Maureen O'Donoghue 1 Posted November 3, 2008 Report Share Posted November 3, 2008 Does anyone remember waiting outside griffiths and lyons tea house early saturday evenings to find out where any parties were happening ? after spending the afternoon in the khardomah and griffiths cafe 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Craig Strongman 13 Posted November 10, 2008 Report Share Posted November 10, 2008 Certainly do! G and S 's restaurant was called The Four Seasons. Dunno why, but most of the parties I went to were either in Sherwood or Arnold. Funny isnt it, if anyone was meeting someone in town, it was always either outside Lyons, or near the lions in the Market Square! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
.... 24 Posted November 10, 2008 Report Share Posted November 10, 2008 In those days my elder sister used to work in the record department of Griffins. Used to go in there and listen to all the latest sixties music in the booths. Fab! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
History Boy 0 Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 Hello, Does anyone know when Griffins and Spaldings started in the Old Market Square in Nottingham and when they closed and became Debenhams? Thanks Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Fynger 841 Posted March 14, 2011 Report Share Posted March 14, 2011 Dunno but saw it on an old vid this morning and that was 1900. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mick2me 3,033 Posted March 15, 2011 Report Share Posted March 15, 2011 It was certainly Griffin & Spaldings when I came to Notts in 1963. I am guessing it changed late 70's - 80's? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tomo48 1 Posted March 15, 2011 Report Share Posted March 15, 2011 Remember very well the Four Seasons restaurant in the 60's & 70's Quote Link to post Share on other sites
OLDACE 196 Posted March 15, 2011 Report Share Posted March 15, 2011 In 'Nottingham 1897-47', Douglas Whitworth states that Griffin and Spalding built their department store in 1886. In 1926 it was pulled down and replaced by the present store. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
History Boy 0 Posted March 16, 2011 Report Share Posted March 16, 2011 Hi Everyone, Thanks for the above, any info is helpful. History boy Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Tim in the North East 200 Posted March 22, 2011 Report Share Posted March 22, 2011 The attached website suggests it was the late 1960s that the name changed. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Bergman 0 Posted April 18, 2011 Report Share Posted April 18, 2011 Hi, I worked for Griffin and Spalding in 1971 which was featured in the Nottingham Evening Post when we changed to Decimal currency. Just phoned my sister who worked there in the 60's and married the doorman Richard his mother worked in the sewing room. Debenhams bought Griffin's about 1965 but didn't change the name til after 1971 as they thought people wouldn't what to shop there as a change of name would lower the profile of the shop. Cheers Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Paulus 541 Posted April 19, 2011 Report Share Posted April 19, 2011 There was a 'Heel Bar' next to the Record section in the basement of Griffins, in the early 60's, if my memory serves me well??? My Scoutmaster, from Notts 28th scouts, ran the heel bar for a while............dib,dib,dib........... !rotfl! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
History Boy 0 Posted May 2, 2011 Report Share Posted May 2, 2011 Thanks for the updates on the Griffin and Spalding's shop Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mary1947 2,107 Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 Griffins and Spalding brings back memories for me my mum used to work in G AN S making there wedding dresses. When I used to leave work at 4 00 I had to catch my bus in slab square but before going home I would walk into Griffins my feet used to sink into the carpeted floor, it was sheer luxury.Lyons Café also brings back memories as I waited out side there for a date to arrive, I waited and waited for at least 50mins, giving up I went to catch no 40 bus back home. When this guy taped me on the shoulder yes itwas my date. We are still together, 2015 we will have been married 50 years. Where does the time go? 5 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
darkazana 1,736 Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 aaaaaargh as a child I hated Griffin and Spaldings as my mum used to spend hours there looking for material and patterns to make mine and her clothes. Sadly as an adult it no longer existed for me to spend time following in her footsteps, though Jessops haberdashery dept was quite adequate. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,547 Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 I've posted this before somewhere, but obviously not in this thread. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Commo 1,292 Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 As a teenager, I always felt a little intimidated by Griffins with the plush carpets which made the place very quiet. To me, the Big Co-op was the height of shopping sophistication, so to go into Griffins was pretty scary !! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
StephenFord 866 Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 Funny isn't it - department store shopping in Nottingham before the "shopping centres" WAS - Big Co-op, Griffin and Spalding, or Jessops. The last two were posh shops. The Big Co-op was for the likes of us. Like others, I remember G&S as slightly snooty. We didn't go in there very often, and as Commo says, the plush carpets were definitely intimidating. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Paulus 541 Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 Agreed, twas always the Co-op for us, I think the biggest draw was cheap prices AND the Divi' .................105989, never will forget that number Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DAVIDW 1,704 Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 Doesn't seem to be any history online that I can see of Griffin and Spalding . So here goes . it's actually difficult to find much as most of the news reports were about shop-lifting cases ! There were literally hundreds of them . Most of the info comes from the obituaries of founders , William Griffin and J.T. (John Tricks) Spalding . Part 1 from the Evening Post 19.02.1932 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DAVIDW 1,704 Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 Part 2 Death of Alderman J.T. Spalding 10.06.1924 Actually I have something in common with Mr. Spalding . It says he originally worked in the Marshall and Snelgrove store that was in Oxford St . London in 1858 . For about 3 years I had a small shop unit within that same site (end of the 1990s) but it is now called the Plaza Shopping Centre . Unfortunately unlike him , I lost a fortune there ! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DAVIDW 1,704 Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 From the silver jubilee of the opening of the store 07.12.1928 An advert from 1893 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SabyBaby 5 Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 I started work as a trainee receptionist in the hairdressing department at Griffins in 1965, it was terrifying you had to address all the customers as madam or sir and scurry around dusting the counter as the boss used to run his fingers along the counter to check for dust. It was very posh on the outside but behind the facade there was a lot of swearing in the back staff room..lol. As the lowest form of life a junior you were ignored generally. When leaving at night you went out the back entrance, I can't remember the name of the place. If you had purchased anything you could not collect it until leaving the building, all very organised and not really very friendly I felt. Left after a short time and ended up working for Boots the chemists on Wilford road, much more friendly. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DAVIDW 1,704 Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 Just googled the home of William Griffin in 1932 , quoted in #10 . The article says it says was called Riseholme , Alexandra Park . It appears to be this place now , split into apartments . The heading calls it Riseholme but the description calls it Springfield House , The Crescent , Alexandra Park . Designed by T.C. Hine. http://www.zoopla.co.uk/property-history/flat-6/riseholme/the-crescent/nottingham/ng3-4jb/17102793 I lived for a few years just round the corner on the hill on Woodborough Rd but don't ever remember going down that posh road . 2 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
LizzieM 9,539 Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 Had a spot of lunch in the 4 Seasons (or Terrace Restaurant) just today! It's been years and years since I've been in there. Must say it's a bit run down but pleasant enough. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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