Mess 609 Posted June 14, 2020 Report Share Posted June 14, 2020 Back in the mid 60s there was a Wimpy Bar close to the 43/45 Trolley Bus terminus at Trent Bridge. Contrary to popular opinion you can't make a decent hamburger with a high meat content using rubbish meat it will just fall apart. I worked for a company that supplied beef to the McDonalds burger factory in MK and their QC was pretty damn stringent. Wimpy and McDonalds use good quality meat and the burgers are delicious. There are lots of foodies who are always dissing McDonalds but you simply don't get to be as successful as them by selling rubbish. 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brew 5,377 Posted June 14, 2020 Report Share Posted June 14, 2020 Compared to the Wimpy bars of the 60' (toasted buns, no microwave) the modern day burgers are bland rubbish. I don't like relish, or mayo, or cheese, or anything other than a bun and a beef patty. The best one was top of St James St. The secret of MacDonald's success, according a franchise holder I knew is marketing, portion control and 'sides'. They sell far too many to used substandard meat. It's claimed when Macs opened on Clumber St they had seats designed to prevent you lingering too long., I don't know if it's true but they were certainly uncomfortable. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jonab 1,644 Posted June 15, 2020 Report Share Posted June 15, 2020 I have never been a fan of burger bars. I was first put off in the 60s by the very Wimpy bar at the top of St James' Street (as mentioned by Brew, above). Even in those days a substantial proportion of the stuff sold there was not what it purported to be. Their "chips" were called something like "Tastee Fries" and comprised a deep fried paste extruded from a device above the deep fat fryer. The substance called Tastee Freeze was what they tried to pass off as ice cream - but it wasn't ice cream as it didn't comply with the legal definition. I hesitate to imagine what the burgers were like prior to being cooked. That's not the point of this. I was thrown out of that place one lunchtime for commenting that the plate of food I was given had little resemblance to what it was supposed to be according to the posters and menu cards distributed around the place. I made what I thought was a reasonable complaint but the dragon of a manageress took great exception to that and with an almost fiery repost threatened to call the police. I am something of a pacifist and left the place extremely unhappy. I've not been in a burger bar since that day. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mess 609 Posted June 15, 2020 Report Share Posted June 15, 2020 The Americans pretty much invented marketing and everyone else has since followed suit. Their in your face style is just too intense for me. I worked for Mars for eight years and it was full on and quite draining. They never say never and won't take no for an answer. Sometimes it works and breakthroughs happen but a lot of the time you're working with ignorant and arrogant people who think they can change the laws of science. Now who does thar remind you of? It's a very frustrating environment to work in. The UK model is so much more reasonable but there are many who think the US does it best and we should sign up to their methods. I can't agree. It's a huge mistake to treat the public as fools. They'll soon remind you who's really calling the shots. Are you listening Donald? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jill Sparrow 10,267 Posted June 15, 2020 Report Share Posted June 15, 2020 I have never seen the inside a MacDonald's, a KFC or similar. Being a vegetarian, they'd have nothing I would want to eat and I dislike fast food chains as a concept. For years now, if I've detected an American accent I just switch off. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stuart.C 483 Posted June 15, 2020 Report Share Posted June 15, 2020 My Son works in the U.S for a New Zealand company. They employ mainly Americans but also others from around the World. The Americans just don't get the laid back New Zealand approach. American approach, as Mess has said, work, work, work, go, go, go. The N.Z and U.K approach is lets have a chat sort it out and get the job done. Same results just without all the unnecessary stress. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,435 Posted June 15, 2020 Report Share Posted June 15, 2020 One thing which puts me off wanting to go in a McDonalds is the external colour of their buildings. It's a hideous, dull, sickly dark green. I'd like to meet the person who thought it was a good idea. Exchange Walk is a good example....... https://goo.gl/maps/tuj4HVrxHVPZchfu9 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Stuart.C 483 Posted June 15, 2020 Report Share Posted June 15, 2020 I wonder if planning restrictions left them with a limited color choice and they thought,, Green will do. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TBI 2,351 Posted June 15, 2020 Report Share Posted June 15, 2020 16 hours ago, Boris The Bear said: Was the one on Exchange Walk what is now McDonald’s? Was that in between it being Wigfalls then McDonalds? Any others people can remember? There wasn't a Wimpy at the bottom of Exchange Walk, that site was Jacksons tailors for many years, became a short-lived Wigfalls for a couple of years mid '80s and then McDonalds. There was a Wimpy I used to frequent very close by though, at the bottom of Hounds Gate just round the corner from Wakefields Army Stores. I'd be very interested in knowing the location of the Wimpy mentioned earlier, at Trent Bridge. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,089 Posted June 15, 2020 Report Share Posted June 15, 2020 I think they’re just following to trend to look environmentally friendly by presenting a green image rather than the garish red and yellow. I’ve said before - I like a McDonald’s occasionally if I’m on a long motorway journey and want a quick snack. I don’t invite friends there for a fine dining experience but there have been occasions where a McDonalds would have been better than the fancy restaurant we were in! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
benjamin1945 16,118 Posted June 15, 2020 Report Share Posted June 15, 2020 Always enjoyed the Wimpy '' Big Bender'' in the''Broad Marsh centre''....the only other 'Wimpy' i went in was one on the way to Scarborough.....As for Macdonolds loved their 6am Breakfast in Liverpool,,very tasty,, set me up for the day in ''Scouse-land''.......... 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LizzieM 9,497 Posted June 15, 2020 Report Share Posted June 15, 2020 The first McDonalds we ever went in was in Victoria, BC in 1980. Our youngest was only 13 months old and I don’t think we’d been in a restaurant with him before, it wasn’t done 40 years ago. But McDonalds had high chairs for kids, that’s how their popularity grew in my opinion. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Brew 5,377 Posted June 15, 2020 Report Share Posted June 15, 2020 4 hours ago, jonab said: "chips" were called something like "Tastee Fries" and comprised a deep fried paste extruded from a device above the deep fat fryer I remember a service station (Keele) on the M6 had those! I was beginning to think I had imagined them, no one else seems able to recall seeing such things. The were produced by Ross frozen foods and wall mounted just above the fryer. They looked like a big tin with a handle attached, pull the handle and long stream of 'potato' was extruded into the chip basket - tasted horrible. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mess 609 Posted June 15, 2020 Report Share Posted June 15, 2020 7 hours ago, TBI said: There wasn't a Wimpy at the bottom of Exchange Walk, that site was Jacksons tailors for many years, became a short-lived Wigfalls for a couple of years mid '80s and then McDonalds. There was a Wimpy I used to frequent very close by though, at the bottom of Hounds Gate just round the corner from Wakefields Army Stores. I'd be very interested in knowing the location of the Wimpy mentioned earlier, at Trent Bridge. IIRC The Wimpy Bar at Trent Bridge used to be in the building now occupied by Topknot. This was about 1965 https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@52.9392569,-1.1381352,3a,35.9y,260.98h,92.66t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1shJD4L7G8c_ZWBLXhwn52OQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en Next door was a tobacconists that used to have a fascinating window display of some very exotic brands like Chesterfield, Passing Clouds and Camel. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TBI 2,351 Posted June 15, 2020 Report Share Posted June 15, 2020 Thanks for that Mess, I'm a bit confused about the date though. The three shops in the Topknot building consisted of the tiny ConTob run by an old fella. The next shop was originally a butchers/deli during the fifties, I can just about remember it, and then became a dry cleaners ( it's a dry cleaners at present, passed it this afternoon actually). The third shop on the corner, Arkwright St/Fraser Rd was a type of milk bar/sandwich shop , also sold rolls and later became a bakers. This was all in the 60's. I can't remember a Wimpy during the the period I lived at Trent Bridge but I left 1974. Could that Wimpy have been mid 70s? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Boris The Bear 1 Posted June 16, 2020 Report Share Posted June 16, 2020 13 hours ago, TBI said: There wasn't a Wimpy at the bottom of Exchange Walk, that site was Jacksons tailors for many years, became a short-lived Wigfalls for a couple of years mid '80s and then McDonalds. There was a Wimpy I used to frequent very close by though, at the bottom of Hounds Gate just round the corner from Wakefields Army Stores. I'd be very interested in knowing the location of the Wimpy mentioned earlier, at Trent Bridge. What is on the site now? I couldn’t remember one on exchange walk but somebody said previously in this thread. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mess 609 Posted June 16, 2020 Report Share Posted June 16, 2020 12 hours ago, TBI said: Thanks for that Mess, I'm a bit confused about the date though. The three shops in the Topknot building consisted of the tiny ConTob run by an old fella. The next shop was originally a butchers/deli during the fifties, I can just about remember it, and then became a dry cleaners ( it's a dry cleaners at present, passed it this afternoon actually). The third shop on the corner, Arkwright St/Fraser Rd was a type of milk bar/sandwich shop , also sold rolls and later became a bakers. This was all in the 60's. I can't remember a Wimpy during the the period I lived at Trent Bridge but I left 1974. Could that Wimpy have been mid 70s? On reflection the Wimpy might have been in the mock Tudor building a little bit further down Arkwright St. It was definitely mid 60s because I was in my final year at school and three or four of us used to come down to Trent Bridge on the 43 trolley bus on a Friday afternoon for games which consisted of rowing up and down the Trent. In 1968 I joined Boots and used to play snooker in the social club which was upstairs in that mock Tudor building. The Wimpy had gone by then I think but the tobacconists was there into the 70s. TBI do you remember the tobacconists I'm referring to? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TBI 2,351 Posted June 16, 2020 Report Share Posted June 16, 2020 Thanks Mess, I am stumped about the Wimpy then. It certainly wasn't in the Boots building, that was always the Boots shop on the corner, the entrance doors to the social club, the tobacconist and then the sweet shop at the end. They were all there as long as I remember. The Wimpy you recall could really only have been the middle shop on the Topknot side, the little tobacconist nearest the buses and the corner shop which always had bakery goods each side of it. The middle shop was a dry cleaners at some point around that time, '60s though. It was quite a small shop, presumably the Wimpy was a takeaway? I lived just around the corner for many years and have no recollection, memory must be going . Thanks for the info though. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TBI 2,351 Posted June 16, 2020 Report Share Posted June 16, 2020 8 hours ago, Boris The Bear said: What is on the site now? I couldn’t remember one on exchange walk but somebody said previously in this thread. It's still McDonalds BTB, it opened about 1987. Before that Wigfalls, a brand new shop that only lasted a couple of years before they went bust. Before that it was Jacksons the tailor for a long time. As I said, there was a Wimpy very close by, diagonally across St Peters square, just a few doors up the start of Hounds Gate. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
loppylugs 8,424 Posted June 16, 2020 Report Share Posted June 16, 2020 There used to be a Wigfalls on Clumber street back in the fifties. My parents rented a tv from them. Surely not the same Wigfalls you mention? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
philmayfield 6,089 Posted June 16, 2020 Report Share Posted June 16, 2020 The Wigfalls you mention was on the right going up towards Milton St. That didn't become a McDonalds. McD's was further up on the left hand side. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mess 609 Posted June 16, 2020 Report Share Posted June 16, 2020 8 hours ago, TBI said: Thanks Mess, I am stumped about the Wimpy then. It certainly wasn't in the Boots building, that was always the Boots shop on the corner, the entrance doors to the social club, the tobacconist and then the sweet shop at the end. They were all there as long as I remember. The Wimpy you recall could really only have been the middle shop on the Topknot side, the little tobacconist nearest the buses and the corner shop which always had bakery goods each side of it. The middle shop was a dry cleaners at some point around that time, '60s though. It was quite a small shop, presumably the Wimpy was a takeaway? Yes, I think it was a takeaway and the guy sold the burgers through a hatch. There may have been a few tables inside but I'm not sure. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beekay 5,094 Posted June 16, 2020 Report Share Posted June 16, 2020 We had our first telly from Wigfalls. I think ! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TBI 2,351 Posted June 16, 2020 Report Share Posted June 16, 2020 50 minutes ago, loppylugs said: There used to be a Wigfalls on Clumber street back in the fifties. My parents rented a tv from them. Surely not the same Wigfalls you mention? No, Wigfalls opened a spanking new-look store in the Jacksons shop, left bottom of Exchange Walk mid '80s. It didn't last long as they went bust shortly afterwards. I've mentioned before how I was passing one day when two lads came running out with a nicked tv. I followed them and got them apprehended in the Square. The current McDonalds opened in that site shortly afterwards, about 1987. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
loppylugs 8,424 Posted June 16, 2020 Report Share Posted June 16, 2020 Never thought Wiggy's would go bust. Apart from Redifusion I thought they were one of the first and biggest tv rental stores in tv's hayday. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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