It seems that Woolworths is in trouble and could call in the administrators within days unless it can secure a rescue deal.
It will be incredibly sad if Woolworths disappears from the British high street. It’s an institution and I have fond memories of the store. Although one of my first memories is the traumatic one of getting separated from my mum in Woolworths at South Shields, a long way from home!
Woolworths in the centre of Manchester never really recovered following the tragic fire of 1979.
Although the Wikipedia page about Woolworths states that the the Piccadilly branch didn’t reopen after the fire, I’m sure it was there in 1982 when I first came to Manchester. I’m certain I bought two kitchen stools there in the mid-1980’s and that the store was closing down at that time.
So one of the strange things is that for the last two decades, there have been stores dotted around on the outskirts but not one in the city centre.
This morning I’m cooking a chicken casserole in the Tower slow cooker that I bought from Woolworths in Longsight, nearly 25 years ago. Another branch that is long gone…
3 Comments
there’s a rumor that’s been floating around in Manchester circles for years that Woolworths vowed never to open a store in the city centre after the tragic fire… now it seems that it never will
Woolworths did re-open a store at the same site following the fire – it is on pictures I have seen of the same site on Flickr in 1985.
The Wikipedia article was wrong and has been corrected. The damaged store was repaired and re-opened. It eventually closed in 1986.