Debenhams building


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Oh and I had my ears pierced there too, think that was in the same area as the wig dept! 

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Memories of Griffin n Spalding  mu mum was a seamstress and before I came along she worked at Debenhams factory on Castle blv that belong to Griffins this is were all the wedding dresses were made. 

I've possibly mentioned this before but when my mother was a child, her mum was employed by Bairnswear to test new knitting patterns for baby clothes, using their yarns. Grandma was very skilled in kn

@MRS B how dreadful for your Aunty not knowing where her husband had gone… I think that is a very cowardly way to end a marriage!   @mary1947 I suppose it’s just that expensive shops have ne

It's dis-jointed as it's several buildings built on a slope all joined together, plus alterations.

 

The Historic England listing below describes the array of buildings and internal features presumably most of which are covered by the listing.

The listing is probably going to add more headaches to the nightmare job the architects for the the current owners will have been having over recent years trying to find an economic solution.

https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/list-entry/1477986?section=official-list-entry

 

It's not going to be such an easy solution as was found for the Queen St Post Office building, the back of which is visible in the picture below.

 

Google image from above showing the array of buildings that make up the complex.

 

sftblL1.jpg

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Stuart. C that explains all the higgledy piggledy little bits of staircases in the building if additions were made by purchase of other businesses on higher ground when the Debenhams/Griffin &Spalding business was good. It all makes sense now thanks!

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I only went in to Debenhams occasionally, but one thing I remember was that the Men's Clothing Dept was in the basement, below ground level, and had no windows or daylight. Not the best surroundings to encourage someone to buy anything. 

 

 

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Did Debenhams store in the Market Square  have any lifts?  Can't ever remember seeing any.     (Argument arose after seeing an announcement that it gained a Grade 2 listed building)

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I was going to say I don't remember seeing any lifts in the place, but that obviously proves my memory wrong.

 

It's also proof that everything was hidden round one of the hundreds of corners and nooks and crannies, so no-one could ever find lifts even if they wanted one.

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Jill Sparrow, I can remember the coffee shop being in the basement too. I also remember a metal sliding door lift. My dad used to always call in at G&S to get mothers Xmas presents before collecting the turkey from Burtons Arcade on Xmas Eve.

Little could he afford either of these,  he just used to blow the budget and then answer to Smiths Bank branch (latterly NatWest ) round the corner in the New Year.

Of course we never knew any of this at the time.

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I remember the restaurant on the top floor of G&S where teas, coffee and light meals were served by waitresses dressed in white pinafors.

I often enjoyed the view over slab square from the window tables.

It was a large carpeted lounge and the waitresses had an enlosed cubicle in which to sit and for orders taken from the menue and for bills to be written before being brought to the tables.

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Been thinking about this topic of lifts in G & S. I vaguely seem to remember, when working at SPD and delivering on the Birds Eye side. To deliver to G&S staff canteen, (usually Florida frozen orange juice among others) one parked outside, on long row, where the Arnold buses started from. There was a little alley/entry, which I believe ran all the way up to Parliament Street. About half way up there was a small staff lift which went all the way up to the top floor and was manually controlled by a lever which you threw over to operate and was quite easy to overshoot your stop and had to coax it back to your level. On the few occasions I delivered there, I was terrified of that lift. Next drop was across the road to Burtons store, at the side of the Council House, (usually 25 to 30 bags of frozen foods) all delivered to the freezers inside of the shop. Please, can anybody tell me I wasn't imagining this lift.

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Sorry, can't help you there BK.

 

I only ever went in G & S once. It was not a shop I could afford on my measly wages, plus  I wanted cheap trendy clothing, as you did during the 60's. But before I married, I toyed with the idea of renting a wedding dress. It was about £20 to do this. So I decided before renting to look in Griffin's at their selection. Found one I liked at the princely sum of £22. Not a bad price even in those days. 

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That certainly looks like it CT and StuartC. What I do remember was, the lift controller simply marked up and down, (looked like it was cast brass), Thank you both, for your input.

Ps. The lift opened straight I to the kitchens on top floor.

Kath I didn't buy my wedding dress there either.

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Screenshot-20220413-193539-Maps.jpg

This certainly looks like the lift door, but bear in mind, I've not seen this for about 50 years, incredible though that is.

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Reading this I've realised I've never been up or down Norfolk Place.

 

Looking at where it comes out on Parliament Street, I never knew it was a through-route and you could go down there and come out on Long Row.

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When BT occupied 47 Upper Parliament Street, above the Post Office, there was a small underground car park underneath the building, accessed from Norfolk Place through a shutter door next to the PO’s back yard.

 

The spiral access down from the gate was very tight. With some users, you could tell what the colour of their car was by the paint they left on the wall.

 

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