1960's city centre shops

[Lostrider 10]

Wasn't there an "SMC Shirt shop" somewhere, and "Lift up your skirts and fly" at the top of the original Howard street opposite the Peace Gardens. Full of Cathy McGowan lookalikes. I remember another shop at the top of Howard street that used to sell Kilts and Scottish stuff. I was always fascinated by the jewelled Dirks in the window.

What about Hobbies on the Parade.

[timo 10]

Bigkev mentions Colvins, which causes me amusement. The standing joke used to be that they had a semi-permanent 'clearout sale'. At least, it almost always used to be 'on'. I recall buying Ben Sherman shirts and Levi Sta-Prest trousers [one pair in a rather fetching two-tone material] in their many 'clearings out'.

 

Anyone remember Dawson's near the Castle Market, which sold curtains, fabrics etc? My mother claims that I demolished a window display in front of astonished staff there, when aged around six [1967]. Apparently, she whisked me out of the shop and we were away.

[oldrowley 10]

I think it was Coffee & Creme at Banner Cross. There was also Chez Brian, a coffee bar in the Broomhill area circa 1960 run by the Vernons Girl with the Big Glasses, Maggie Stredder.

[oldrowley 10]

I think it was Coffee & Creme at Banner Cross. There was also Chez Brian, a coffee bar in the Broomhill area circa 1960 run by the Vernons Girl with the Big Glasses, Maggie Stredder.

[sweetdexter 10]

There was a clothes shop at the bottom of Snig Hill .Was it Winstons?( Pop T would remember).

They used to sell the most popular ,sleazy styles.

I remember buying a coat ,black and white flecks ,the pants were drainpipes , charcoal grey.

I think it was a unisex shop, or should I say two doors different department but all Winstons

[Albatross 10]

There was a pub at the corner of Fitzalan Sq called the Elephant it was later to become Halfords and then a charity shop. The pub on the bottom opposite was called The Bell not blue bell. The landlords name was Drabble and he went to the Ball Inn on mansfield road from there. There was a pub just round the corner from the Classic in Commercial St it was called the Kings Head was a Bass pub. When Colvins closed it moved to King Street and became Tramps of King St the same guy owned them both. There was a record stall in the old rag n tag called Kens records they used to sell a lot of ex-jukebox singles.

The Mullbery Tavern was a little backstreet pub, more or less where it is now but you got in through a door on the street round the back of where it is now. Norfolk Street ran straight through behind the old town hall and where they built the Egg box there were some shops, one was a jewellers can't remember the name tho it might have been Greaves.

[Jozafeen 10]

I can't believe nobody's mentioned The Sidewalk cafe on Chapel Walk yet!

 

My mum used to take me in there when I was little and it seemed very exotic with noisy expresso machines and the room downstairs with the big egyptian carvings on the walls.

 

I can also remember there being some kind of arcade near the Peace Gardens with a cafe on it but haven't a clue where it actually was now. Hope someone can enlighten me on that one!

[Lostrider 10]

Originally posted by Albatross

There was a pub at the corner of Fitzalan Sq called the Elephant it was later to become Halfords and then a charity shop.

 

When I was little lad, after queing for hours to pay the rent at the "rent place", my mum used to drag me up pond hill to go shopping in "wiggys" we used to pass that pub and I used to think it was called the Magnet, cos it had a big picture of magnet on the wall outside or was it the window? Then we would got to the next three most hated shops on my list, C&A, BHS abd M&S. I did eventualy get my reward with a visit to Redgates. I hated shopping then and still do. I look on it as a wasted day off. Thank God for Amazon etc.

[rockyblade 10]

Originally posted by Lostrider

Wasn't there an "SMC Shirt shop" somewhere, and "Lift up your skirts and fly" at the top of the original Howard street opposite the Peace Gardens. Full of Cathy McGowan lookalikes. I remember another shop at the top of Howard street that used to sell Kilts and Scottish stuff. I was always fascinated by the jewelled Dirks in the window.

What about Hobbies on the Parade.

I got my Oxford Bags,Birmingham Bags,Star jumpers,Charlie Chaplin face shirts and the like from SMC.God how old am I?

[Albatross 10]

Originally posted by Lostrider

we used to pass that pub and I used to think it was called the Magnet, cos it had a big picture of magnet on the wall outside or was it the window?

The door was right on the corner Lostrider diagonal to the PO and there was a big Magnet sign on the wall above it. The landlord from there I think went to the Magpie on Lowedges.

[PhilipB 10]

Originally posted by Jozafeen

I can't believe nobody's mentioned The Sidewalk cafe on Chapel Walk yet.

 

The Sidewalk, remember the sound of those expresso machines even now.

Such innocent days going in there as a youth, after buying your 45 single over the ally in, think it was Canns the music man, and pretending to be grown up.

[asti 10]

I believe there was a shop called Weaver to wearer, think it was opposite a large hotel, possible the Grosvenor.