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

wmrcomputers

Stafford PC & laptop repair specialist
Anyone interested in sharing a memory of something now gone from Stafford?

It could be something greatly missed or thankfully gone.

I'll start the ball rolling with something more recent...

WOOLWORTHS - Thankfully gone (sorry to anyone now in the dole que), but let's be honest it's been a bit of a rip off for a good few years anyway.

and something not so recent....

FATTY ARBUCKLES - Greatly missed. Somewhere chilled out to go on a Sunday night with a bit of entertainment chucked in too. (More recently Club Zanzibar)

EDIT - don't forget to put whether greatly missed or thankfully gone. Without your opinion the thread may not start any riots, which would not be true to the forum!! ;)
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
Greatly missed.

The little second-hand bookshop where the disco shop is now, opposite the prison. Every Saturday morning you would find a gem in there. After a while he would know what you liked and you would be pointed at some box on the floor as you came in - never failed. I saw Bob Picken, the proprietor, in the town only last year and he still looks exactly the same.

County Woodware - an Alladin's cave of hardware items.

Motorcycle Mecca - that's just what it was!

Bagnall's model shop - Apollo on Marston Road is OK, but it's hard to build it back up again.

Wardstaff's - you're stuck with the big boys now.

I can't immediately think of anything that I was glad to see go, but I'm sure that I will at some point.
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
Gramaisc said:
The little second-hand bookshop where the disco shop is now, opposite the prison. Every Saturday morning you would find a gem in there. After a while he would know what you liked and you would be pointed at some box on the floor as you came in - never failed. I saw Bob Picken, the proprietor, in the town only last year and he still looks exactly the same.
When I was at college I went here all the time, the guy was a legend. 4 square meter shop yet he knew where anything that would interest you would be, I got loads from him. Sadly missed :(
 

wmrcomputers

Stafford PC & laptop repair specialist
Glad to see the thread has sparked some interest already.

I never knew of the bookshop, so I'm expecting it was before my time? (i'm 34)

BAGNALLS.... oh man, you're right. Greatly missed. Every Saturday I would go there in the model department upstairs and plan what I was going to spend the money on that I never could manage to save up! lol

WIMPY - Greatly missed - but I always managed to save my money for that one! ;)
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
tek-monkey said:
Gramaisc said:
The little second-hand bookshop where the disco shop is now, opposite the prison. Every Saturday morning you would find a gem in there. After a while he would know what you liked and you would be pointed at some box on the floor as you came in - never failed. I saw Bob Picken, the proprietor, in the town only last year and he still looks exactly the same.
When I was at college I went here all the time, the guy was a legend. 4 square meter shop yet he knew where anything that would interest you would be, I got loads from him. Sadly missed :(
He really does look exactly the same, even though we only ever saw him from the neck up behind his barricade. I can still hear the rattle of his fan heater and remember his never-emptying vacuum flask. I bought a book on the principles of flight that turned out to be his from his days in the Fleet Air Arm - I promised him that he can have it back should he need it again. He finally packed it in, having survived the fire, when they insisted that he had a yearly lease instead of the rolling monthly one that he'd had for years, so he retracted to doing just the book fairs - and possibly still does.


@ shoes - Is this better than reminiscing about chip shops?
 

wmrcomputers

Stafford PC & laptop repair specialist
Gramaisc said:
@ shoes - Is this better than reminiscing about chip shops?
lol - it was that exact comment from shoes that made me think of doing this thread! Well spotted Gramaisc!
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
wmrcomputers said:
Gramaisc said:
@ shoes - Is this better than reminiscing about chip shops?
lol - it was that exact comment from shoes that made me think of doing this thread! Well spotted Gramaisc!
It's nice to get some recognition. I did think about simply lamenting the loss of Benton's chippy on Sandon Road, but I was concerned that it might spook shoes. We all know him to be a delicate character.
 

basil

don't mention the blinds
Victor Value in Mkt st, i remember Bob Monkhouse doing a public appearance there summat to do with promoting eggs ,The music dept in Boots where you could request a record to listen to in a makeshift booth,Jenks was often visited before going to the saturday club at the odeon my i'd get up early in those days, slumming it in market caff with menu/prices written on paper plates and pinnned to the wall going up the stairs....
 

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
basil said:
Victor Value in Mkt st, i remember Bob Monkhouse doing a public appearance there summat to do with promoting eggs ,The music dept in Boots where you could request a record to listen to in a makeshift booth,Jenks was often visited before going to the saturday club at the odeon my i'd get up early in those days, slumming it in market caff with menu/prices written on paper plates and pinnned to the wall going up the stairs....
That was when Boots was a real shop and didn't just sell five hundred different types of shampoo. You could buy not only records but audio equipment, cooking paraphernalia, garden tools, home brew, and endless other things. I haven't felt a need to go in there for five years.
cat_woman said:
The old traction engine and huge slide from the town park, they were real fun!
Oooh! Health and safety!!!!



It's noticeable that there's only been one 'Glad it's gone' so far. Interesting?
 

Andreas Rex

Banned for smiling
Props Wine Bar - sadly missed. There was nowt like rocking up there on a Friday night in time for happy hour, filling the huge long table with as many beers as was possible, wading through the constantly-flooded toilets, and being sick in the garden. Great times!
 

Florence

Well-Known Forumite
Ah Props! I remember it from my "youth". Off my head Fridays, failing to pull a variety of blokes. The fights. The garden. The "toilets". And being ejected at the end of the night by a tw*t of a bouncer. Happy days!
 

Andreas Rex

Banned for smiling
I think we should have a Props revival night...book loads of tables at Essence of the Orient, then use it as if it were still Props!
 

tek-monkey

wanna see my snake?
I remember getting into a bit of an argument with the doorstaff in there, went something lie this:

Me: My mate is throwing up blood, could you open the back gate so we can get him out without making a mess?
Dorrman: No
Me: But he'll throw up all over the place, just let him out the back.
Dorrman: No
Me: OK, we'll bring him through this way.
Dorrman: If he throws up in here I'll kick his head in.
Me: Well open up the gate then.
Dorrman: No

So we took him through, he vomited all over someone, and we got barred for life. Went back next week, doorman didn't even remember us. In fact, I remember getting barred for life 3 weeks running once :D
 

cookie_monster

Well-Known Forumite
tek-monkey said:
So we took him through, he vomited all over someone, and we got barred for life. Went back next week, doorman didn't even remember us. In fact, I remember getting barred for life 3 weeks running once :D
i though it was always wierd if one didnt get barred for life after some sort of mishap!

rex, im up for the props revival night....ill be back for may bank holiday too! ;)

i also remember when boots had a record section....i bought my first proper boyfriends christmas present there. u2 actung baby- great album, still got it on tape (i nicked it back off him that day so i could tape it! :teef:)


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