Category Archives: Woolworths

A History of Arndale Centres

Posted on December 5, 2024 by buildingourpast

Arndale Shopping Centres were amongst the best-known post-war developments in Britain, symbolic of progress and economic rebirth. However, they were routinely scorned by architectural critics and developed a tawdry reputation. Most of Arndale’s artificially lit and air conditioned malls have … Continue reading →

Posted in Arndale Centres, Shopping Centres, Woolworths | 5 Comments

Woolworth’s Architects

Posted on March 7, 2018 by buildingourpast

F. W. Woolworth landed on British soil with a group of hand-picked American managers in 1909 and promptly set about establishing a new chain of 3d. and 6d. stores. Suitable buildings were identified, converted and, if required, extended with the … Continue reading →

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Woolworth’s British Shopfronts

Posted on February 19, 2018 by buildingourpast

F. W. Woolworth & Co Ltd occupied a prominent spot on British High Streets for nearly a century, from 1909 until 2009. Beneath the red and gold signboard of the famous 3d and 6d stores, the form of the shopfront … Continue reading →

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8 Classic Features To Help You Recognise an Old Woolworth’s Store

Posted on March 25, 2017 by buildingourpast

The Historic England Blog Researching Woolworth’s stores in Great Britain and Ireland allowed me to wallow in childhood nostalgia. I clearly remember the old counter-service Woolies – customers clamouring for the attention of the ‘girls’, or testing the gigantic red … Continue reading →

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Main Street and High Street in Tinted Postcards of the 1930s and 40s

Posted on February 6, 2016 by buildingourpast

In the 1940s, the American variety retailers F. W. Woolworth & Co and S.S. Kresge stocked ‘linen’ postcards of their downtown stores. Most of these cards were ordered by individual store managers from the sales agents of the Curt Teich … Continue reading →

Posted in Streetscape, Woolworths | 1 Comment

Eating Out at Woolworth’s

Posted on January 7, 2016 by buildingourpast

F. W. Woolworth & Co Ltd established a new tradition when the Liverpool store (Store 1) opened in November 1909, by including a first-floor tea room with windows overlooking Church Street. Behind the scenes lay a kitchen and a ‘waiting … Continue reading →

Posted in Woolworths | 3 Comments