Early Woolworths shops in Birmingham

[Morturn]

There was one on Erdington High Street opposite the National School. My mom took a job at that branch after leaving school at 14.

 

[Astoness]

The Hawthorn Road Kingstanding branch had wooden floors too (probably parquet). The date of the branch wouldn't have been before the 1930s as it was part of a 1930s shopping parade. I remember it had counters with a frame above them to hold more stock, although I think by the 1960s, that had all gone. I remember them selling certain non-perishable food priducts like jam, sugar and tea. There wasn't any stacking of items as I recall, it was all out on counters at waist height, with glass dividers between items. It was a place to browse, especially at Christmas. And it was a double shop frontage, so plenty of space. Sometimes Mum bought Ladybird clothes for us from there, in particular I remember a grey pleated school skirt and a pale blue mohair cardigan.

i loved the hawthorn road woolies viv and was using it right up until it closed a few years back...it is now a heron shop

lyn

 

[mikejee]

Would not have thought there would be much demand for herons

 

[Lemonella]

Woolworths on Cape Hill, Smethwick was a great place. We bought their slab cake in different types, angel, fruit and madeira. You could have as little or as much as you wanted.

 

[Richard Dye]

I would go to Woolworths near the Bull Ring every Saturday with my mom. The flower ladies were friends of hers that came to visit in the US after she immigrated. But the last stop was Woolworths where most times I would spend my shilling on something that caught my eye. You could actually get a couple of great things back then for a shilling

 

[Lemonella]

I would go to Woolworths near the Bull Ring every Saturday with my mom. The flower ladies were friends of hers that came to visit in the US after she immigrated. But the last stop was Woolworths where most times I would spend my shilling on something that caught my eye. You could actually get a couple of great things back then for a shilling

Bull Ring Woolies was also great, you could spend hours in there it was so big.

 

[A Sparks]

There was one at Northfield. I remember it having bare, wood planked floors. I used to go there with my mom, who would buy a big bag of broken biscuits, which were sold off cheaply.




Steve.

I don't know which branch of Woolworths this was but I just spotted this photo on a FB page - the biscuit counter!

 

[Radiorails]

A classic Woolworth shop layout. The biscuits in the above photo shows, by the assistant using the scales, that you could buy a quantity, more, or less, according to your finances or family need. Ah! progress they say.