Anyone remember the big toy shop in the city centre? I'm a young 'un, so i'm talking the late 1980's here.

It was just down from the McDonalds at the top of the Moor towards the roundabout. Opposite the end of Union Street. I'm not sure what it is now, I think it became a department store.

There was also the toy department of Colebrothers, opposite the main building. I think that still exists today, equidistant between Pepe's and RSVP.

I can remember that shop my parents used too take me in there all the time im sure it was called redgates.

That's it! It WAS called Redgates. Ah, so many memories.

Originally posted by Pilon
That's it! It WAS called Redgates. Ah, so many memories.

It WAS Redgates, but then briefly changed to Zodiak before closing down and disappearing forever.

wasn't it Hamleys (sp?) for a while...

its now a Co-op I think.

Check here

http://www.sheffieldforum.co.uk/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1076&highlight=redgates

Hamleys was down the Moor, and fairly second rate compared to Redgates, which was the best toy shop ever.

I went to New York recently and visited Toys R Us in Times Square... Made me feel like I was in Redgates again.

If it is late 80's then I think it will be Hamley's you mean. I think Redgates was closed before then while Hamley's was still kicking around.

Is it where sunwin house now stands.

Originally posted by Internetowl
wasn't it Hamleys (sp?) for a while...

its now a Co-op I think.
I recon it was Hamleys Sheffield.
When they closed they had this über sale, I got my first Hornby train from there...

THATS WHATS LACKING IN THE MIDDLE OF SHEFFIELD A BIG TOY SHOP YOU HAVE TO GO ALL THE WAY TO THE MEADOWHALL RETAIL PARK FOR A BIG TOYSHOP (TOYS R US) I AM SURE IF ONE OPENED IN THE CITY CENTRE THEY WOULD MAKE A KILLING

Originally posted by Captain_Scarlet
I recon it was Hamleys Sheffield.
When they closed they had this über sale, I got my first Hornby train from there...

no, captain Scarlet, it was definitely not hamleys, hamleys was on the main road, and only opened in sheffield long enough to destroy trade in shops like Redgates, and then closed down, itself.


Hamleys was much pricier, and IMO therefore not likely to last long in shefield with it's reputation for "Careful-with-money" Yorkshire men and women.

It was Redgates, as others have said, Redgates was the toy store that was opposite the end of union street down from the moor/macdonalds. (and yes, it is now Sunwin House Co=op, andwas a fantastic store i spent hours in there as a kid. it was like wonderland)

PT

Redgates used to be on the Moor, just down from MacDonalds it had a double doorway with a glass display case between the two sets of doors. The shop then became the Quadrant Stationers and I'm not sure what's there now. Redgates moved round the corner to what is now Sunwin House. I remember the name Hanleys but can't think where it was I thought it had the shop after Redgates closed and Sunwin House opened. The reason for this is I seem to rremember a huge five foot long toy car with an eleectric engine in the window an E type jaguar then a Lotus, both priced in the thousands and I thought the shop was Hanleys and the cars were there when it first opened.

Redgates was where Sugg Sports is (Streetwise now isn't it?) so says mum she is sure of that (so on the same side as Wolworths), and Hamleys, I apologise for the mistake, was in Debenhams.
There also were Wilson Gumpert on Fitzallan Square, with the dolls' hospital in the basement.
And there still Uncle Arthur in Woodseats.

yes it was redgates its sunwinhouse now i think hamleys was where argos is now or mk1 in that row of shops from mk1 to debenhams best regards steve>>

Redgates was one of the joys of childhood

When did Redgates actually close then? I don't remember both of them been around together at the same time.

Hamley's was definetly there late 80's, which means Redgates must have gone before this.

Originally posted by steevie/d
yes it was redgates its sunwinhouse now i think hamleys was where argos is now or mk1 in that row of shops from mk1 to debenhams best regards steve>>

yes, Hamleys was in the old roberts brothers' building, pretty much where mark1 is now.

anyone remember the massive 6/7 foot-tall teddy bear that stood in the door, dressed like a soldier, with a busby hat?

PT

IIRC late 80's. Redgates was open then Hamleys open and they both shut

Originally posted by Captain_Scarlet
Redgates was where Sugg Sports is (Streetwise now isn't it?) so says mum she is sure of that And there still Uncle Arthur in

Suggs sports shop is on a corner isn't it? I still think Redgates was in a line of shops but it wasan't a corner one. Please some-one out there put me out of my misery, and we're talking about when Redgates was on the Moor not when it was in the building that is now Sunwin House co-op.

Originally posted by WALLBUILDER
Suggs sports shop is on a corner isn't it? I still think Redgates was in a line of shops but it wasan't a corner one. Please some-one out there put me out of my misery, and we're talking about when Redgates was on the Moor not when it was in the building that is now Sunwin House co-op.
I'll repeat coz I'm pretty sure of myself, firstly coz me mum says so, and secondly, I have a faint memory that corroborates what she says... So:
Redgates was where Sugg Sports is (Streetwise now isn't it?) so says mum she is sure of that (so on the same side as Wolworths), and Hamleys, I apologise for the mistake, was in Debenhams.
Hamleys so much was on the top floor of Debenhams, as I got my first Hornby train set from there when they did their close down sale...
There also were Wilson Gumpert on Fitzallan Square, with the dolls' hospital in the basement.
And there still Uncle Arthur's in Woodseats.

Hamleys did have it's own store, on the Moor/ Pinstone street strip. it was not originally incorporated into debenhams, or indeed any other store.

it may have moved, after the Hamleys Store itself closed, and had a "concession" in debenhams (like miss selfridge and river island/ evans clothing etc have within the big stores)

I do remember debenhams having a toy department on the top floor, until a while ago, but I don't know whether it was a hamleys or not.

Redgates was definitely solidly installed in the building that is now Sunwin House Co-Op by the time I was a small child in the early to mid sixties, as it was a very popular stopping-off fpint when my Uncle cmae back from birmingham for a visit... we's always go to Redgates with him and my mother, and we'd come back absolutely laden with books and toys that he'd treated us to.

I bought my youngest sister a talking doll as a present out of my very first wages.

The store closed as Redgates in the mid/ late eighties, after being taken over by a very quick-closing company. It did not last very long at all after that.

PT

Originally posted by WALLBUILDER
[B]Redgates used to be on the Moor, just down from MacDonalds it had a double doorway with a glass display case between the two sets of doors. The shop then became the Quadrant Stationers and I'm not sure what's there now. Redgates moved round the corner to what is now Sunwin House


I agree with you Wallbuilder, when you went into the store you were faced by the display case and you went down the stairs for all the "boys" toys, there was a big model steam railway layout which was suspended from the ceiling.
Zodiak Toy shops bought them out before closing it down and selling the shop to Lonsdale or Quadrant stationery shop. It was in the location where the " Soccer Shop " is now, next to Woolworths.

deecee

Redgates was where sunwin house is now.

God i used to love coming to sheff (i lived in rotherham) just so i could go to redgates.

We had coopers in rotherham which was pretty cool but redgates WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What about Jolly Giant or something?

I did a search for Redgates and noticed that the forum has done a thread on the place before. Severl of the old posts talk about going into the basement and unless I'm very much mistaken Suggs is or was a ground floor establishment. Therefore I'm going to point at what used to be the Quadrant Stationers shop again as being the premises of the old Redgates, although it looks as though it may of been located in other buildings as well in the 1940's or earlier.

redgates used too be the building that now is sunwin house unless im 100% certain i used too go there nearly every saturday.

Yes, we all know that Redgates was in the building that is now Sunwin House, the slight grumble is where it was before that, i.e. on the Moor on the same side as Woolworths but slightly higher [not number wise] that is nearer what is now McDonalds.
It had a big glass display case at the door and inside a big set of steps leading down into the basement were there was a model railway running.

I only remember Redgates being where Sunwin House is during the mid - late 50's. Remember approaching it down Union Street. You could see it in the distance from the bottom of St Paul's Parade. Don't know where it was before the 50's though. Before my time!!

SCREAM!!!!
Alright I'll admit it, 'I'm an old codger'
Back in the days when buses ran up and down the Moor Redgates was on the Moor.
Honest!!

Originally posted by WALLBUILDER
SCREAM!!!!
Alright I'll admit it, 'I'm an old codger'
Back in the days when buses ran up and down the Moor Redgates was on the Moor.
Honest!!

Calm down there Wallbuilder:(

I'm merely confirming where it was, and admitting that I don't know where it was EXACTLY before.:thumbsup:

Originally posted by WALLBUILDER
SCREAM!!!!
Alright I'll admit it, 'I'm an old codger'
Back in the days when buses ran up and down the Moor Redgates was on the Moor.
Honest!!

I Am 100% in total agreement with you on this one WALLBUILDER
"sunwin House" Wasn't even built. We bought our first daughters pram and cot from Redgates and we DID enter the shop on the moor just slightly up from Woolworths, and that is something you never forget.
I too admit to being an old codger, but even us oldies can get it right

deecee

Yes, we definately need a toy shop in town.
Also a Long Tall Sally( Iam nearly 6 ft and have to go to Leeds, Manchester or Nottingham to buy clothes)
They cannot afford the rates in Meadowhall I am told

Originally posted by espadrille

Also a Long Tall Sally( Iam nearly 6 ft and have to go to Leeds, Manchester or Nottingham to buy clothes)
They cannot afford the rates in Meadowhall I am told

6ft? I assume that's a typo :) I'm a diddly 6'3" and I can get clothes in town!

Anyways, there is Mr Big (I think it's called) at the bottom of the moor near Uncle Arthurs, opposite the Yorkshire Bank. At least, there used to be. I haven't been to the moor for ages.

Originally posted by spiffymonkey
6ft? I assume that's a typo :) I'm a diddly 6'3" and I can get clothes in town!

Anyways, there is Mr Big (I think it's called) at the bottom of the moor near Uncle Arthurs, opposite the Yorkshire Bank. At least, there used to be. I haven't been to the moor for ages.

but I doubt that you are a 6'3 " tall lady?

Mr big-and-tall only does mens' clothes.

espadrille, have you tried dorothy perkins' range of tall clothes? they go right up to a size 22

PT

I was thinking about Redgates last night so felt compelled to dig out this thread agaim.

I remember being allowed to pick a toy and started crying because I couldn't decide if I wanted the Sindy Doll, Tea Set or Strawberry Shortcake doll the most. :rolleyes:

The current mrs foxprom is a bit of an expert on Redgates as she worked their form leaving school early 80s to it closing down circa 1989 ish, she left Redagtes and then went to work at Sugg sport Pinstone street branch.

redgates was where sunwin house is now, its basement where prams and baby stuff was had a passage through to the basement of quadrant stationers, this was closed up somethime before the shop closed.

Hamleys opened up on the moor where mk 1 is now in direct oposition to Redgates, who sold out to ZOdiac toys which didnt last against the might of hamleys and closed down, once they had closed down Hamleys did the same and left sheffield without a decent toy, pram train and firework shop.

Mrs F worked at Suggs untill getting in a certain family way when she left in the early 90's

Had some great hours in Redgates, she worked on the lego and jigsaw counter in the basement, they used to have the most amazing lego set pieces for display that looked like real bricks built up into knights and footballers, the sad thing was they were all glued together, oh happy days...

Uncle Arthur's at Woodseats is closed now .... Uncle Arthur has retired and the shop is no longer a toy shop :(

Beaties, shame when that shop closed, it sort of took over from redgates( many happy memories).
Now there's only TOYs R US...well big shops anyway.

Now this has brought a smile to my face - reminding me of fond memories of going to town with my parents on Saturday afternoons and going into Redgates!!

Now that was a PROPER toyshop wasn't it? . Kids walked into there and straight into toy heaven!!

wow...a real blast from the past :)

Nick

Just to throw this thread off at a tangent - does anyone remember Roger Goulds at Banner Cross. Used to be in the shops just up from where the Texaco garage & Napoleons is now.

Far more traditional than Redgates and crammed full off great stuff.

Their bags used to have Kings Guards in bearskins on I seem to remember.

Ah - happy days.