Shops that have gone now

[Shadow]

We all know businesses are fast disappearing now and I was sorry to Borders go under as well as so many others ((

I was listening to a discussion about it and its funny how there are some just about every-one knows or remembers.

Woolworths we all know and of course Shephards in Gateshead but then theres also Radio Rentals-remember them

The local VeeGees,Berts Pie shop on the Fell,Binns in the town-all gone now-oh and who can forget FineFare

[Jazz]

Walter Wilsons was another one, Farnons in Nun Street, Ncle........Binns in Market Street, also Ncle. Prestos was another early supermarket which started on Preston Grange Estate (hence the name) in Tynemouth.....taken over by some other big group.....not sure if it was Safeways (now Morrisons).
Fenwicks, which my brother worked for, for most of his working life remains the same, never been subject to takeovers etc and always making a profit. It remains in the hands of the Fenwick family and according to my brother they don't allow any female members of the family to join the management (a talking point for lady forum members?!)
I have great memories as a kid being taken there and wandering round the toy department......toy soldiers being my obsession! Fenwicks also had a lending library which I borrowed books from.......also they had odd little amusing things for children.......one of which was a singing stuffed bird which was in a cage and moved about chirping away when you put your penny in the slot! They also had a "recording studio" in which you could record and take home a real record (78rpm). A photographic studio was also situated there which delivered passport style photos........we probably didn't even know what a passport was then (1948-52 or thereabouts)!

www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1005737

[Shadow]

I'd forgotten about Prestos

Fenwicks-man I loved it there as a kid-being taken to the toy department just before Christmas to look at the vast selection before deciding what to ask Santa for

Funnily enough I was in there the other day-nowhere near as impressive now-because theyve tried to put other things on the same floor including some burger joint place with Fenwicks prices

And negotiating the make up dept used to be a trial but blimey its a nightmare now-how many orange assistants can you have leaping out at you

Male led-actually that doesnt surprise me because the majority of the shop is clearly aimed at female shoppers and the prices are a disgrace-kids wanted a bag of jelly beans each from the sweet counter and they didnt get that many-came to fifteen quid !!!!!!!!!!!!!

They actually sell eggs singley too-couldnt believe my eyes.

My Auntie works on the tills in the food dept-and like she says its a real eye opener seeing what some people are prepared to spend in there because its Fenwicks

[skintagain]

i think Radio Rentals became Rubelows which went down the pan, Woolworths are still trading but like Littlewoods are now trading online, Binns was part of House of Fraser which is still going at the Metro Centre, there was also Savacentre which was owned by Sainsbury and BHS changed to Sainsbury's when they bought out the other half, i think this is when they done away with the Sava bit ;D,
other shops that have bit the dust, MFI, Northern Electric, kwik Save, Beatties, Boydells, Liptons, What Shop, and whatever happened to Tandy Electronics, also Netto bought out by ASDA and not 100% sure but has all the Somerfield shops closed, HMV will probably be the next big name to go they had financial problems last year and only saved themselves by selling Waterstones, their stupid sell at high prices make high profit has been backfiring for years but they still stick with it which will be their downfall, by the time they reduce their stock to a normal price everyone has got it elsewhere.

[Shadow]

Strangely enough I was reading about HMV today in one of the scandal sheets-apparently they sacked a security guard for stopping a shop lifter because he apprehended the bloke outside the shop-dont you have to be outside the shop for it to be shoplifting But the general consensus is that with the on-line market its just a matter of time before this goes under too.