Woolworth's

Leodian · Post by **Leodian** » Tue 08 May, 2012 12:10 am

chameleon wrote: BLAKEY wrote: Leodian wrote: Yes Littlewoods did take the Woolworth's site for a while (its Index section was in the basement). Littlewoods was later briefly (I think it was later and not before) where the Zara store has now been for several years at the junction of Kirkgate and Briggate. Historic relics like me (NO protection from English Heritage sadly) can remember clearly what was on the corner site of Briggate/Kirkgate before Littlewoods. Anyone else have a guess ??Just a tongue in cheek clue - think of Grace Brothers and "Are you being served ? Certainly my memory of Littlewoods is of being on that corner withe the inovative Index store down and at the end of the basement - no grey matter stirrings of them being on the Woolworths site Hi chameleon. Knowing how poor my recollections of where places/things were I have no doubt you are right and that the Littlewoods Index was where you say and not where I 'remembered' it was in the old Woolies site!

String o' beads · Post by **String o' beads** » Tue 08 May, 2012 12:58 am

Leodis isn't always accurate but I think it's correct in this instance that Woolies became Rackhams became House of Fraser.http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... 4_25312441

tomq · Post by **tomq** » Tue 08 May, 2012 1:16 pm

Didn't Schofields move into this store when their own site was being redeveloped into the Schofields Centre. This would be before Rackhams.

buffaloskinner · Post by **buffaloskinner** » Tue 08 May, 2012 4:56 pm

Went into the Woolies store in San Antonio, Texas in the early 90s. Right opposite the Alamo, it was just like the Leeds store inside but cheaper.

String o' beads · Post by **String o' beads** » Tue 08 May, 2012 6:11 pm

tomq wrote: Didn't Schofields move into this store when their own site was being redeveloped into the Schofields Centre. This would be before Rackhams. Yes, sorry, I meant to include that. And on this very site: http://www.secretleeds.com/forum/PrintM ... eadID=1428

Jogon · Post by **Jogon** » Tue 08 May, 2012 9:05 pm

Caron wrote: The last time I was in Leeds I had a shock as so much had changed. Mind you, hand on heart I have to say that the place seemed brighter/cleaner than it was in the 80's. If Leeds, the place, gave you a shock, you should see us..!

majorhoundii · Post by **majorhoundii** » Tue 08 May, 2012 9:21 pm

BLAKEY wrote: Leodian wrote: Yes Littlewoods did take the Woolworth's site for a while (its Index section was in the basement). Littlewoods was later briefly (I think it was later and not before) where the Zara store has now been for several years at the junction of Kirkgate and Briggate. Historic relics like me (NO protection from English Heritage sadly) can remember clearly what was on the corner site of Briggate/Kirkgate before Littlewoods. Anyone else have a guess ??Just a tongue in cheek clue - think of Grace Brothers and "Are you being served ? Matthias Robinson?I seem to remember when I was a kid in the fifties that Marks & Spencer occupied what was to become the Littlewoods site before Littlewoods.I remember the cafe upstairs at Woolworths and having fish and chips there and a bone got caught in my throat. I also seem to remember that the toilet door had a round window like a porthole.There used to be a Woolworths in Morley many moons ago, dark brown floorboards and polished dark brown counters. It occupied what is now the Yorkshire Bank site.I also remember the Woolworths record department. Was it Embassy records? With cover versions of all the latest hits. There was an item on the radio about this. Tina Charles, of "I love to dance" fame was one of the artists in the later days of these records, but she had a hit with the above and became legit. She said there was more money in doing the cover versions!

String o' beads · Post by **String o' beads** » Tue 08 May, 2012 9:43 pm

No, Matthias Robinson's store became Debenhams. I never realised M&S took over the Littlewoods store, but here it is:http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... 85903Prior to Littlewoods, I thought on that corner was perhaps a Stylo or other big shoe shop? Can't really remember.

String o' beads · Post by **String o' beads** » Tue 08 May, 2012 9:46 pm

More Leodis scouring reveals it was a Stead & Simpson in the 1930s but whether that's the shoe shop that was still there before Littlewoods I don't know. http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... 9_48876590

BLAKEY · Post by **BLAKEY** » Tue 08 May, 2012 11:21 pm

Geordie-exile wrote: More Leodis scouring reveals it was a Stead & Simpson in the 1930s but whether that's the shoe shop that was still there before Littlewoods I don't know. http://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?reso ... 9_48876590 Well well Geordie-exile - the answer to my little teaser is in the script on that leodis picture - although its a bit misleading because it describes Hitchens simply as "drapers" whereas M.C.Hitchen and Sons was a full size department store. Also, yes, the strangely situated corner shoe shop was Stead and Simpsons.