Lewis's Department Store

liits · Post by **liits** » Sun 20 Jan, 2008 3:28 am

A few thingd that come to mind about Lewis's....1. When my Mother died, and clearing out the house, she had lined the shelves in the wardrobe [which was actualy called the "tallboy", in the spare room] with bags from Lewis's.2 Going into Lewis's with my mate having been in the Plaza cinema, having been to see "Love in 3D", where, beeing 16, and having passed for 18, we had sat and watched some soft porn rubbish with cardboard spectacles to see the action... in 3D, and for some unaccountable reason, coming out and going into Lewis's to wander around and seeing Marc Almond and his "partner". This would have been just after Soft Cell had had Tainted Love reach number three in the top forty.

Trojan · Post by **Trojan** » Sun 20 Jan, 2008 11:11 am

tyke bhoy wrote: From memory the food department did not last until the stores demise (as Lewis's). However my memory is that it was downstairs from the Briggate end and very much downstairs (basement) at the top end. I seem to remember it being Electrical, furniture and homeware/furnishings at closure.My memories being from the late 60's, when the toy department and Santa's grotto were my interest, onwartds. The food department was definitely in the basement. I seem to remember the china, glassware and general tableware being down there too. We went on a mission from work to buy a workmate a wedding present there. Old Hall meat plate if I'm not mistaken. That stainless steel stuff lasts forever! We've still got ours forty years down the line!

arry_awk · Post by **arry_awk** » Sun 20 Jan, 2008 5:11 pm

Got to stick my two pennorth in!I well remember Lewis' food dept down those stairs.I'm surprised no-one has mentioned the deliciousaroma of YORK HAM on the bone,being expertly carvedand weighed out for you. There was NO taste like it and never will be again,I reckon! Never saw anything like the size of the legs ofham being carved. They must have been from porkers the size of elephants!I believe they closed the food dept down for a while in the eighties(?),but there was such an outcry that they reluctantly reopenedit again.The ham was never the same!I had a lady friend (A budding chorus girl and would- be actress!)who did part time work in the store when 'resting' betweendancing in Pantomime at the Theatre Royal. She worked in the ladies accessories dept and, as I was home on leave at the timeused to hang around her counter,much to the annoyance of thesupervisor! Girl friend used to say,'Don't worry,she's only jealous!'Fraid the romance was short lived as I was posted abroad and things change in two years!A few years later I used to have my hair cut in the Gent's saloon.The barber (Hairdresser!)was a Mr. Canale Parola.(Not English!)but he gave an excellent 'knife and fork job!'Memories!

arry_awk · Post by **arry_awk** » Sun 20 Jan, 2008 5:47 pm

Hi ChameleonIf you want to know about Muffin the Mule,Simonm has some great stories! I think hehad a 'thing' for Annette Mills! (Right,Si?)Arry

Post by **chameleon** » Sun 20 Jan, 2008 6:41 pm

arry awk wrote: Hi ChameleonIf you want to know about Muffin the Mule,Simonm has some great stories! I think hehad a 'thing' for Annette Mills! (Right,Si?)Arry My, erm, hmm, - children, have an erm, Watch With Mother video, erm, yes. (My excuse anyway - bring back Bill and Ben!!).

carrotol · Post by **carrotol** » Sun 20 Jan, 2008 7:34 pm

Lewis's was where i used to go with my Grandma and have an iced float (pop with ice cream on top). Anyone remember them. I thought I was so posh going in Lewiss. Plus, same as everyone else, Santas Grotto, the best one ever

stevief · Post by **stevief** » Sun 20 Jan, 2008 8:21 pm

Yes.I'm slightly embarrassed to admit i remember 'Iced floats'.I can also remember Lewis's record department,I don't know whether it was mentioned in the record shops thread.I bought Jimi Hendrix Experience and Axis Bold as Love there as a double album(£3)

Terrym · Post by **Terrym** » Sun 20 Jan, 2008 8:58 pm

Hi again,A few more things I have remebered from my days working at Lewis's.As someone has mentioned the record department, I also remeber buying my records from there.At that time it was situated in the basement at the Mark Lane end of the store, and was next to the basement cafeteria. There were two small listening booths at the end of the counter.Another memory is concerning bomb scares which were fairly frequent during the early seventies.If you had ever been in the store you would have seen attached to the ceiling close to the escalators two sets of coloured lights.These were designed mainly for the store detectives who new by the different colours of lights where they were required.It was decided to signify a bomb scare by displaying one blue light.We were all instructed that a particular day would be a rehearsal to see how the system worked.Come that day it appeared that the blue light was displayed for something like 20 mins before anybody noticed it. Not a great success.Just before I go does anybody remeber the confusion that used to reign when customers used to come in from the Headrow entrance to the ground floor, but ended up on the first floor if they came in from the Mark Lane entrance.

wiggy · Post by **wiggy** » Sun 20 Jan, 2008 9:28 pm

we would get the old 50 bus,when it ran through gipton,go to the olympic baths then spend our bus fare home on broken biscuits in lewis's,you would get a giant bag for about 5p.the walk home through quarry hill flats was frightening though!

Dalehelms · Post by **Dalehelms** » Sun 20 Jan, 2008 9:52 pm

There was also an identical store in Glasgow. They must have used the same firm of architects for both stores. I dont know if that applies to the Manchester and Liverpool ones as well.