• 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

Lewis's Department Store

  • Thread starter Thread starter Kandor
  • Start date Start date
DavidGrain said:
I think Uncle Holly was exclusive to Lewis's which in those days included Selfridges.
Click to expand...
In 1965 I worked in the publicity department of Lewis`s and Uncle Holly was our responsibility. The Uncle Holly in Birmingham was a tall very dignified ex actor. He would come into our office in his normal clothes, disappear into a back room and then emerge in all his glory as Uncle Holly.
If I remember rightly he used to arrive a few weeks before Father Christmas and walk around the store preparing the way for FC.
I believe that Mr Carney the manager of the ticket office (posters etcetera) which was next door to our office sometimes played Father Christmas.
 
emmachisit said:
In 1935, when I was 6 years old, my mother Florence Parsons, was a waitress in the top floor dining room. In Lewis's. She died in 1976, but I was always very interested in the 'tales' she used to tell whilst working there.
Her wages at the time, combined with her tips, matched up to my dad's weekly wage from the factory. It was a good job too, because factory wages - if you could get a job - were very poor.
It was whilst she worked there that we children were introduced to the delights of 'left overs'. Cakes, biscuits and fruit, all of which were paid for out of her wages at a much discounted price. Grapefruits cut in half, segmented, sprinkled with sugar and left overnight in the pantry ready for breakfast on a Sunday morning were a rare treat and for me, a taste which was aquired after many false starts. Chocolate biscuits and fairy cakes, cream buns and rock cakes - take your pick, in fact all sorts.
A 'tale' she often told in later years, was when she was a bit late getting to Lewis's in the morning and was hurrying along, when she felt an entanglement around her feet. To her horror, she spied her knickers around her ankles - the elastic had bust (or it might have been pinched). Anyroadup, she swiftly stooped down, retrieved the item and stuffed it in her handbag, then proceed to the 'Ladies' and from there to her station in the dining room.
Whilst serving lunch to a couple of her regulars, she overheard them discussing the funny sight they had seen earlier on, when they were on their way to lunch - this woman who nearly fell over when her knickers fell down and how quickly she retrieved them. They were having a good old chuckle when mom said, "I had to, I never carry a spare pair" The men didn't know that it was mom they had seen - only ever seen her togged up in waitresses uniform. Apparenly they left a good tip.
Mom was never known to be shy! :lol:
Click to expand...
Hello, my grandmother was a waitress in the 'Grill Room' (i think it was called) and enjoyed many happy times there :) i wonder whether they knew each other - Edna Partridge
 
Kandor said:
In the late 50's and up to the mid 60's my Mom worked at Lewis's
She worked there as a cleaner doing the morning and evening shifts.
Mom was one of those women who always wore a pinny, I swear I cant remember if she even took it off for a bath...
The pinny had one of those Kangaroo pouches in the front, Mom used it to store more nuts than a Squirrel.
She was forever nibbling away on Peanuts, Walnuts, Hazel nuts, every type of nut you could think of.
Mom claimed she picked them up off the floor as she cleaned around the counters, all I'll say is, the staff at Lewis's must have been the clumsiest Assistants in history.
Mom being Staff also got us in to see Father Christmas and Uncle Holly every year, we even managed to get a small present, and we never seemed to wait in the queues.
Mom even took us on to the roof park there, but I cant really remember much about it, that bit is lost to history I'm afraid.
I remember when I first moved to Tamworth,
I invited my neighbour Terry around for a drink the one Saturday night.
I was quite suprised to discover that Terry too was a Nechellite from around Belmont Row.
We got to talking about the past and he asked about my Mom and Dad etc and where they worked.
Well the night ended and Terry and Gill went home, the next evening he returned and handed me a photograph.
Now, when I talk about my Mom and Dad here, I do so without thinking too deeply about them, you see, the sad truth is, even after 30 odd years the memory is still too painful to bear.
The photograph Terry handed me was one of his Mother enjoying a staff party with her best friend..
And her best friend was my Mom...
She was holding a bottle of Mackeson and laughing into the camera..
I have built so many barriers and defences over the years, they were designed to get me through some painful times and protect me from my early life.
That photograph destroyed every one....and it broke my heart.
Terry very kindly gave it to me, I keep it now as one of my greatest treasures.
Click to expand...
Hi thanks for that, my Auntie used to take me to Lewis's on a Saturday, we would have a look round then go to the restaurant, there I would have a Knickerbocker glory, as I wasn't very tall it looked huge, but always finished the lot. So many memories, seems people were much nicer then. Happy days...
 
Country Road said:
Hi thanks for that, my Auntie used to take me to Lewis's on a Saturday, we would have a look round then go to the restaurant, there I would have a Knickerbocker glory, as I wasn't very tall it looked huge, but always finished the lot. So many memories, seems people were much nicer then. Happy days...
Click to expand...
My mum also worked there in 1960s, ground floor, the Mineries, on the fruit and veg and her fav customer was Noel Gordon/Crossroads, Noel regularly asked what something was like and Mom used to give her a taste, Noel used to bring her Mum in with her. I also s a child used to go see father christmas and uncle holly upstairs, those stairs seemed to go on and on with a couple of steps at a time...opp was Werfs my auntie worked a ladies outfitters. Is Tony Hancocks bust statue still there back of Mineries, or is it Minories??
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot 2024-07-30 162338.png
    Screenshot 2024-07-30 162338.png
    166.2 KB · Views: 2
Martinmccabe said:
In 1965 I worked in the publicity department of Lewis`s and Uncle Holly was our responsibility. The Uncle Holly in Birmingham was a tall very dignified ex actor. He would come into our office in his normal clothes, disappear into a back room and then emerge in all his glory as Uncle Holly.
If I remember rightly he used to arrive a few weeks before Father Christmas and walk around the store preparing the way for FC.
I believe that Mr Carney the manager of the ticket office (posters etcetera) which was next door to our office sometimes played Father Christmas.
Click to expand...
remember him well with Father Christmas...up all those stairs.
 
COMPRESSORMAN said:
My mum also worked there in 1960s, ground floor, the Mineries, on the fruit and veg and her fav customer was Noel Gordon/Crossroads, Noel regularly asked what something was like and Mom used to give her a taste, Noel used to bring her Mum in with her. I also s a child used to go see father christmas and uncle holly upstairs, those stairs seemed to go on and on with a couple of steps at a time...opp was Werfs my auntie worked a ladies outfitters. Is Tony Hancocks bust statue still there back of Mineries, or is it Minories??
Click to expand...
Yes it is.
 
COMPRESSORMAN said:
My mum also worked there in 1960s, ground floor, the Mineries, on the fruit and veg and her fav customer was Noel Gordon/Crossroads, Noel regularly asked what something was like and Mom used to give her a taste, Noel used to bring her Mum in with her. I also s a child used to go see father christmas and uncle holly upstairs, those stairs seemed to go on and on with a couple of steps at a time...opp was Werfs my auntie worked a ladies outfitters. Is Tony Hancocks bust statue still there back of Mineries, or is it Minories??
Click to expand...
Thanks for your memory's it brings back so many feelings of looking forward to a day out with Auntie, but remember more of the lifts and departments told to us by the lift operator, Auntie's legs were a challenge so it did restrict how far we got. However later in my teens out for a evening meal Noel Gordon was on the next table down, I also met Benny ( Miss Diane ) he ran a pub come club , by the jewelry quarter, also Miss Diane's real life boyfriend back then, Carl Wayne, who had a band me and my mates used to see at the Bull's Head pub on the Coventry road not that far from the Swan Yardley. Happy days.
 
Country Road said:
Thanks for your memory's it brings back so many feelings of looking forward to a day out with Auntie, but remember more of the lifts and departments told to us by the lift operator, Auntie's legs were a challenge so it did restrict how far we got. However later in my teens out for a evening meal Noel Gordon was on the next table down, I also met Benny ( Miss Diane ) he ran a pub come club , by the jewelry quarter, also Miss Diane's real life boyfriend back then, Carl Wayne, who had a band me and my mates used to see at the Bull's Head pub on the Coventry road not that far from the Swan Yardley. Happy days.
Click to expand...
Great memories used to pop in to the Bulls Head on the way home from work every now and then for a swift half.
 
Country Road said:
Thanks for your memory's it brings back so many feelings of looking forward to a day out with Auntie, but remember more of the lifts and departments told to us by the lift operator, Auntie's legs were a challenge so it did restrict how far we got. However later in my teens out for a evening meal Noel Gordon was on the next table down, I also met Benny ( Miss Diane ) he ran a pub come club , by the jewelry quarter, also Miss Diane's real life boyfriend back then, Carl Wayne, who had a band me and my mates used to see at the Bull's Head pub on the Coventry road not that far from the Swan Yardley. Happy days.
Click to expand...
NICE ONE...I also used the Bulls head most Friday nites, Benny used a pub in Northfield now a care home, name escapes me...yes the pub/club was back of Digbeth.
 
colinwilliams1 said:
Lewis,s had been in Birmingham since the late 1800,s and it is said that David Lewis the founder of the empire stood on all the street corners until he found the busiest and that ,s wher he built the store.

The roof garden I can remeber going to as a child and I belive it was closed when someone committed suicide.

I also worked at Lewis,s from 1968 to 1976 and staff were allowed onto the roof during break times.

As a child we had our school uniforms bought from Lewis,s and the nnaula trip included a meal in the resturant where we had fish (cod ) and chips and bread and tea. A great treat .

I can remember seeing father Christmas there too as a child and uncle Holly .

When I worked there running the grotto was one of the jobs I had and thee year I was there we had a father Christams who had the same name as me .He was a student at bham uni and kept pet rats.
One of which he brought into work and kept inside his father xmas outfit It pooped out one day and casused a bit of a rukus . so wasnt alowed again.

In the early days of the store the basement was flooded and turned into a miniture venice for a promotion .and during the war it became a temporary hospital.

We had continual bomb scares during the early 1970s .

A friend from school, father died falling down a lift shaft (he was a lift engineer)

We used to have great staff parties One was at the " Locano" opposite where Toys rus is now.
Click to expand...
Were you an assistant manager/manager?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top