Like many bloggers who prefer to go second hand or vintage for my fashions, I don't really use the High Street that much. Looking for a book, I'll head to Amazon or eBay and see if I can get a deal, a DVD, well that will be in our local second hand DVD shop, clothes, the charity shop or a vintage fair. Nonetheless I'm saddened by the fact that so much of the British high street is dying off.
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| Woolworths Coventry - Now a Poundland from www.geograph.org.uk |
As a child my Mum would drag me around town every Saturday afternoon, in and out of Chelsea Girl and Miss Selfridge on the promise of a trip to Woolworths for a pick and mix, and maybe a cheap little something if I was good too (I usually was good, and I was also a terrible geek so it would usually be something like a pen or a colouring book). Whatever was needed in the house from a mop to a lighbulb, Woolies was the place to go
My first ever cassette (yes kids, we had cassettes, they came before CDs), Dreams by Gabrielle, was bought on a trip into town from our branch of HMV, and when I went to my first ever dance festival aged 19, the tickets for that were bought from our local HMV too, that's right, the same HMV that's just gone into administration (and we all know that once they go into administration, it's a slippy slope to closure).
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| from www.bbc.co.uk |
When I started my GCSE photography in year 10 I was still using film, because digital hadn't been invented (God, this blog post is making me sound old), and we'd have to go and buy our Ilford photographic paper and black and white film from Jessops. It wasn't the sleek shop that closed its doors for the last time ever in our city centre last week then, it was in a different premises which was always full of old men comparing lenses for their cameras, and a faint smell of B.O and photographic chemicals.
With each of these high street institutions that closes its doors for the last time I kind of feel as if a little bit of my own personal history is being killed off with it, and I doubt I'm the only one who will feel that way. What will become of our towns and cities though? Some speculate that it'll go back to a time when all the shops were independents and there was an eclectic mix of what could be bought on a trip to town instead of the same uniform offer everywhere you go. While this is a lovely notion, I can't see how it can happen without landlords reducing rents, or offering more creative ways of getting those start up businesses out there and selling their goods (pop up shops anybody?)
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Hertford Street in Coventry
from www.coventrytelegraph.net |
As for Mary Portas and her market town models, well I'm cynical about those to be honest, how will they work? Lots of empty shops but a good selection of market stalls lining the roads? No, there has to be a complete change not just in the approach to enterprise within this country, but also a realistic approach of property owners and banks in supporting small businesses to fill the voids that have been left by these closures. Who knows how it will all pan out in the end, but in the meantime I'm not sure that a fifth pound shop is just what Coventry needs right now.
8 comments:
Loved this post. I am very saddened at the happening on the high street, and quite shocked at the demise of HMV. My town certainly doesn't need another pound shop either! xx
Great post. It makes me sad to see so many empty shops, especially places like Woolworths that were a huge part of my childhood, but like you, I tend to shop online or secondhand/vintage. We've had several independent stores close in Norwich recently due to high rents. But I also heard Jamie's Italian was getting it's first year rent free in the same arcade where several other shops were forced to close, very unfair! xx
Great article! We have something interesting going on on the retail front here right now. We all grew up with a chain of Canadian department stores much like your Woolworths, called Zellers. Last year they were all closed down and the premises bought by the American chain called Target. I have heard a lot about this store from my American friends, but probably won't be running out to shop there, because I shop much as you do. But you've caused me to think ... What right did I have being upset over the closing of Zellers, when I myself had not entered one in over a decade? It's an interesting situation, and makes me glad I don't depend on the business of retail to earn my living. That said, I am certain Target will be a huge hit, because everyone is buzzing about their soon to be open status.
Its the same all over and it is so sad that familiar names are going under. I agree that something should be done to encourage more small, independent traders.
Liz @ Shortbread & Ginger
Hi there! Yes, it's so sad about HMV and Woolworths before that, I also loved going in there for my pick n' mix and it seems like no High Street is now recognisable from how it used to be around 30 years ago.
The demise of HMV saddens me as did Woolworths because I feel a huge part of my life has been taken away. I used to go to HMV every Tuesday with a friend and after buying the new releases we wanted we would move on to Woolies where we would take turns each week buying five bars of chocolate for £1 then upstairs to the cafe for a pot of tea. I would then go back for a jug of boiling water and then he would, making it stretch and stretch .. we did this for months every single Tuesday.
Wycombe's very much the same, it's really sad. All the best shops have moved into the horrible shopping centre and there's not much on the high street. I miss Woolies too. Your description of the smells of Jessops made me laugh - exactly right. Our college dark room smelt the same.
Losing these shops definitely makes me feel sad. I didn't shop that much in HMV but my partner did, and the kids liked to spend gift money in there too. And I really did shop at Woolies, their homeware stuff was good, and the toy section was great for gift buying. Ah well, we get the high street we deserve, I suppose, everyone seems to love shopping centres and online retailers. xxx
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