Ken Baileys Ghost
Plastic
Twinned with the Gaza strip
Non - Woolies Could Return To UK
- Thread starter billythekid
- Start date
billythekid
UTC Legend
Lots of coffee shops/bars, not like it used to be with lots of individual shops.
Personally think they have gradually ruined Christchurch High Street.
beds cherry
Fans' Favourite
We're in a transition period. On line shopping has completely changed the way we shop, plus I presume high rents closing smaller shops?
Band combo if so...
Feeling nostalgic for my days in Woolies. At the front of the Bournemouth store was the rock counter with daily deliveries from Parrs. They have gone as well now. We used to pile the boxes of rock into skips and push them through the store calling out mind your backs please with our backs to the skips. Happy days.
Kenya Cherrie
UTC Legend
All of the former UK Woolco stores were sold by Kingfisher, which had bought the UK Woolworth business, to Gateway which subsequently sold them to Asda.
A number of Woolco stores were opened in the United Kingdom during the same period, one of which in Bournemouth – opened on 29 October 1968 – was in 1970 the largest store on one floor in Britain, with an area of 114,000 square feet and parking space for 1,250 cars.
A number of Woolco stores were opened in the United Kingdom during the same period, one of which in Bournemouth – opened on 29 October 1968 – was in 1970 the largest store on one floor in Britain, with an area of 114,000 square feet and parking space for 1,250 cars.
Kenya Cherrie
UTC Legend
There was a newspaper seller outside the Woolworths in Bournemouth, on Saturdays he used to shout out. Echo, Echo, all the half times, all the half times.
sam adams
Fans' Favourite
Thanks Billy for posting a very interesting and fascinating link . It was a real trip down memory lane, growing up myself in the same time frame, so sad to see the decline, the comment section also well worth reading.Came across this very long blog on Bournemouth and shops etc.
Woolworths and Woolco are mentioned.
The Decline of Bournemouth
The Decline of Bournemouth Written in 2020 and added to since. Circling The Square: Bournemouth in the 1960s. The print that adorns my office wall. I was born in Bournemouth. I went to school in Bo…peterviney.com
Very honest observations.Came across this very long blog on Bournemouth and shops etc.
Woolworths and Woolco are mentioned.
The Decline of Bournemouth
The Decline of Bournemouth Written in 2020 and added to since. Circling The Square: Bournemouth in the 1960s. The print that adorns my office wall. I was born in Bournemouth. I went to school in Bo…
Kenya Cherrie
UTC Legend
Shops selling articles that you can buy cheaper on the internet plus expensive car parking charges will always have an effect on shopping numbers.
In All Departments
First Team
Happy days indeed.
I worked summers there from 1972-78 through my 6th form and teacher training days. The stockroom manager was the wonderfully named - and very funny - Fred Pinn. I certainly remember the Parrs rock deliveries and the Echo stand outside. They actually had a deli counter in those days too.
I got the job through one of my best mates working there - we're both season ticket holders to this day.
sarfender
First Team
They also had a 'cafe' type area up on the first floor, selling hot/cold drinks, milkshakes, ice creams, etc, along with a record department.
MB1980
UTC Legend
I don't get expensive car park charges argument. If you can't afford 3 or 4 quid to park your car for an afternoon, it doesn't seem you're going to spend anything remotely significant in shops.
And Castle point is not an alternative due to free parking... at least for me.
Generic stores, only place I buy from there is Clinton's.
Online shopping is main cause imo. Brick and motor stores can't compete with frequent sales online, what with their overheads, amongst some other things.
Especially department stores, with huge overheads, in comparison.
billythekid
UTC Legend
Glad you enjoyed it, a very, very, long read but takes you back.Thanks Billy for posting a very interesting and fascinating link . It was a real trip down memory lane, growing up myself in the same time frame, so sad to see the decline, the comment section also well worth reading.
One small error was the mention of the Leeds U game, it was not an FA Cup game as we all know.
It was a promotion and relegation game, they won 0-1 and were promoted and our team were relegated.
Yes! Still there in the 70s iirc.
Woolworths Winton memory. Airfix kits. Series 1 sold in a bag for two bob! First one I got was a Stuka. I think I may have glued the wings on back to front. It didn't make sense to me at age 7 to have a straight leading edge! The swept wing Stuka was the start of a lifelong, albeit occasional hobby. I did better later on....
Who are 'they' ?
billythekid
UTC Legend
To have that many in a town centre of this size is a crazy situation.
'The increase in coffee shops and drop in footfall has been a gradual process over the last six years.'
He added: 'When I first started in 2012 business was booming but it has become really tough and is becoming a struggle year on year.
Town with 14 coffee shops on its High Street BANS any more
Christchurch in Dorset (pictured) has become so overrun with the cafes that local officials have decided to leave a store empty rather than allow another trendy coffee spot to open.
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beds cherry
Fans' Favourite
It was there well into the 90's. My friend worked there.
I worked Friday nights and Saturdays in Tesco Home n Wear down the road a bit, late 80's. A bugger trying to keep up with the scores..
Red Sky
Star Player
To have that many in a town centre of this size is a crazy situation.
'The increase in coffee shops and drop in footfall has been a gradual process over the last six years.'
He added: 'When I first started in 2012 business was booming but it has become really tough and is becoming a struggle year on year.
Town with 14 coffee shops on its High Street BANS any more
Christchurch in Dorset (pictured) has become so overrun with the cafes that local officials have decided to leave a store empty rather than allow another trendy coffee spot to open.www.dailymail.co.uk
As I mentioned a few months ago on another thread on this subject I cannot and will not mourn the decline of shopping-centric town and city centres, however the lack of imagination, public consultation and mis-spending of money by BCP as highlighted in the interesting "Decline of Bournemouth" is pretty shocking. In fairness the scale of regeneration that is required is probably beyond the capability of the council in its current form. The area isn't exactly a dynamic economic powerhouse that's likely to drive a growth in the size of the council and its ambitions either. A case in point is the perplexing decision to bin (rather than restructure the funding for) the air show, which attracts a huge number of visitors each year.
On the other side I don't really see the issue with the growth in the number of coffee shops. People need somewhere to go and meet friends and socialise during the day. They are benefitting the local economy as well as the area socially. It's the other spaces and forums that we build around our coffee shops that are important. We should make these better, more inclusive and more enriching spaces than the cathedrals to capitalism they are replacing.
northstandmark
UTC Legend
I cannot speak for Christchurch. It is true to say Bournemouth and Poole town centres have loads of coffee shops. Too many to all be profitable you'd be forgiven for thinking!
It is also true to say that when passing by, they all often look busy, and whenever I pop in one there's always a queue. Seemingly they all do ok. Clearly that's one service where demand is high.
How we can add more quality to our town centres beyond coffee shops, bars and restaurants is the great question (ideally minus the dodgy vape, barbers and tat shops). But the hospitality sector for one is certainly doing it's bit.
It is also true to say that when passing by, they all often look busy, and whenever I pop in one there's always a queue. Seemingly they all do ok. Clearly that's one service where demand is high.
How we can add more quality to our town centres beyond coffee shops, bars and restaurants is the great question (ideally minus the dodgy vape, barbers and tat shops). But the hospitality sector for one is certainly doing it's bit.
