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Western Road

Photo:Woolworths in Western Road, Brighton

Woolworths in Western Road, Brighton

From a private collection

Woolworths: nothing over 6 old pennies
by Marjorie Batchelor

Woolworths in Western Road was the equivalent of the '5 and 10 cent stores' in America. Here there was nothing over 6d (6 old pence).

Sheet music became very popular, with the words and music of popular songs, and at the back of the store there was a long counter displaying them. A piano stood in the corner, and an assistant would play and sing any number you requested, while another took the money for it.

Further along the road, near where C & A is now, there was a store called Staffords; quite a fascinating place where they sold ornaments and fancy goods, the sort not seen at any other shops. In the afternoons they held tea dances. There was a small charge for a cup of tea, sandwich and cake. You could either sit and watch or participate in the fox-trot, waltz and the quick-step. The music was provided by a piano and a violin.

From the QueenSpark Book A Life Behind Bars by Marjorie Batchelor
This page was added on 22/03/2006.

Comments:

Further to the note on Staffords: there was a lift that you could take to the second floor where there was a sizeable dance floor and music was also supplied by saxophone and several other instruments. Wades was further along nearer the Clock Tower and was also a very large store that had an excellent restaurant on the second floor. Their 'Visit Santa at the North Pole' at Christmas time was superb. Oh happy days!
By John Wall (28/05/2004)

I recall Woolworths in the fifties when it had creaky wooden floor boards and mirrored pillars at the end of the counters. I believe it continued with this image until the sixties at least. I once found a very old style Woolworths in a small town that still looked like this in the late seventies (it was like walking back in time) a few weeks later it was modernised.

By Edward Castle-Herbert (13/08/2007)

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