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Long gone shops

sospiri said:
Chelsea Girl's loud music seems to be their trade mark as it was the same at their Bournemouth shop. I wasn't sorry to see them go, infringing upon everyone's peace!

Maurice :cool:
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Oh Maurice, I loved Chelsea Girl...if you had one of their yellow and black carrier bags you thought you were the bee's knees at my school! :cool:

Lynn.
 
This may of already been said before the shop at bottom of escalator in the Bull Ring that played Max Bygraves songs cant remember what they sold now
 
Vivienne14 said:
All these clothes shops that I shopped at one time or another:

Chelsea Girl, High Street
Etams, Bull Street (same premises as Lewis Separates but later?)
Lewis Separates, Bull Street
Van Allen, High Street
Tiffany’s boutique, Temple Row
Bus Stop, New Street
Crowthers, Corporation Street
C&A Corporation Street (gone in this country, still going abroad)

Just goes to show how volatile the rag trade was/is.

Viv
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I believe C&A have shops in Spain. (how much longer is anyone's guess)
 
pjmburns said:
I think Walter Smith's still exist but not as High Street shops they seem to be in places like garden centres which have shops.
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quite right jan my son in law works for walter smiths...as you say most are now in garden centres and i think only 2 high st shops remain one being in erdington high st

lyn
 
What happened to all the Tobacconists ?
I remember a great one in Needless Alley, you could get Cigarette brands from all over the world i.e. French Disque Bleu and Gitanes, American Lucky Strike, Russian Sobranie wth the fancy gold tips, Turkish, etc.
Lots of choice of tobacco blends for presents for my Dad and Grandad.
I also vaguely remember another good one in one of the Arcades, by New Street Station, I think.
 
There was a barbers/tobacconists on Monument Rd next to the Ivy Bush and they had a fantastic range of cigarettes/cigars/tobacco. The owner retired and the shop and stock was bought by an Italian fella @1975 and I used him for a couple of years. I remember him saying that when he moved intwo of the upstairs rooms were packed floor to ceiling with stock and months later when he went up into the attic there was box after box of stock; must have been thousands of pounds worth the stocktakers missed when itemising the place for the sale.
 
There was a proper tobacconist shop in Temple Row just near the entrance to Windsor House (think it may have a different name now) near the arcade. I can't remember the name of it now.

There are still a few in London, one by Jermyn Street - very posh! It seems to be frequented by gentleman who are nearly always seen sitting at the outside tables of the cafe round the corner, smoking a huge cigar :laughing:
 
richardinwales said:
There was a barbers/tobacconists on Monument Rd next to the Ivy Bush and they had a fantastic range of cigarettes/cigars/tobacco. The owner retired and the shop and stock was bought by an Italian fella @1975 and I used him for a couple of years. I remember him saying that when he moved intwo of the upstairs rooms were packed floor to ceiling with stock and months later when he went up into the attic there was box after box of stock; must have been thousands of pounds worth the stocktakers missed when itemising the place for the sale.
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I've found this very interesting, Richard. Do you know exactly where on Monument Rd the tobacconist was located, or the name?
 
Freeman Hardy Willis or Freeman Hardly Widdles as my young brother used to call them. :)

Town centre shops have been killed off by the councils, first they charge huge business rates, then they block access to customers by barring cars, if they do allow access to cars they charge extortionate parking fees, money that could/should have been spent in the shops if the council hadn't grabbed it.
 
According to Kellys there was a George Snape, tobacconist at 241 Monument Road, though this was next to the Roebuck
 
The old Birmingham Co-op. Used the one on Slade Road Erdington, Mom's Divi No. was 171840. When a kid used to be fascinated by them putting money into the circular box, pulling the cord, and it shot to the cashier who then returned any change. Also remember the lovely smell of the saw dust on the floor.
There was a George Masons shop opposite and Mom went in on one occasion leaving my brother outside in his pram. When she came out he had reached over to the egg display in front of the shop and threw many of them on the pavement [ not me honestly].
 
I remember the Home & Colonial shop on Ladypool Rd in the mid 1950s. Also Lesly's watch shop in Steelhouse Lane where I bought my first watch for 9/11d in 1961. They later moved to Martineau St opposite Henry's.
 
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Banjo said:
I remember the Home & Colonial shop on Ladypool Rd in the mid 1950s. Also Lesley's watch shop in Steelhouse Lane where I bought my first watch for 9/11d in 1961. They later moved to Martineau St opposite Henry's.
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Was the watch shop "Lesleys" ?
 
Banjo said:
I remember the Home & Colonial shop on Ladypool Rd in the mid 1950s. Also Lesley's watch shop in Steelhouse Lane where I bought my first watch for 9/11d in 1961. They later moved to Martineau St opposite Henry's.
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i remember a Lesley's in livery st. it had a 365 days a year sale.:grinning:i bought a illuminate face pocket watch 2/6d.
 
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