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Lewis's Department Store

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kandor
  • Start date Start date
Pedrocut said:
I travelled a section of Macy’s escalator in 1981. Found this 15 min trip up and down on YouTube.

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Thank you for sharing that video Pedrocut. I would have had loads of fun on these when I was a lad. We only had 5 floors at lewis's, but these just keep going. It could so easily have been Lewis's as they looked exactly the same lay out. I wonder who had them first, then maybe they were copied.
 
The other thing about these escalators is that they were narrower than the modern ones, I remember being very aware how they seemed to be almost claustrophobic, because there was not the space there.
Bob
 
wendylee said:
I remember Lewis's well and can also remember the smell of the fresh food area.
They always had a great Father Christmas grotto for the kids too.
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I remember Lewiss with fond memories too. As a 70s baby, Lewis's was a staple visit on a Saturday with my mum. My dad worked in the fabric department, as a manager, the first black man ever to have such an accolade. ( he was well known in our community as ‘ the black man that worked in Lewis’s lol) black people used to go in there to make sure he wasnt a myth. He Evenutally ended up working on the Aramis counters, (we had lots of samples at home-can still smell it now) i loved the Santas Grotto too, still have the pics to prove it. My mum was an avid seamstress we visited the haberdashery department - what felt like every blessed week, but i did enjoy going through the boxes of Buttericks and McCalls clothing patterns.10yrs later my mum worked in the beauty department for Zuri cosmetics, another first. Zuri were the first make up brand for women of colour. I remember the childrens department and buying school shoes. Lewis’s will always have a fond place in my heart as a very inclusive store with happy memories, in a time when the rest of the world was not so kind, to folk like us.
 
Welcome Niqs. You’re joining a big Lewis’s fan club on BHF ! So many of us have fond memories of the store. Lovely to hear about your family connection.

And Aramis - once smelt never forgotten ! Very strong stuff.

Viv.
 
Niqs said:
I remember Lewiss with fond memories too. As a 70s baby, Lewis's was a staple visit on a Saturday with my mum. My dad worked in the fabric department, as a manager, the first black man ever to have such an accolade. ( he was well known in our community as ‘ the black man that worked in Lewis’s lol) black people used to go in there to make sure he wasnt a myth. He Evenutally ended up working on the Aramis counters, (we had lots of samples at home-can still smell it now) i loved the Santas Grotto too, still have the pics to prove it. My mum was an avid seamstress we visited the haberdashery department - what felt like every blessed week, but i did enjoy going through the boxes of Buttericks and McCalls clothing patterns.10yrs later my mum worked in the beauty department for Zuri cosmetics, another first. Zuri were the first make up brand for women of colour. I remember the childrens department and buying school shoes. Lewis’s will always have a fond place in my heart as a very inclusive store with happy memories, in a time when the rest of the world was not so kind, to folk like us.
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Lovely story please post more, your folks have a wealth of history that would be welcomed here on BHF
May sound strange for some today that your dad had people come by to see if it was true a person of colour worked in Lewis,s.
Welcome and thanks for sharing a little of your family history.
 
Niqs said:
I remember Lewiss with fond memories too. As a 70s baby, Lewis's was a staple visit on a Saturday with my mum. My dad worked in the fabric department, as a manager, the first black man ever to have such an accolade. ( he was well known in our community as ‘ the black man that worked in Lewis’s lol) black people used to go in there to make sure he wasnt a myth. He Evenutally ended up working on the Aramis counters, (we had lots of samples at home-can still smell it now) i loved the Santas Grotto too, still have the pics to prove it. My mum was an avid seamstress we visited the haberdashery department - what felt like every blessed week, but i did enjoy going through the boxes of Buttericks and McCalls clothing patterns.10yrs later my mum worked in the beauty department for Zuri cosmetics, another first. Zuri were the first make up brand for women of colour. I remember the childrens department and buying school shoes. Lewis’s will always have a fond place in my heart as a very inclusive store with happy memories, in a time when the rest of the world was not so kind, to folk like us.
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Love that story Niqs, loved the big department stores, shame they are disappearing so much is sold online...I never shop online!!
I bought my husband a bottle of Aramis at Christmas he wore it when we were courting 50 years ago, thought I would get him to give it another whirl.
Fond memories of Lewis's for me too, thanks for telling us your memories Niqs. Welcome to the forum .
Wendy:)
 
Niqs said:
Thanks Viv. Made my day finding this forum. Been chatting all eve about those days with my mum too.. Great times
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Welcome to the forum Niqs. I too have very fond memories of going to Lewis's. It was my favorite department store in birmingham even though I loved working at woolworth's in the bullring. I spent many happy hours going up the wooden escalators to the 5th floor (toy department) especially when they had the animal corner.
 
Chris B said:
Lewis's store

Hi All,
it was great reading about Lewis's department store, I worked there from about 1957 to 1965,Starting on the Luggage department under Mr Smith in "A" block ending up as assistant Manager on the Do It Yourself Dept under Paul Whitfield in "B" block. During my training I worked for Miss Carter on the China Dept, but most of my time was spent on the Gardening Dept which Mr John Smith also managed. I also did some part time lift driving when the gardening dept wasn't busy around christmas time, I had to run the express lift from the 5th floor toy department down to the ground floor to help clear the crowds. I used to put the lights out and fly back up from the ground non stop much to the disgust of people waiting on the other floors when I stopped on the 5th and opened the gates you nearly got killed in the stampede. I stood outside untill the rush died down, then you had to put a few of the people off because they had left no room to operate the car or to shut the gates. You put the handle over and the car dropped like a stone, and as you applied the brake as you passed the first floor everyone went ooohhh, as the hung onto their stomachs, I used to say "Hope you've got strong elastic ladies" and laugh. I remember taking my lift driving test and it was one of the engineers who tested me John I think, some times Mr Stokes the chief engineer used to pass you out and give you your licence which I still have. I was always facinated by the lifts and when I first started I used to get on well with the 2 lady lift drivers on the "A" block side, Mrs Batchelor and Mrs Attenborough, (Batch & Atty) we called them, and they used to let me have a go and I stood behind them and operated the car so that Frank Wilson the supervisor couldn't see me, Albert the staff lift driver was always a bit rude and miserable to most people. Joe the senior driver on the "B" block was a character always laughing and joking. Originally I had the lift driving licence because I had to stop behind at night when I was on the gardening dept and take the plants up to a small roof area (not the main roof) and give them a watering and bring them down in the morning before the store opened. I remember having to take a load of counters up to the 6th floor with the porter before the General Managers inpection ( Mr Mountford I think) and the lift was full of them, as I passed the 5th floor I went to half speed, nothing happened, then shut off nothing happened much, it only slowed slightly, thankfully we were carrying some weight which slowed us down, then crash we hit the roof of the shaft, it was like being on a ship wreck, counters all over the place, the car bounced down to half way between the 5th and 6th floors, so I just touched the handle over and the car drifted to the 6th and we got out and went back down in another car and reported the fault to the engineers. The Assistant General Manager was Mr Andrews, he was a gent and I got on very well with him. Mr Cashin was the basement Floor Manager, he helped me a lot to further my career, Mr Smith Gardening and Luggage Manager, Mr Leamington Paint & Wall, paper, Mr Hogg Turnery, Mr England tools, Mr T*** was the Assistant Manager on the luggage, I didn't get on very well with him, today he would be accused of being a bully. Mr Goldsmith was the Counting house Manager, always looked a bit miserable, Mr Harris personnel Manager, Miss Hill Personnel, Mr Newcombe parcels delivery office, Mr Fields House Superintendant, Miss Carter China, Miss Irving cash office, Was it Mr Proudfoot in charge of the receiving room ? Then you had all the part time firemen who did the portering and supplemented the lift driving staff, Ginger Jones, Scooter Coombs, leading fireman Bill Carrington lived out towards Sutton. I met my wife there, she was a "Mobile" ( had to work wherever there was a shortage of staff) she was only 5ft and 1/2 inch and is, now 4foot 11 plus, and couldn't reach the big brown tills on the gardening dept so I got her a daffodil crate to stand on, and we got told off because someone reported us for having a kiss and canoodle in our lunch break on the roof.Miss ? and Lynne were in staff training. Joe Carney wrote the display tickets out free hand with a paint brush. Stan & Horace were 2 of the comissionaires. Len Ashman operated the paper and cardboard press in the sub basement somewhere by the clocking in clocks. Fred ? was in the part where you had to hand in your parcels and bags etc', The Luggage department stock room was part of the old lampson tube room, and the tubes were just cut off clean to the wall.They were good days I used to go on day release and night school to get my certificates, and then I left and went into a factory for a couple of years to get some money for a deposit on a house and get married. Remember the Tyburn Depot in Eachelhurst Road, Mr Sydney Lemmon on the despatch (Pronounced Le Mon not as the fruit)
and the Furniture Depository in Hockley.
I Must stop there probably finish off in another posting, that is if you are not fed up already
Regards Chris B
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Hello Chris,
Do you ever remember a Gladys Marjorie Davis working in one of the clothes departments.I can elaborate but just wondered if the name rang a bell at all.I always remember Lewis's store like so many other people.It was my favourite store especially with the expectation of the toy store absolutely my favourite store and I couldn't wait to get to the 5th floor when we were in the lift.I was born in 1950 so remember late 50s early sixties the most.

Best regards,

Barry
 
Hi Just thought that I would share my memories of Lewis’s. I worked in the Food Hall around 1975-1976. I as Asst Manager on Cheese, Groceries and the Bread/cakes. We sold over 100 different varieties of breads and every Saturday there would be queues for the ring donuts that came fresh from Bradfords at West Brom. We would sell easily 2000 in a day. i remember that a we had fresh hot bread come in from Bradford’s on Sat p.m. bread that was actually made as Mondays bread buy we had it special. During that relay hot Summer of ‘76 we sold cold drinks in Minories, from bins and buckets filled with ice. We used to sell all sorts special offer groceries in the Minories to passers by..especially popular was tins of red Salmon..a real Sunday treat.

Lewis’s had a fabulous Deli counter staffed by a polish lady, it was far better than snooty Rackhams.

The food Hall used t have loose, self service, frozen foods - like pies and veg. This is coming into fashion 50 years to save on packaging!

Who remembers the loose biscuit counter with those wonderful Mrs. Kippax’s biscuits?

Ands who couldn’t forget the loose sweet counter where sold mountains of chocolate hazelnut whirls, Callard and Bowsers cream-line toffees and Mintoes too.

Happy days and a brilliant store to work in.
 
My wife and I remember that well. Great memories of old style Brum. Going back to the early 1960's, I had a job at BARROWS Stores, in Corporation Street; now that WAS snooty! We used to have a green and gold van, that would travel out to Streetly with summer vegetables and salads for the wealthy clients.
 
MalcBroms said:
Hi Just thought that I would share my memories of Lewis’s. I worked in the Food Hall around 1975-1976. I as Asst Manager on Cheese, Groceries and the Bread/cakes. We sold over 100 different varieties of breads and every Saturday there would be queues for the ring donuts that came fresh from Bradfords at West Brom. We would sell easily 2000 in a day. i remember that a we had fresh hot bread come in from Bradford’s on Sat p.m. bread that was actually made as Mondays bread buy we had it special. During that relay hot Summer of ‘76 we sold cold drinks in Minories, from bins and buckets filled with ice. We used to sell all sorts special offer groceries in the Minories to passers by..especially popular was tins of red Salmon..a real Sunday treat.

Lewis’s had a fabulous Deli counter staffed by a polish lady, it was far better than snooty Rackhams.

The food Hall used t have loose, self service, frozen foods - like pies and veg. This is coming into fashion 50 years to save on packaging!

Who remembers the loose biscuit counter with those wonderful Mrs. Kippax’s biscuits?

Ands who couldn’t forget the loose sweet counter where sold mountains of chocolate hazelnut whirls, Callard and Bowsers cream-line toffees and Mintoes too.

Happy days and a brilliant store to work in.
Click to expand...

welcome to the forum what lovely memories you have...thanks for sharing them...the summer of 76 is a summer i will never forget...have to say though that back then i was a lot younger and heat did not bother me so much as it would now....

lyn
 
MalcBroms said:
Hi Just thought that I would share my memories of Lewis’s. I worked in the Food Hall around 1975-1976. I as Asst Manager on Cheese, Groceries and the Bread/cakes. We sold over 100 different varieties of breads and every Saturday there would be queues for the ring donuts that came fresh from Bradfords at West Brom. We would sell easily 2000 in a day. i remember that a we had fresh hot bread come in from Bradford’s on Sat p.m. bread that was actually made as Mondays bread buy we had it special. During that relay hot Summer of ‘76 we sold cold drinks in Minories, from bins and buckets filled with ice. We used to sell all sorts special offer groceries in the Minories to passers by..especially popular was tins of red Salmon..a real Sunday treat.

Lewis’s had a fabulous Deli counter staffed by a polish lady, it was far better than snooty Rackhams.

The food Hall used t have loose, self service, frozen foods - like pies and veg. This is coming into fashion 50 years to save on packaging!

Who remembers the loose biscuit counter with those wonderful Mrs. Kippax’s biscuits?

Ands who couldn’t forget the loose sweet counter where sold mountains of chocolate hazelnut whirls, Callard and Bowsers cream-line toffees and Mintoes too.

Happy days and a brilliant store to work in.
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Hello Malcbroms. Welcome to this wonderful group. I remember the wonderful food hall in Lewis's. My mum used to take me every saturday. She loved going there. She said you could always smell the fresh bread & cakes, & no matter if you had, had something to eat before going to lewis's, you always felt hungry after going in the food hall. It was simply the best place to go. While my mum was in the food hall, I was often allowed to venture up to the 5th floor (toy department, where I would wait for my mum. Such, happy, happy time, I will never forget. Pity we had to lose this wonderful store. Visiting Birmingham, just isn't the same any more.
 
All this talk about Bradford's bread of West Brom, makes me hungry. I used to spend hours in Wimbush's, Perrywood Road, in Great Barr.....I loved their cakes, but I was going out with a lovely young lady that worked there too! By the way, for those that don't know, Bradfords Bakery/Sunblest was directly opposite the West Brom Football Ground, a Bakery (Allied) is still on that site.
 
Astoness said:
welcome to the forum what lovely memories you have...thanks for sharing them...the summer of 76 is a summer i will never forget...have to say though that back then i was a lot younger and heat did not bother me so much as it would now....

lyn
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In 1977 after two great years at Lewis’s I defected to Debenhams across the road. I ran the confectionery dept there to start with.The first thing that i did was get the window displays taken away so that potential customers waiting at the bus stops could see my offers. I was in competition with my old boss in Lewis’s..if he sold an item at 99p, I did it for 98p and so on.

Whilst at Lewis’s I remember a few times chasing after shoplifters!! I stopped one man in the middle of Bull Street and in the struggle I tore the arm off his jacket!! Do people remember those black globes that hung from the ceiling that were security cameras? From the security office you could zoom in on someone to the extent that you could read the print on a newspaper!! A guy named Jim Whitham was the chief of security and he was a sharp cookie...he knew who the staff were that he through were thieves...and he warned them that he was watching them.

My manager used to slip across the road to the pub ( by Oasis ) for a quick one at 10.30 every day! One Christmas Eve he was somewhat bevvied and went home on the bus. The following morning his wife thought that their car had been stolen but my manager had forgotten that he’d driven into work on Christmas Eve and the car was still in the car park!!

A sad day for Birmingham and the other cities where Lewis’s traded when it closed down. Truly great Brummies and Midlanders ran that store, we were truly one big family.
 
I loved going to Lewis's in the late fifties and early sixties when I was a kid because it had a toy department. I used to have to trail after my mum buying dress patterns and material first but it was worth the wait. Do you remember how they used to measure out the material and cut it? That always intrigued me. And the rolls of material had a special smell. I was allowed to wander around the toy department dreaming of all the toys that I could play with. If I'd been good then I'd get sixpence to buy a little cowboy or indian. As I grew I got a bit more sophisticated- an Airfix model at one shilling and eleven pence.

The three other memories I have of Lewis's are the lifts- with their very own lift attendants "going up...."- although I preferred to take the "moving stairs"; having tea and a cake in the cafe -utter luxury and wonderful views over the city- all chimneys and railway lines- real "industry"; but most of all queuing on the staircase each December to see Father Christmas on the top floor. There were so many of us we queued for ages. Then it was in to the grotto with the marionettes, then Uncle Holly, who I think gave us a badge, then Father Christmas himself before going to the distribution point for the present- blue tissue paper for the boys, pink tissue paper for the girls. A big moment in my year!
 
bullring boy said:
I loved going to Lewis's in the late fifties and early sixties when I was a kid because it had a toy department. I used to have to trail after my mum buying dress patterns and material first but it was worth the wait. Do you remember how they used to measure out the material and cut it? That always intrigued me. And the rolls of material had a special smell. I was allowed to wander around the toy department dreaming of all the toys that I could play with. If I'd been good then I'd get sixpence to buy a little cowboy or indian. As I grew I got a bit more sophisticated- an Airfix model at one shilling and eleven pence.

The three other memories I have of Lewis's are the lifts- with their very own lift attendants "going up...."- although I preferred to take the "moving stairs"; having tea and a cake in the cafe -utter luxury and wonderful views over the city- all chimneys and railway lines- real "industry"; but most of all queuing on the staircase each December to see Father Christmas on the top floor. There were so many of us we queued for ages. Then it was in to the grotto with the marionettes, then Uncle Holly, who I think gave us a badge, then Father Christmas himself before going to the distribution point for the present- blue tissue paper for the boys, pink tissue paper for the girls. A big moment in my year!
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In the mid sixties I had a Saturday job at Lewis's. I moved around different departments, but ended up as a lift attendant. I think that I was the only Saturday attendant. All of the others were full time. When I started on the lifts they put me on the staff and goods lift. It was the creakiest of all the lifts and the cable was a bit stretched. When I put the break on hard the lift would bounce up and down for a few seconds. I thought this was great at first. It was like being on a fairground ride. But, having done this all day, by about mid-afternoon, I felt as sick as a dog. From then on I used to ease the break on. I was eventually promoted to the public lifts, where I had to learn the various departments patter. "...first floor ladies wear; second floor paper pattern; across and down on...etc. I'm sure nobody took a blind bit of notice, but I did it anyway. I met my first love at Lewis's when I was on the sausage and pork pie counter. She was on the cheese counter. After work we would go to the Kardomah in New Street, both smelling like a sweaty grocers shop. Happy days.
 
Gerry Cannell said:
Really happy times. I remember Mom & me during the war, we would travel from Great Barr on the 119, Midland RED into town, and to me, Lewis's was a magical place. A zoo, toys, a roof garden, Father Christmas, a barbers shop, Everything you could ever want! I loved it.
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I do wish I could remember the roof garden - and the lifts!

I remember the Corocraft (jewellery) counter, and the strange way you never quite knew what you were going to find around the next corner , or that's how it seemed to me. It was almost magical the way bits of the building linked up.
 
My auntie, Evelyn Hanson, who was very glamorous worked on the Cosmetics counter before the war, leaving to do War work. I loved Lewis's but getting stuck in the lifts as a child has given me a phobia of lifts to this day. There were two lifts with glass sides going up in the same shaft. I don't remember how old I was (probably around 7) but the lift I was in was packed and then got stuck near the 6th floor, between floors. I was squashed in the corner and all I could see was the drop down the shaft. A frightening experience for a little child.
 
My memory of Lewis's was in about 1948/9 when I was about 5 or 6 and my Dad took me to see father christmas at Lewis's on a Sat morning. The queue was out side the shop and along the pavement and we joined on to the end. After a while when the queue moved up my Dad realised the the queue actually continued across the road and a long way along the other pavement. We sat tight! It was still a long wait walking up the stairs (4 floors?). Christmas isn't the same any more.

Regards from Redruth

Arnold
 
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