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Greys Department Store
- Thread starter Di.Poppitt
- Start date
S
Stitcher
Guest
1945.Sorry about the quality of this one.
Outside Greys, Bull Street
Thank you for putting these photographs on the forum. I used to work there 1963-1965 in the 5th floor offices. Its great to be able to see them again. I was very sad when it was demolished.
Stead and Simpson shoe shop was along at the left of Grey's aswell as a Lyons tea house where I could get a cup of tea for 6d in 1963 and there was a Werffs clothes shop. A radio station was amongst these shops by the 70s.
A pair of stilleto heeled shoes from there cost me 29/11d in 1963 and the heel broke within a week!
Stead and Simpson shoe shop was along at the left of Grey's aswell as a Lyons tea house where I could get a cup of tea for 6d in 1963 and there was a Werffs clothes shop. A radio station was amongst these shops by the 70s.
A pair of stilleto heeled shoes from there cost me 29/11d in 1963 and the heel broke within a week!
Great photos of Grey's/Bull St Phil. Spent many a day - and late night/early am - waiting for buses there. Anyone know where the early Grey's shop was in Phil's first photo? Just doesn't look like Bull St to me. Viv.
Tremendous picture OldMohawk. Thankyou.
S
Stitcher
Guest
My Mom loved to look around Greys.
Radiorails
master brummie
From memory Stitcher I don't think she was alone. The place was always packed with women. The worst part of Greys and Lewis's was the basements where one was directed during air raids. Being a child you were hemmed in by taller people.
S
Stitcher
Guest
Hello Alan, I was born in 1940 so I would not really have been in that situation but I do remember the basements after the war and they were still chotic then
A couple of nice ads "You get a good deal at Greys" and the lift lobby (from an advert for the lift company, ECM lifts). Lifts in older departmental stores fascinate me. They often have quite lavish decoration. Well I suppose whilst travelling to the correct floor customers have the time to ponder the decor. Viv.
The old lifts were worked by disabled people when I worked at Grey's 1963-1965 and one such person was a Mr Cragg who had a daughter named Linda who worked in the offices. She looked very similar to me and people got us muddled up. We both went out SEPARATELY in the dinner hour on Fridays with our pay packets to buy new clothes and very often came back with the same things! Pleated skirts from C&A and button-up cardigans from Marks and Spencer's for £1.9.11d . They also had some newer OTIS lifts with silver coloured doors at Grey's too.
Maria Magenta
master brummie
I didn't spend as many hours in Greys as I did in Lewis's, but looking at the photos, wish I'd explored it more. Lewis's always seemed more interesting and organised. Was there a young person's clothes department in Greys called Way In? Or am I thinking of another shop?
Hi there
I used to get the old 39 bus from outside Ansells brewery on the park road side
They used to have a little ledge of a wall running all down the road from there main entrane
And i uxed to stand on it to whatch the beer bottles going around filled one that is,
And wait for the 39 Bus come back up vrom the Aston parish church and take me into town
On my own or with my mother as well to go to new cannal street grand parents
And it cost a penny for me on the old 39 bus wich stoped right out side old greys
In the forty/fiftys and aunty maud from white house street took me to see father christmas
Best wishes Astonian,,,,
I used to get the old 39 bus from outside Ansells brewery on the park road side
They used to have a little ledge of a wall running all down the road from there main entrane
And i uxed to stand on it to whatch the beer bottles going around filled one that is,
And wait for the 39 Bus come back up vrom the Aston parish church and take me into town
On my own or with my mother as well to go to new cannal street grand parents
And it cost a penny for me on the old 39 bus wich stoped right out side old greys
In the forty/fiftys and aunty maud from white house street took me to see father christmas
Best wishes Astonian,,,,
Bull street was home to the department store Grey,s , set up by
Edward Greey, whom dropped an e from his name to make it easier to recognise and easier for trading
Purposes
It was established in one small shop and expanded along the street knocking down devided walls
Between them.
Just after the second world war ,it was taken over by Debenhams, it closed in 1983 and demolished
Best weishes to you all Alan,,Astonian,,,,,,
Edward Greey, whom dropped an e from his name to make it easier to recognise and easier for trading
Purposes
It was established in one small shop and expanded along the street knocking down devided walls
Between them.
Just after the second world war ,it was taken over by Debenhams, it closed in 1983 and demolished
Best weishes to you all Alan,,Astonian,,,,,,
