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aye I do. to be honest I can't recall ever saying I was going to St Johns, I've always called it the precinct.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ged
it's odd how we get used to saying certain things. I was asked by someone just before Xmas if I could give them directions to the gyratory.
There is still one in St Helens with it's own Restaurant :handclap:
now this brings back memories. I vaguely remember buses on Church St as a toddler.
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e2...Picture008.jpg
Scouseology book
Yes, quite.Quote:
Originally Posted by quincyg
Isn't it amazing how much better things were before they were improved so much?
The buses went into town via Church Street and Dale Street and had a 'C' or a 'D' after the number so you'd know the difference.
Now you have to get off at Lewis's and walk.
That's progress?
What a great picture of Church St in its hayday. Pitty it was'nt in smellyvision to get the aroma of the coffee roasting at Coopers.
IT IS one of the most familiar fixtures on Britain's high streets. Woolworths, the famous "pick'n' mix" retailer, has been a household name for almost 100 years.
But it is now set to become the industry's most high-profile casualty of the economic downturn after it emerged that its 815 stores could be sold off for just ?1.
Woolworths, which has about ?295 million worth of debts, has entered takeover talks which could see its retail division sold for a nominal sum to Hilco, a firm specialising in takeovers of distressed companies.
Retail industry sources say other household names, including MFI, BHS, JJB Sports and WH Smith could all be vulnerable to takeovers in the next few months. Experts believe that retailers hit by the dramatic downturn in the housing market are likely to be most vulnerable.
One analyst, who asked not to be identified, said: "Woolworths could only be the first name. Retailers who have not been performing well over the last year will really start to feel an impact over the next few months.
"Competition will be fierce and companies with large debts will be the most vulnerable to these kind of fire-sales."
The prospect of the sell-off of the retail icon, which employs more than 30,000 people across the UK, has highlighted how vulnerable even big-name chains are to sudden takeover.
Woolworths shares slumped by a third yesterday, leaving the company with a valuation of about ?37 million, in the wake of the proposed deal emerging. The company's shares have plummeted by 83 per cent in the last year alone.
As major retailers BHS, Marks and Spencer and Debenhams launched pre-Christmas sales, household names were warned they should brace themselves for a "horrible time" ahead.
H&M, Next and Marks and Spencer have all reported steep falls in sales this month.
It emerged earlier this week that Scotland had suffered the biggest drop in non-food sales in eight years.
Financial analyst Freddie George, of Seymour Pierce, said the M&S sale was a "clear sign that sales are well behind budget" as retailers entered the crunch Christmas period.
He said that consumers appeared to be delaying their Christmas shopping, hoping to catch bargains as shops increased sales.
"Christmas 2008 has the feel of being the worst retailing Christmas for many years ? more for the higher level of discount activity," he said.
Woolworths has increasingly struggled to cope with growing competition from high street music store rivals, supermarkets and the internet. The company, which saw off an earlier attempted takeover bid of ?50 million in August, revealed last night that it was in talks.
A spokesman said: "The board of Woolworths can confirm it is in preliminary discussions regarding a possible offer for the retail business. There can be no assurance that any offer will be forthcoming."
Hilco is best known in the UK for buying up the debt of Allders before placing the department store chain into administration. It is thought to be eyeing a number of ailing UK retailers.
Paul McGowan, UK chief executive of Hilco, the US retail restructuring specialist, admitted the company was in "very early stage" talks with Woolworths, with reports claiming the proposed deal is centred on all of the firm's stores across the UK being sold for a nominal sum.
The deal is expected to focus on how much debt Hilco, which acquired the fashion chain MK One this year and subsequently placed it into administration, is prepared to take on. It will also have to negotiate responsibility for Woolworths' estimated ?100 million pension fund deficit.
Financial analyst Bryan Johnston, of Bell Lawrie, said Woolworths had been vulnerable for some time.
"The main problem at the moment is the size of its retail operation and the amount of stock it is holding," he said.
Sanjay Vidyarthi, an analyst at Dresdner Kleinwort, said the talks suggested the position of Woolworths "must be critical", given the retailer was gearing up for its busiest trading period of the year.
Richard Perks, the director of retail at analysts Mintel, said: "I don't think there's any doubt the retail industry is heading for a horrible time. We are heading into a recession, people are beginning to spend less and many established names are beginning to feel squeezed by the downturn."
Tim Green, a retail expert at analysts Brewin Dolphin, said: "The real problem for anyone looking at taking over Woolworths is the size of its debt. That has to be factored into the equation, along with its pensions deficit. It's not quite as simple as saying it is facing being taken over for ?1."
Only a few months ago, Woolworths rejected a takeover bid from Baugur, the Icelandic investment group, which already owns huge chunks of Britain's retail sector, but which has since run into its own financial troubles after the collapse of Iceland's banking system.
Store that was many people's cup of tea
AN AMERICAN, Frank W Woolworth, opened the first British Woolworths in Liverpool in November 1909.
He saw Liverpool as "the second city of the empire" and with its international port, it served as a good place to build the brand.
The first British store, which proudly claimed that nothing cost more than sixpence, was the start of Woolworths' reputation for cheap goods. It was an instant success, bringing in customers on a scale not seen before.
Mr Woolworth came from Pennsylvania, where the US wing was founded in 1878. He began offering American store managers the chance to open UK branches. By 1914 there were 40 stores, in most big cities in England and Ireland.
In the 1950s, stopping in for a cup of tea at the famed tearoom in the Princes Street Woolworths, opposite the Balmoral Hotel, was a quintessential Edinburgh activity.
Source: The Scotsman
Origin
The F.W. Woolworth Co. was among the first five-and-dime stores, which sold discounted general merchandise at fixed prices, usually five or ten cents, undercutting the prices of other local merchants. Woolworth's, as the stores popularly became known, was one of the first American retailers to put merchandise out for the shopping public to handle and select without the assistance of a sales clerk. Earlier retailers had kept all merchandise behind a counter, and customers presented the clerk with a list of items they wished to buy. After working in a dry goods store in Watertown, New York, Frank Winfield Woolworth opened his first Woolworth?s store in Utica, New York, in 1878, but the store failed within a year. However, a second store he opened on June 21, 1879 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, became a success. Frank Woolworth brought his brother Charles Sumner Woolworth into the business, and together they opened more stores, often in partnership with other business associates. The Woolworth brothers also entered into partnerships with ?friendly rivals? to maximize inventory purchasing power for both parties.
[edit] Rise and expansion
In 1910, Frank Woolworth commissioned the construction of the Woolworth Building in New York City. This building was entirely paid for in cash. It was completed in 1913 and was the tallest building in the world until 1930. It also served as the company?s headquarters until it was sold by the F.W. Woolworth Company?s successor, the Venator Group, in 1998.
In 1999, Venator moved out of the Woolworth building in New York City to offices on 34th Street. On October 20, 2001, the company changed names again; this time, it took the name of its top retail performer and became Foot Locker, Inc. Foot Locker stores chiefly sell athletic clothing and footwear.
I used to love Woolworths in California, and sad to see the one in Pennylane, Liverpool in peril of going.. That was the last one I visited.. Quess, another memory for the World soon.. Sad...
Fond memories of Woolies from my childhood, but I reckon I haven't been in one for 20 years or more. No wonder they're in trouble.
Quincyg, the photograph you posted,if you were a toddler when you could remember the buses, I can remember the trams.................what does that make me? It was a fantastic street though. I bought my fancy green striped jacket in C.&A's ,Coopers delicatessen was something else,that wonderful smoked hammy smell and the amazing variety of foods. My mother used to get me American corn cured bacon from there,oh god I can almost taste it now,sweet and crispy ,like no other bacon I have ever had since.Just across from Coopers was Hepworths,where I bought the most expensive suit that I had ever had up 'til that time. Dark blue three piece with a minute white stripe. Shawl collar waist coat and a four button jacket. Had it for 10 years or more,middle aged spread developed and I gave it to Oxfam. I wish I could afford one like it now. There was also a gents outfitters near the alleyway that led to the Cavern, I had some fantastic gear from there,I wish I could remember the name. A lot of the lads used to go there because that was the place for the Italian style suits. We were right peacocks in those days,the early 60's.
Thanks for the memories Quincy,
BrianD
That picture gives the flavour! I remember visiting just before Christmas one
evening in the 30's - you could hardly get through the doors!
Stan H
Clarks Shoes, Church Street, from a couple of months ago. This was the site of the first UK Woolworths. Edit: Clarks still occupies this building (April 2009)
This building is also mentioned in the Cinema thread...the canopy of the Tatler appears to be beneath the left-most arched window of the Clarks/Woolworth building.
Another old Woolworths building, London Road Arcade, seemed to be closed-down when I passed not long ago. Maybe it was getting refurbished.
http://i229.photobucket.com/albums/e...Woolworths.jpg
Nice night shot Marky. :PDT11
Thanks Marky, good picture.
The street-furniture around Church St is handy for resting a camera for night shots. A notable date for photographing this particular shop is 5th Nov. 2009, which will be 100 years after it opened as Woolworths (for viewing only)
Location of the 1st. UK Woolworth's in Church Street, Liverpool - opened 5th Nov. 1909, [They needn't have supplied the fireworks, but they did.]
The present day building is still standing and can be viewed here on post#52 [It's the Clarke's Shoes building]. The history of the building is highlighted on the attachments below in some early 1900 images and a 1848 map. Woolies moved across the street to 'Keys Court' building [site of St. Peter's] after 1939 [I think?].
Images: I would recommend doing a "Save As" first and then viewing - unless you can zoom-in on screen, to see the detail?
D.
:handclap:
Nice one Dazza.
Thanks Ged and pablo,
Images resized.
D.
http://i861.photobucket.com/albums/a...worthsTEST.jpg
http://i861.photobucket.com/albums/a...orths2TEST.jpg
Excellent Daz, wow :PDT11
Really interesting. Thanks for posting :PDT11
The links in this thread to the Woolworth's Museum sadly seem to not be working now. Shame.Quote:
Originally Posted by drone_pilot
Interesting, though, to learn about the first store in Church Street. I hadn't realised that it was there before they moved across the road to the bigger place.
My local ones as a kid were in South Road, Waterloo and in Moor Lane, Crosby.
Here is a little about the first Woolie's here in Chester.
The Picturedrome, described as "a popular picture playhouse" opened on 8 November 1909 in Eastgate Street as the Corn Exchange Cinema. It was run and managed by Will Hunter and his wife.
After a short period it became the Picturedrome. It was accessed via an alley running down the side of the offices of Dickson's Nurseries. Films were shown in the upper part of the building and the projector, which was hand cranked, was placed in the centre of the hall. Three months after opening, the equipment was placed in a fireproof box. This was because of the new cinematograph act.
The Picturedrome closed on 29 March 1924. Eventually it became a Woolworth store (long since closed- the later Woolie's, ironically, stood on the site of another demolished cinema in Foregate Street, the Classic).
The site is now occupied by a branch of Next, whose architects, remarkably, restored the shop's frontage to pretty much how it had appeared in the 1920s.
The recently-closed Woolie's is currently being transformed into a branch of Primark. Classy- a sign of the times I guess..
(Local talk has it that Primark wanted to open earlier, on the other side of the clock in Eastgate Street. The Grosvenors wouldn't have it, however, as it would have been located directly opposite their posh hotel...)
See a picture of the old Woolie's here-
http://www.chesterwalls.info/gallery/cinema9.html
Nice one KH. Never knew any of that.
Thanks knowhowe,
A really interesting bit of history there, and a great story. :PDT_Aliboronz_24:
D.
Hi guys,
I'm posting this image again. I missed off one the units from the original Woolies store on the map. 25 & 25A Church St. represents the two shaded areas shown. I've checked this a numerous different ways and I'm now satisfied is correct.
Other observations to add to the B&W photo: The image [I think] is early 1900's [but certainly before 1909, as it was taken before Woolies moved in to No. 25&25a]. I believe it was taken on a Sunday - as the shop windows have their shutters on [no Sunday trading], and the group of people are waiting for a VIP guest[s] of some sort. The high status couple [by the tram lines] are waiting opposite the East entrance gates [out of view] to St Peter's Church. So, I think this was an important church service, for someone coming from the Castle Street [Town Hall possibly].
http://i861.photobucket.com/albums/a...sFINALsize.jpg
Hi dazza
Very interesting information. Many thanks, dazza. Incidentally I was glad to see that the fascia on the shop front actually said "F. W. Woolworth & Co. Ltd. 3d and 6d stores" -- this is akin to the way such stores were labeled here in the United States where they were known as "5 and 10 cent stores" a term many people can still remember... I think there are still some stores labeled that way if I am not mistaken. G. C. Murphy and Ben Franklin stores were other dime store chains here. Here's an article on Dime Stores where we find the following information pertinent to this thread:
"Frank Winfield Woolworth, the father of dime stores, learned the concept while running a five-cent booth in the store of William Moore in Watertown, New York. In 1879, Woolworth opened his first store in Utica, New York. That store failed, but his second store, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, succeeded, and by 1899 he owned fifty-four stores. Woolworth eliminated the wholesaler and also entered into a buying arrangement with other store operators across the country. After a merger with these chains in 1911, the F. W. Woolworth Company became the dominant variety store chain in the United States and Great Britain."
All the best
Chris
Great info on this thread....
I know the one in Old Swan is missed greatly.
I believe I saw one on Allerton Road when I was over in 2007. Is it still in business? :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by hmtmaj
Chris
Chris, they've ALL closed down in the UK
I believe they still have them in Australia and Littlewoods have bought the "online" side of the business so Woolworths still exists to us in the UK, but only on the Internet
Thanks for the info, hmtmaj.Quote:
Originally Posted by hmtmaj
C
I've put together two sheets representing F.W.Woolworth & Co Ltd first and second stores, in Church Street, Liverpool.
I hope you all enjoy.
D.
The 1st UK Store [1909-1923] at 25 & 25a Church Street, Liverpool was already an existing building before F.W.Woolworth & Co. Ltd came to the city. According to Joseph Sharples, author of Liverpool, Pevsner Architectural Guides describes it as:
'the Italianate shop now occupied by Clarkes was designed by Lewis Hornblower, c. 1858, for the art metalworkers and electroplater's Elkington's. The Builder disliked the thin columns to the upper floors, 'which suggest rain-water pipes without being so'.'
[Interestingly, 'Elkington's' sign can be seen on 'image 6' on the sheet below, in a photograph taken some years before the store opened. Also the 'rain-water pipe' columns referred to, can be seen painted white in image 2.]
The images - were once the property of Woolworth's Plc UK. and were displayed as part of their virtual museum website, which no longer operates. So far, I haven't been able to trace an owner, since Woolworth's UK stopped trading. Hopefully Kev will let us display them here for a short while?
http://i861.photobucket.com/albums/a...t/Woolies2.jpg
The 2nd Store, on Church Street [1923-1983] After St. Peter's Church was demolished in 1922, this led the way for further expansion, and a bespoke new store design to be created in 1923.
http://i861.photobucket.com/albums/a...et/Woolies.jpg
Thanks Chris,Quote:
Originally Posted by ChrisGeorge
Yes, you're right - it's our equivalent to your '5 n dimes'. I wonder did they have a specific way of referring to it here? You know like 'threepence/ sixpence store', or 'three and six store'? - although that last one sounds more like three shillings, and sixpence.
Thanks for the Woolworths link. It's a fascinating story, he was a genius, in the way he anticipated the store's success, despite some early failures in the US. They chose Liverpool for the 1st. UK store because it was considered the British Empire's second city, that and the trading links no doubt.
I've just posted some more new views above this one, which you might find interesting.
Thanks again,
Daz :PDT_Aliboronz_24:
Very interesting indeed Dazza, thanks for the info and pics, great stuff :PDT_Piratz_26:
Seconded. :handclap:
Thanks hmtmaj and Ged :PDT_Aliboronz_24:
i buy them for my kids every year from woolworths but this year i cant seem to find them anywhere, can any1 help.
Holland & Barrett?
I remember the Woolies on London Rd , we called the black pumps 'Menloves'
The ones with the black shiny rubber toe caps. Yes, we called them 'borstal breakouts'
I remember a few of the lads going on 'holiday' to Menlove .