as previous people have posted. Somewhere I still have my old bank book ( zero balance).
I will post more about a life with toys in a while!
 
I don't have date for the founding of Lewis's Bank but many stores had their own banks.
In 1958 Lewis's Bank was bought by Martin's Bank but continued operating under their Lewis's name.
In 1967 Martin's Bank merged with Barclays Bank but one of the government conditions for approval of the merger was that Lewis's be sold to Lloyds Bank.
In 1980 Lewis's Bank was fully merged into Lloyds Bank.
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A rare Lewis's Bank Cheque. See the Lloyds black horse top left.
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An exchange bureau in 1971 operated by Lewis's Bank to enable people to change their old money for the decimal currency. Not known which branche this was but believed to be Selfridge's London.
 
Returning to the Toy Department on the 5 th floor. My title refers to the fact that for at least a year apart from management I was the only male on the counters.

The one major attraction on my watch was the magnificent 8 foot by 8 foot demonstration model railway. All items on this were Triang models, including the overhead cables. However, despite its attraction its permanent running couldn’t be guaranteed! Although there were many signs requesting people not to touch, frequent little fingers had to ‘play’ with the display. Such signs were produced by the publicity/ display department and as I recall had to be authorised by the Department manager.

Eventually a decision was made to offer the layout for sale and I believe it went to somewhere in Alum Rock or Ward End area. The display department came up with a smaller display which would fit into a simpler counter set up. The majority of stock was Triang. At Christmas one of the best sellers was the Lewis’s own clockwork tinplate train set, which was ‘O’ gauge, which was aimed at the young child market. It was also the time when the Scalectric racing system became a great hit on the market. We sold the box sets, track and various cars.

I was lucky because I could go with Mr Turner to the Grand Hotel once a year to the Midlands Toy show. Additionally, I was taken to a major wholesaler I believe was in Rae Street.

For the Christmas in 1964 I was appointed section supervisor with an increase in pay, as I wasn’t getting any commission. Apart from the normal staff the team was increased considerably, including demonstrators, who were employed by certain manufacturers to boost the sale of there items, but worked on a commission only basis. Quite often they were University students on their Christmas break. One demonstrator who stood out was the British champion Yo-yo expert who offered to show off his skills at various intervals through the day ( name slips my memory).

Another ‘attachment’ to the department was the Photo me booth and I was shown how to fix the problems with it such as photos failing to appear etc. But one I couldn’t fix was when people paid their money and were not prepared for the flash! Many test photos went into the bin which captured me making adjustments!

Apologies for the randomness of my posting, I am trying to put on paper my memories. When I have conjured up some more of my recollections, I will add to my postings. Until then Happy New Year to all for 2025.
 
Toyboy said:
Returning to the Toy Department on the 5 th floor. My title refers to the fact that for at least a year apart from management I was the only male on the counters.

The one major attraction on my watch was the magnificent 8 foot by 8 foot demonstration model railway. All items on this were Triang models, including the overhead cables. However, despite its attraction its permanent running couldn’t be guaranteed! Although there were many signs requesting people not to touch, frequent little fingers had to ‘play’ with the display. Such signs were produced by the publicity/ display department and as I recall had to be authorised by the Department manager.

Eventually a decision was made to offer the layout for sale and I believe it went to somewhere in Alum Rock or Ward End area. The display department came up with a smaller display which would fit into a simpler counter set up. The majority of stock was Triang. At Christmas one of the best sellers was the Lewis’s own clockwork tinplate train set, which was ‘O’ gauge, which was aimed at the young child market. It was also the time when the Scalectric racing system became a great hit on the market. We sold the box sets, track and various cars.

I was lucky because I could go with Mr Turner to the Grand Hotel once a year to the Midlands Toy show. Additionally, I was taken to a major wholesaler I believe was in Rae Street.

For the Christmas in 1964 I was appointed section supervisor with an increase in pay, as I wasn’t getting any commission. Apart from the normal staff the team was increased considerably, including demonstrators, who were employed by certain manufacturers to boost the sale of there items, but worked on a commission only basis. Quite often they were University students on their Christmas break. One demonstrator who stood out was the British champion Yo-yo expert who offered to show off his skills at various intervals through the day ( name slips my memory).

Another ‘attachment’ to the department was the Photo me booth and I was shown how to fix the problems with it such as photos failing to appear etc. But one I couldn’t fix was when people paid their money and were not prepared for the flash! Many test photos went into the bin which captured me making adjustments!

Apologies for the randomness of my posting, I am trying to put on paper my memories. When I have conjured up some more of my recollections, I will add to my postings. Until then Happy New Year to all for 2025.
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He gained a sale the day that my grandmother took me to Lewis's (I remember it well;)). I never got the hang of it myself, although my Dad tried to show me how it should be done (he must have been quite a talent back in the 30s!). :)
 
Lewis’s Toy Department in the early 1960 was split into four areas. Again from memory one was called big toys, such as swings, slides little roundabouts and prams. Then there was the small toys such as dolls and soft toys. I will add that this section also included Pelham puppets, which I mention because that company had a representative / demonstrator. I recall that she was a lovely Scottish lady who could show her skills with the strings!

If I have it correct, there was then the boxed games followed by the model department ( known as M4, as I mentioned previously.

Obviously there were several sub sections which amazingly covered the whole of B block over the Christmas period.i must add that in my opinion Lewis’s offered the biggest toy selection under one roof in the Midlands.

I am aware that the following area would not be acceptable nowadays, but the store was visited from time to time by the man with the monkeys. Some shillings would buy yourself a picture of your children with the monkeys.i have no doubt that many family photo album have such a photograph.

One incident I still recall was when my parents went away on holiday! I was at home in bed when the phone rang..... and someone from the store asked me if I had any intention of visiting the store that day? I had overslept!
For some time after we youngsters had started were given meal tickets but I cannot recall there value or the age limit on them! Also we were not allowed the work overtime, which would have pushed our hours past the permitted allowed then! Overtime was usually paid for working on Thursday evenings, which I recall was the late night shopping night. No doubt someone has a bette memory than i. I do recall that at some time all staff had their working week reduced, which meant that a new Rita was drawn up , offering days off, which alternated to Wednesdays, Saturdays and Mondays. This change made a wonderful difference to us all.
 
Toyboy said:
Overtime was usually paid for working on Thursday evenings, which I recall was the late night shopping night. No doubt someone has a bette memory than i. I do recall that at some time all staff had their working week reduced, which meant that a new Rita was drawn up , offering days off, which alternated to Wednesdays, Saturdays and Mondays. This change made a wonderful difference to us all.
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This could have been when Early Closing Day was abolished. Shop staff were entitled to a half day off each week to be determined by the local council. In Birmingham this was Wednesday afternoons. When this was abolished shops had to set up new rotas for staff with time off.
(Side note. Sheffield Wednesday Football Clubs was set up by shop assistants who could not play on Saturdays)
 
I must mention one important local toy manufacturer who probably achieved a great deal with child development. Chad Valley Toys of Harborne were the makers of a variety of soft toys and teddy bears. They also produced many games. I will leave this particular thread open to others who would know much more about this wonderful company than I .May be this item will spark some memories?

Returning to my personal memories, I was moved from my dream job in the New Year of 1965 to the Lino Department. I made the decision to leave Lewis’s ending my 4 year career working for a marvellous institution!
 
Toyboy said:
I must mention one important local toy manufacturer who probably achieved a great deal with child development. Chad Valley Toys of Harborne were the makers of a variety of soft toys and teddy bears. They also produced many games. I will leave this particular thread open to others who would know much more about this wonderful company than I .May be this item will spark some memories?

Returning to my personal memories, I was moved from my dream job in the New Year of 1965 to the Lino Department. I made the decision to leave Lewis’s ending my 4 year career working for a marvellous institution!
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I had some Chad Valley toys and think that one of them was a tricycle. I can't remember the toy department but I was taken to see Father Christmas there.

I mentioned this thread to my husband, who said he thought he had some kind of game from Chad Valley, and pointed out that my tricycle would have been Tri-Ang.
 
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As I recall, very much so. They certainly knew how to do it and it was the ‘place to go’.
Clever marketing, and for those who visited Father Christmas and the grotto, whether they paid for a present, or just wanted to walk through the experience discovered that when they came out of that attraction they were ‘delivered ‘ into the Toy Department!
 
Toyboy said:
As I recall, very much so. They certainly knew how to do it and it was the ‘place to go’.
Clever marketing, and for those who visited Father Christmas and the grotto, whether they paid for a present, or just wanted to walk through the experience discovered that when they came out of that attraction they were ‘delivered ‘ into the Toy Department!
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It seemed more magical and a lot of thought and care was involved.
 
Toyboy said:
Imagine the scene back in September 1961? I was one of about fifteen (16/ 17 year old) new recruits to this icon of shopping delight, with the title of management trainee. As a group we had probably enjoyed our extended summer holidays as we were waiting for our GCE ‘O’ level results and Lewis’s were also waiting for some guarantee of our individual educational level. At that time we were offered the princely sum of £5 a week plus commission. Additional to our daily work, we were expected to reach a level of success with I think it was a twice weekly evening attendance at the Birmingham School of Economics which was the old building around Broad Street. The reward for a years study and a pass was £10, and one was then moved forward to the second year of study, towards our NRDC ( National Retail Distribution Certificate). I do remember that we used to gather at an old pub somewhere around the top of Hill Street.
Moving forward in time and our eduction we moved onto Aston University to continue with our studies after the old BSE closed. Our first and possibly only encounter with paternoster lifts.
Returning to our first day, we inducted into the working of electronic tills and sales books! Next came our allocation of working environments. For some reason the powers that be decided that my future lay in Kitchen furniture! I do remember my first experience of the New Year Sales, when the whole store went manic, or the shoppers did. I was ‘allocated ‘ to kitchen stools, which needed no salesmanship as they were in high demand and some reasonable commission!
As for that department my apologies for failing to remember any of the staff.
As my interest was in model railways I took the bold step to request a transfer to Toys. I do remember that the department head thought that I was crazy as I would lose a lot of commission. However, a transfer was arranged and I moved under the wing of the SM Derek Turner and his ASM Brian Adams. The incumbent sales lady on the models department was moving on and went to Barnabys ( toys) on Colmore Row.
I must add that after 6 months I was awarded with a ‘ long service’ badge, which I was proud to wear.
To be continued.
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That is a very interesting story. You mention paternoster lifts - I worked in admin for Otis Elevators in the late 60s/early 70s and we were taken to the Birmingham Cookery School, Spring Hill, to view these - they were very scary to hop on and off! I was also honoured to take papers to James A Roberts, Architects, in their offices in the Rotunda and use the lifts there. My one and only time visiting in this iconic building!
 
The paternoster lifts at Aston were very scary when first used, and that fear was always there! What happens if I miss the top floor ( do they fold up)? Also the same trepidation if one missed the ground floor?Also what happens if it breaks down between floors? I know some students there thought it was a lark to keep people in the cubicle to miss their floor.
I cannot remember how long we spent there doing our course for the NRDC as part of our ‘management training for Lewis’s,
Incidentally but also unfortunately, I lost touch with my fellow ‘trainees’.
 
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