• 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

Greys Department Store

Going back many years most of Mom's sisters worked at Greys as did Grandad and Uncle Sam (in the furniture store in Steelhouse Lane). As there were more than one the sisters couldn't all be Miss Woolley so they had other names, Nell was Miss Tustin, Dolly (who started there first was Woolley) and Mom was Miss Clifford. Mom was there until she married in 1939. I remember her telling me that it was like a rabbit warren upstairs as the buildings had all been cobbled together. She used to work until 11pm on Christmas Eve!
 
For you Lady P, an advert telling us about all the bargains to be had in the Steelhouse Lane annex. Viv.

image.jpeg
 
Thank you Viv. My relatives would have been there then but not Mom. She was a lot younger than her brothers and sisters. What I remember mostly about the building was the mezzanine floor, at the back of the Ground Floor, where Auntie Nell sat doing the accounts.
 
Brenda said:
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.
Click to expand...
Grey's was a good store, me and my friend were mods and we went there to buy our cravats! I worked for Otis lifts late 60s/early 70s and it was one of the best jobs I ever had.
 
Viv
My mother had one once. they did not deteriorate like rubber ones. Only thing is she once fell asleep with it close toher chest and got some pretty nasty burns on her stomach
 
Hi there!

Was having a chat with my Dad the other day, and he was talking about working at Grey's in the 60s. Just stumbled across this site and thought I'd see if anyone remembers him - Keith Aston. His brother, Geoff, also worked there, as did their Uncle Eric (need to look up his surname!)

Be good to hear from anyone that might remember them.
 
true.smelt like the dentists.in your bed. my rubber bottle died in bed. it was killed by my dachound. he try`d to get it to squeak, so i bought a aluminium one.... :grinning:
 

Attachments

  • dachshund.jpg
    dachshund.jpg
    1.8 KB · Views: 1
Last edited:
Tinpot said:
Great set of illustrations. One of the things that I remember in the Bull St Store was the stocking department in the days before tights. Sorting through vast ranges of cellophane packed sheer stockings by such companies as Kayser Bond. Seamed, seamless, diamond patterns, fishnet.
Click to expand...
Kayser Bonda - a name from the past! A relative worked there in Stevenage or somewhere around there.
 
I love these drawings! Mom worked at Grey's, going straight from school and she would often talk about the staff being like another family. When do you think the store in picture 3 post #109 was built? I can remember Mom telling me that upstairs at Grey's was like a rabbit warren so it was probably the original building she was talking about.

I don't think I've seen such a good image of the Steelhouse Lane shop before. My grandfather, uncle and aunt all worked on this site.
 
Simon26 said:
Hi there!

Was having a chat with my Dad the other day, and he was talking about working at Grey's in the 60s. Just stumbled across this site and thought I'd see if anyone remembers him - Keith Aston. His brother, Geoff, also worked there, as did their Uncle Eric (need to look up his surname!)

Be good to hear from anyone that might remember them.
Click to expand...
Only just found this ,uncle Eric was Eric Middleton who was buyer for "Manchester" and Net Curtains on the 4th floor.As I recall there were 3 Aston brothers ,but because there was already a buyer with the name Aston (Cyril buyer on cotton dress fabrics)they had instore names Keith Ashley (buyer on woollen dress materials)Geoff Asher(married another member of staff Rita Ashford) and David .I worked for Keith and was in the same intake of trainees as Geoff.
 
Lady P it looks like the store in 3rd pic post #109 was built in 1923. I’ve copied the whole Birmingham Gazette article for you below. Source: British Newspaper Archive

Viv.
 

Attachments

  • C0B61176-923D-40ED-A157-68A79C63CDD1.jpeg
    C0B61176-923D-40ED-A157-68A79C63CDD1.jpeg
    445.5 KB · Views: 34
  • 97A9A270-1D57-4D5F-9A4A-63D7EC84E901.jpeg
    97A9A270-1D57-4D5F-9A4A-63D7EC84E901.jpeg
    745.6 KB · Views: 35
Thanks Viv,

Mom would have started work there when she was 14 probably which would have been in 1926. He sister Dorothy, known as Dolly, would have been there some time before as she was older than Mom by 8 years. Dolly couldn't have been the first as she was known as 'Miss Clifford' and their surname was Woolley. Must have been Elizabeth, known as Betty. Nell was 'Miss Tustin'.
 
Does any one remember Jean Hill (nee Boucher) who worked at Edward Greys, then later in
Debenhams for Aligator Rainware ? would appreciate any contact....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top