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Greys Department Store

Vivienne you ask if anyone remembers the bridal department at Greys. Well I do, I bought my wedding dress a crinoline with a hooped underskirt which Greys lent to me. It was white lace and a really lovely dress. While I was on honeymoon my mother took the underskirt back together with slices of wedding cake for the girls, who were really lovely, This was 1957.
 
Jaffa said:
This is how sad I really am..... Amongst the Xmas decorations that came to me from my parents house, there was a paper bag from "Grey's" department store in Bull Street... So I took a photo of it....
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Thank you for posting the photo. There’s nothing sad about it - such ephemeral items are part of our social history. I was fascinated to read (from the paper bag) that there was a branch of Grey’s in Stourbridge, which is where I now live. I shall now have to hunt down its location. I love a quest.
 
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My wife had I would call a traditional style wedding dress.
The material for it was ordered from Selfridges, in London, and was made for her by her sister who was a qualified seamstress.
It has a design of small roses and bees woven on the silk fabric. She still has it, after 59 years. The stitching is as sound as is the rear zip. There is no deteriorization in the fabric save for a slight discolouration in the folds. The train is still pure white.
She keeps it in an air sealed bag, out of interest we had a look at it today
I remember lifting the her veil, when given the right command by the vicar, to behold her radiant smile: something I have never forgotten.
.
 
Radiorails said:
My wife had I would call a traditional style wedding dress.
The material for it was ordered from Selfridges, in London, and was made for her by her sister who was a qualified seamstress.
It has a design of small roses and bees woven on the silk fabric. She still has it, after 59 years. The stitching is as sound as is the rear zip. There is no deteriorization in the fabric save for a slight discolouration in the folds. The train is still pure white.
She keeps it in an air sealed bag, out of interest we had a look at it today
I remember lifting the her veil, when given the right command by the vicar, to behold her radiant smile: something I have never forgotten.
.
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Kudos to you both!
 
sylviasayers said:
Vivienne you ask if anyone remembers the bridal department at Greys. Well I do, I bought my wedding dress a crinoline with a hooped underskirt which Greys lent to me. It was white lace and a really lovely dress. While I was on honeymoon my mother took the underskirt back together with slices of wedding cake for the girls, who were really lovely, This was 1957.
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I don't remember the bridal department but my schoolfriend's dad (surname Eden) used to be the manager there.
 
mkvillan said:
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
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mkvillan said:
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.
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Keith is my Dad and Geoff & David two of his brothers. Sadly my Uncle Geoff passed away over 20 years ago, but Dad lives outside Tamworth and David is in Sussex. Would you DM me with your name, so I can pass it on to my Dad. I’m sure he’d love to get in touch! All the best, Simon
 
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.
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Just came across this so sorry it's a little late. I was there in the 60's. On the 'Floor' and later in the Cash Office. Where were your people working then?
 
Brenda said:
Greys Department Store

I worked in the offices at Grey's 1963-65 and it was during that time that it was taken over by Debenhams. In later years it was used for Hamley's Toy Shop before being demolished.

Was anyone on this forum working there when I was there?
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I was Brenda. I was in the Cash Office will Phil & Hazel. I remember a Brenda but not where you worked. I was Avril Dixon then (using my hubbies membership)
 
Brenda said:
Yes, Jean from the till office was very petite so I think this must be the same Jean that we are talking about.

There was a Mr Cragg too, a disabled man, who used to operate one the gated lifts. He had a daughter, Linda, who worked in one of the other offices who looked very much like me so sometimes people muddled us up especially when we were wearing the same clothes. We used to get our pay packet on a Friday and then head off separately to C&A or M&S and it often turned out that we bought the same clothes! Pleated skirts were all the go then (aswell as straight ones) and button-up cardigans from M&S that cost 29/11d which were expensive out of our wages.
I rarely bought anything from Grey's but do remember a blue and white dress with a Peter Pan collar. Mom came in one day to buy me a coat, it was massive on me as I am tiny so it had to be altered by stafff up on the 6th floor. It was still too big.

"Please Please Me" by the Beatles was played over and over again down in the record dept. in the basement so then Mr Gadd (senior) had it banned!

The store also had its own nurse who had an office by the lifts on 5th floor.

I still have an Addis dustbrush and broomhead that the staff bought me when I got married in 1965. It was part of a set with a washing up bowl. They also got me some Pyrex dishes that I still have and a tablecloth.

The TV programme "Are You Being Served" always reminded me of Grey's.
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I remember Jean. She was a tiny little thing always very anxious about her husband. She would sit with Phil Hazel Me and a respected lady we called Mrs P I think who worked in one of the other offices. I saw Mrs P(?) once much later briefly she was coming out of the HR office looking very important so perhaps she had been promoted by then. When I was at Grey's no 2 people were allowed to have the same name so you changed yours if there was someone who had that name already.
Phil left before me to have a baby. Miss Harris was in the Cash office with us and she had a sister who worked on the four floor materials. I was collecting for my 'bottom draw and she advised me to buy Navel ( the Navy used it) sheeting to make sheets with. I did and still have them. Phils pregnancy was a wonderful thing because she had been told that she could not become a mother and her Mum in Law had told someone in Phils hearing that her daughter in Law was barren How unkind can people be? Hazel lived in Tamworth but stayed with her Mom during the week so she could get to work. No car on those days. I remember her as a very hard worker and good at her job. They all were. Shirley was not popular sorry to say but hygiene was not her strong point however many hints were dropped.
I briefly went out with a chap who worked in the basement and through him I met my later husband (I'm using his membership on this site) Still married. Avril.
 
pjmburns said:
I would have bought the material in 1981 or 2 as we got married in '82 and can't remember when we actually bought the material.
Janice
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I bought my wedding dress and bridesmaids material there too in 1963/4. I made my own head dress as the ladies on bridal wear helped me and advised me on how to make it. That was kind of them. Miss Stock (Buyer) didn't know of course.
 
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Jaffa said:
This is how sad I really am..... Amongst the Xmas decorations that came to me from my parents house, there was a paper bag from "Grey's" department store in Bull Street... So I took a photo of it....
Click to expand...
Thank you.It was lovely to see one again. Takes me back so many year to things that I had forgotten about.
 
That’s roughly where we sometimes used to catch the #29 bus. Hopefully there weren’t any casualties with it being the result of a night raid. Viv.
 
Vivienne14 said:
That’s roughly where we sometimes used to catch the #29 bus. Hopefully there weren’t any casualties with it being the result of a night raid. Viv.
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I used to catch the 29 as well. I believe there was a hot potato cart always there as long as I can remember. This was of course well after the night raid.
 
I had a Saturday job (remember them?) at Grey’s 1967-8. Worked in the staff canteen on the top floor. The manageress was a fearsome lady called Mrs Reynolds.
 
Have to say I don't remember the Grey's building looking that interesting. I think the canopy must have obscured the rest of the building if viewed at street level on that side. Viv.
 
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