Sadly missed? Blasts from the past - A reminder of Stafford's past

[Catabatic]

Anyone remember Halfords being where Jessops is now?

 

[Lucy]

No, twas in Market Street, please keep up.....

Presto, not Tesco.

Wasn't Halfords in the shop that M and S took over, where New Look also was?

 

[Mrs M]

Was it Presto on the corner of Bridge Street where the appliance shop now is?

Presto's was as you turned down toward the Linten Tavern (or whatever it's called). I think you're right it is an appliance shop now. I think it then became Bejam. Bejam moved from where Argos is. Kwik save was also there.

 

[Mrs M]

Woolworth's had moved by the time I got here. Anyone remember the second-hand shop in Eastgate Street, opposite the Gatehouse? It may have been called Resales, or something very similar.

I can vaguely remeber this one, was it under where the hat shop is?

I am not aware of hat shops. I will have a look. It would have been, maybe, next to the Sheridan, pretty well opposite the Gatehouse main door. Might be an estate agent now. Sold all sorts of stuff - before the charity shop invasion.

Interestingly, I also frequently fail to place the second 'm' in 'remember' - perhaps we are related?

Resales is correct. It used to be on Oxford Gardens where the bed shop is. Then I thought it moved to the entrance to the colonade on the right.

 

[Mrs M]

What about the big street map which was on the wall where River Island is now. You pressed a button for what you wanted and it lit up on the street map.

 

[Gramaisc]

There is just too much going on here - I may miss something. Dixons' used to be where Rymans' is now and Halfords' was nextdoor, I believe. Presto was underneath the council offices, where the Appliance Shop ( oo-er, missus ) and the Litten Tree are now. Keymarkets was where Argos is and Bejam became what is now Iceland. The interactive streetmap we have previously discussed and I personally believe that it may have been moved to about where the the seats are now, in the Market Square, in front of whatever bank that is ( Barclays? the one the students used to climb during rag-week ).

 

[Florence]

What we need to do is take a few photos of how it is now. Then in 20 years when this thread is dug up again, we can refer back and say "yes, that old M&S was there..." and "oh, how old fashioned it all looked..."

 

[Mrs M]

There is just too much going on here - I may miss something. Dixons' used to be where Rymans' is now and Halfords' was nextdoor, I believe. Presto was underneath the council offices, where the Appliance Shop ( oo-er, missus ) and the Litten Tree are now. Keymarkets was where Argos is and Bejam became what is now Iceland. The interactive streetmap we have previously discussed and I personally believe that it may have been moved to about where the the seats are now, in the Market Square, in front of whatever bank that is ( Barclays? the one the students used to climb during rag-week ).

Bejam then moved to where Presto was. If it wasn't Bejam it was another frozen food shop (but not iceland) and I think it was also where Argos was (after Keymarkets) before Iceland was round the corner.

 

[Lucy]

Bejam changed to Iceland, the frozen food shop where Presto was was someting like Farmfoods, but not.

 

[Gramaisc]

Bejam changed to Iceland, the frozen food shop where Presto was was someting like Farmfoods, but not.

Was it not something imaginative like Stafford Freezer Centre? Or am I just confusing it with the Appliance Centre?

 

[Mrs M]

Bejam changed to Iceland, the frozen food shop where Presto was was someting like Farmfoods, but not.

Was it not something imaginative like Stafford Freezer Centre? Or am I just confusing it with the Appliance Centre?

I've been thinking about this, it's definitely Bejams. I take it that it moved from old spot to (Argos) because it was bigger. It may have changed from Bejams to something else though.

 

[Lucy]

Well I was only 3 or 4 at the time, but I remember both Presto and Bejam's being there, because we got our first microwave from Bejams. The freezer centre came after Bejam's became Iceland. I don't think it lasted more than a year though.

 

[Gramaisc]

I defer to your obviously greater inside knowledge of the supermarket industry. Although I am suspicious of your assertions about Bejam, as they were not known for having a particularly strong non-food range.

 

[Lucy]

Haha, you know, I've always wanted to work for Tesco (well the people who run their clubcard analysis division), maybe you are my concious. Unfortunately all images of Bejam microwaves are on blog sites, which are blocked out at work, otherwise I'd show you which one we had

 

[Gramaisc]

I got my microwave from Classic Dishwashers when they were in Charnley Road. It had a life-size, peel-off picture of Jimmy Tarbuck's face on the door. I presume that this was intended to entice you to buy it. I peeled it off immediately and stuck it on the carton - in case it becomes a collector's item in the future.

 

[basil]

'Dave's Auto' in Charnley road he sold me a car radio/cassette player circa 1977, he even fitted it for me at no extra charge......

 

[Gramaisc]

I have just noticed that a Pick'n'Mix facility has appeared in W H Smith's - on the magazine wall, by the new tills, at the front of the shop.

 

[db]

I have just noticed that a Pick'n'Mix facility has appeared in W H Smith's - on the magazine wall, by the new tills, at the front of the shop.

interesting.. is it as large as the former woolworths one? i'd go to mr. simms' for all my sweetie needs, tbh..

 

[Gramaisc]

It is possibly a third to half the size of the Woolworths' installation. Not being a regular patron, I am possibly not the best person to give an opinion on that, though. It's in the corner of the shop and, to be honest, I only noticed it because it meant that I had to search the place to find the new location of my regular Continental Model magazine - and, before you all PM me asking to borrow it, it's about railways!

 

[Florence]

Continental Model magazine

A fiver to the first person who googles that!