Nostalgia for high street shops of the past

[TastyLikeARaindrop]

I'm feeling nostalgic. I'm struggling to find a winter coat and I just KNOW I would have found the perfect one in BHS. I also loved their underwear, thermals, slippers, pyjamas, dressing gowns, simple but good quality tops and jumpers and Christmas bits and bobs. My local also had a affordable but great restaurant with a little play area and decent loos. Dh and I used to take the dc there for breakfast on Saturdays as a treat.

Anyone else feeling nostalgic for long gone shops?

Fosters menswear. Great shop.

Shops were soooo much quieter 30+ years ago. Although as a teenager you felt very self conscious so casually browsing was hard work. During the week you'd literally be the only customer.

Sad to see the High Street turn to shit. Maybe the CEOs of these failing stores should tap up the owners of nail bars and Turkish barber shops for some advice on how to run a business as they seem to be flourishing. Hmmm 🤔

Ah Topshop Oxford Circus! I bought a blue leather jacket there on a shopping trip with my mum, it was £100 which was a fortune at the time and I was so proud of it. I don't have a good relationship with my mum and that shopping trip was one of my only good memories. I sold the jacket in my late teens as clearly decided blue wasn't cool...but now really wish I'd kept it; I would have worn it today.

Debenhams blue cross sales were a huge event in the 90's and always absolutely jam packed, especially the one nearest Christmas. We'd get a booklet through the door beforehand to ramp up the excitement. Dh and I would get the in laws to babysit so we could buy all the dc Christmas presents.

Ah as other posters have said- just the whole experience of a proper day’s shopping! Being able to visit multiple shops full of goodies! Trying stuff on… shops, what few are left, seem to carry so little stock these days. It’s all “you like it? Order it online in your size”
Agree with others too that Topshop at Oxford Circus was amazing as a teenager. Many happy memories of rootling around in their January sales with my Christmas money burning a hole in my pocket. Also still very much miss Oasis. I bought a lot of my clothes there.

I loved shopping and window shopping. And woolworths Christmas ads with celebrities.
My ds was due near Christmas and I had an antenatal appointment at the GP early December... i remarked to him that it was very quiet. He told me it was because of the blue cross event in Debenhams!

I think River Island used to be Chelsea Girl?

I loved Top Shop on Oxford Street
C&A
BHS
Woolies
@Onand yes. Loved them! Get excited when a new one was in.

Etam did good undies and toiletries
Saxons did good leather shoes and boots

Yes to missing Etam & Tammy Girl

Also-

Bay Trading
Mark 1
Dolcies

C&A, Woollies and Athena.

Saxone

They had a 'Tall & Small' department and were the last place I could actually try on shoes that fitted my large feet.

C&A. Clockhouse was my teenage go to for clothes.

Also miss Woollies - for the pic'n'mix and the singles chart.

Past Times was always good for presents. I still have a lovely solid silver bangle from there bought in the mid 90s.

I was watching a channel 5 programme tonight about old Christmas adverts and one of the comedians said soon the high street will only have about 2 shops left! I remember the days when shopping on a Saturday would mean total exhaustion by the end of the day through walking miles and trying stuff on, happy times.

Just coming on here to say this! The jewellery was really lovely and they had odd but wonderful things that made great gifts.
I still regret not buying my own wax seal kit.

Our kettle has just broken today, and was talking about where to get a new one. If not online could go to big supermarket, but other than B&M we were struggling to think of a high street chain you could go in and buy one now. Maybe some retail park type
places like The Range maybe, but high street?

I miss Debenhams and wandering around there

Bay Trading and MK One, I would still shop there now if I could. I actually prefer River Island now, I didn't like it when they first opened, didn't like all the aran jumpers, I missed Chelsea Girl. I also miss Debenhams and Woolworths and already miss Wilko. As for the Top Shop at Oxford Circus, I absolutely loved it, I remember buying some amazing pink and black dog tooth checked tights and a pink bat wing jumper which I loved, I would still wear them now if I had them, That was in about 2000.

Is it Evans you’re thinking of, the plus size shop?

Next of the 90s, it was such a treat

wallis

woolworths

Tammy girl
La senza
Bhs
Bay trading
Pilot

Loved these all as a young teen

Freeman Hardy & Willis
Woolworths
C&A
Ratners
Etam

And (for those in Hertfordshire) - Welwyn Department Store. It has been a John Lewis for years now, but is simply not the same, not by a long, long way.

Woolworths was amazing, I still have a kitchen knife I bought there for £3 in 1997. Never been sharpened, still works great.

Also nostalgic for…

Our Price! I could never afford to buy anything but it was fun browsing.

Blockbusters!

Debenhams!

Next Too which was a more exclusive version of Next.

Blue Baker which was the same for Ted Baker when they only had shops in Covent Garden.

Oasis
The Pier

I love that Habitat is back in Sainsbury's and Argos. Their wine glasses are brilliant.

Where I live we had a shop that sold all different kinds of jeans and it was the place to go. You’d go in and see people you knew, it was rammed, they’d adjust your jeans on a sewing machine and the people who worked there were so cool, music was playing. You’d get a real buzz just heading there. I do feel sad my kids didn’t have that same excitement!

Past times-yes! I still have a silver ring that a boyfriend bought me from there! It must be 25+ years ago, it’s beautiful!

Clockhouse at C+A
Body shop, when it was affordable and sold bath pearls and soap shaped like strawberries and there were more customers in the shop than shop assistants!
Madhouse for jeans
Barratts-the shoes weren’t always terribly comfortable but they did some really good bags!
chelsea Girl

I liked Hawkins Bazaar as well!

Just miss a thriving city centre and local shops that had variety, not just charity shops and barbers 😥