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Original poster

Which defunct shops/restaurants do you miss the most?

534 replies

Hairbrush123 · 03/04/2022 22:16

For me, Topshop. Was really gutted when it closed down. Restaurant: Herman ze German. Expensive but always enjoyed the food!

OP posts:
Blossomtoes · 03/04/2022 23:19

I really miss BHS a lot. Their towels were brilliant.

The single shop I miss most is JL in Peterborough. I spent many a happy hour there with my mum.

Cherrysoup · 03/04/2022 23:20

BHS
Evans
C&A
Global Buffet

SocksAndTheCity · 03/04/2022 23:21

Another vote for TopShop, especially the Oxford Circus one Sad.

My past favourites include Snob, Athena the makeup range they used to sell in Miss Selfridge and (a bit niche) a burger place in Hull called Yankee Burger that had the best chips ever 😊

frillseeking · 03/04/2022 23:21

You can still buy topshop from asos!

Vapeyvapevape · 03/04/2022 23:23

Ravel , can remember buying a pair of shoes in there and thinking I was the bees knees !

NancyDrooo · 03/04/2022 23:25

@ToothGrinder

Agree about BHS lighting and they had decent homeware stuff in general imo. Their bedding and towels were v good quality for the price.
BHS should’ve stuck to homewares, their clothes were dreadful but nowhere was better for lighting.

15 year old me misses Bay Trading.
45 year old me desperately misses Warehouse and Oasis.

BoredZelda · 03/04/2022 23:26

the pancake place

This is mine.

For those of you close enough, www.stackandstill.co.uk/ is my new favourite brunch venue.

TheGirlWithTheArabStrap · 03/04/2022 23:26

@PurpleSproutingSomething and @Lalliella I instantly thought of Dutch Pancake House when I saw the thread title. I had some lovely times there as a teenager feeling v grown up going out for a meal!

Clockstooforward · 03/04/2022 23:27

Woolworths…really loved that shop ! Cheap but not cheap rubbish.Huge choice of different items .

Belkell · 03/04/2022 23:30

I do miss woolies.

I love the Woolworths leyline batshittery too:
www.bbc.co.uk/staticarchive/c98651db6e14c2a3662052d0392753e8b4b8b99c.jpg

ThinWomansBrain · 03/04/2022 23:30

Debenhams and House of Fraser on Oxford Street had reliably nice loos.

Blossomtoes · 03/04/2022 23:32

@ThinWomansBrain

Debenhams and House of Fraser on Oxford Street had reliably nice loos.
Selfridges still does.
Neverreturntoathread · 03/04/2022 23:35

Woolworths! It sold everything.

Replaced by Amazon I guess.

Stopsnowing · 03/04/2022 23:35

BHS for lighting and school uniform
Lyons corner house
Woolies

LadyEloise1 · 03/04/2022 23:35

BHS for homewares and lighting.
House of Fraser and Debenhams have both gone from Ireland.
Laura Ashley has also gone from Ireland Sad

Lonelydaisy · 03/04/2022 23:35

Blockbuster

Changechangychange · 03/04/2022 23:36

Dolcis. I’m 20 years too old for it now, but had some amazing shoes from there in the 90s.

Cheeseandlobster · 03/04/2022 23:40

I remember Ethel Austin.

Also Bwise
Bay Trading
Adams
Dolcis
Barratt Shoes
Jeffrey Rogers
Mk one
Spud u like before James Martin got his hands on it
La Tasca

ThinWomansBrain · 03/04/2022 23:44

London still has "My Old Dutch" pancake houses
Sockshop is available online - and quite often in TK Maxx - lots of bamboo socks these days.

One of my favourite restaurants ever was called Ooze - they only served risotto, but it was amazing.
As a teenager (70's) my sister used to take me to an amazing slightly upmarket burger chain called Strikes - one menu option was a burger with no bun, cottage cheese and a peach on top. 16 year old me thought it was the height of sophistication.

Whiskersonkittens21 · 03/04/2022 23:45

Borders, there was a pretty big one in my town with a Starbucks in and I have many fond memories of going to pick a book after school on a Friday. Waterstones just doesn't have the same atmosphere.

SpaghettiSquash · 03/04/2022 23:45

@boobot1

I miss toys r us, especially at christmas. Smyths is not as good.
@boobot1 You're in luck. Toys R Us are reopening next year!
JaceLancs · 03/04/2022 23:46

Richard shops
Etam
C and A
Pastimes

fairylightsandwaxmelts · 03/04/2022 23:47

Borders
TopShop
TammyGirl
Woolworths
Ottakars
La Tasca

Original poster
Hairbrush123 · 03/04/2022 23:52

Oh yes Borders! Loved that shop. I also miss Forever21.

OP posts:
DahliaMacNamara · 03/04/2022 23:59

Richard Shops
Woolies - yes, Wilko is fine, but you can't buy bits of children's clothes in there, and besides, it's 15 miles to the nearest Wilko, whereas I could walk to Woolworths.
BHS. Or even bloody Littlewoods. Spent most of yesterday pounding the streets of a nearby town looking for very basic clothing items for DD. All the time I was thinking 'I bet BHS would have had this stuff in stock'. It was a most dispiriting experience.