C&A

[EileenH 496]

I was talking about childhood memories with my OH last night and he said he remembered coming over to Nottingham with his mother and riding on the escalator in C&A. This would be about 1948-1950.

I said, No way! I can`t remember an escalator in C&A that early and I lived about a mile away in the Medders.

Any answers?

[Beefsteak 305]

Afor my time Eileen sorry , but I do remember asking what C & A stood for, and being told by my Aunty Muriel "Charlie and Alfreds " !!

[Limey 242]

Nope - according to my Uncle George, C&A stood for "Coat 'n 'Ats"!

I always thought the first escalator in Nottingham was at the Coop, but I could be wrong. I do remember an escalator in C&A but not until the late 60's.

[denshaw 2,871]

Barry St Ives reckoned that skimpy knickers were marked C & A so women could tell the front from the back. !rotfl!

[katyjay 5,090]

I don't remember an escalator in C & A either, and I shopped there and Vicki's. On my meager wages that's all I could afford. Don't remember one in the Co-op either, just a wide staircase up the middle of the store and the lifts off to the left. Lift operator used to call out all the floors and what was on them, every time he stopped the lift.

[Owdtite 2]

Lift operator used to call out all the floors and what was on them, every time he stopped the lift.

I remember that Katyjay, Everytime I went on the lifts I used to say to myself.."Coming Down...Ladies Underwear"....Oh those Teenage Hormones!!

Owdtite.

[Limey 242]

The escalator I remember "may" have been in the department store on Long Row (can't remember the name) - I think it became Debenhams.

[mick2me 3,033]

That was Griffin & Spalding Eric

[Limey 242]

That's the place!

[EileenH 496]

Thanks folks.

Griffin and Spalding eh?

Perhaps my late M-in-L was posher than I remember.

Solved the dispute anyway.

[katyjay 5,090]

I'm pretty sure the full name of the shop was C & A Modes, maybe it dropped the Modes bit later on? Wasn't it a Dutch company?

[Limey 242]

Actually, I think the "Modes" came later - but, yes, they were Dutch owned. I dated a young lady who lived in Clifton Village whose father was a buyer for C&A - and he was Dutch!

[Scriv 168]

Might well be a Dutch firm; went to Amsterdam in November and there was a C&A there.

[Beefsteak 305]

They were certainly of foreighn extraction. (I'm going to have to go .....oooo....gle now !!!

[katyjay 5,090]

Found the history of C & A on line, most likely more information than you needed, but you'll at least know its history.

History

Clemens & August

C&A is one of the leading fashion retail companies in Europe. Indeed, it has been for decades. You didn’t know that? Then it’s time for your first history lesson. Even in the 17th Century, members of the Brenninkmeyer family traded in linen and textiles. However, the actual success story began 200 years later, when the brothers Clemens and August (hence C&A) left their home town in Mettingen, Germany, and opened up a textile warehouse in Sneek, Netherlands in 1841.

The beginning

The first C&A store that opened its doors there in 1861, was a great success. After all, it was one of the first outlets to offer made-up products – i.e. ready-to-wear items of clothing in various sizes – to a broad public. And that at favourable prices. The company grew and, by 1910, succeeded in opening a substantial number of stores in the Netherlands. The further developments were international. Thus in 1911 (Germany) and 1922 (England) the first companies outside the Netherlands were founded. A second wave of followed after the Second World War in a very non-uniform social and economic climate. It began in 1963 with stores in Belgium. In 1972 C&A opened stores in France, 1977 in Switzerland, 1982 in Luxembourg and 1983 in Spain. Austria followed in 1984, Portugal in 1991, the Czech Republic in 1999, Poland in 2001, Hungary in 2002 and Russia in 2005. Turkey, Slovakia and Slovenia followed in 2007 and in Romania as well as in Italy and Croatia C&A started as youngest of the 19 European C&A-countries.

The philosophy

C&A is a company characterised by values that are also important aspects of family life. As a privately owned company, we take a long- term approach to our company objectives and our business relations. We cultivate and maintain lasting relations at all levels, be this with our customers, employees, suppliers or all other parties with whom we work together on a daily basis.

At the same time, however, we are in competition with others. Therefore, on the other hand, it is equally important for us to have a strong presence in the market and to act responsibly in our environment.

Our aim

For us, the customer is always the top priority. We offer the customer good quality fashion products at favourable prices. This applies not just for a couple of bargains, but rather for the entire product range – from trendy through to classic. In this way, we are able to cater for (almost) every taste and fulfil (almost) every wish of our customers. Our dealings are guided by one central theme: We want satisfied customers, employees, suppliers and partners.

Our conduct is based on mutual respect. That is our motto, that is the maxim of our dealings. It has proved itself to be right for more than 160 years.

Our presence in Europe

Today, C&A has 1149 stores + 214 Kids Stores + 11 Clockhouse shops + 17 Women Stores + 2 Shoe shops and over 34,000 employees in Europe. From the invention of pre-manufactured clothing “off the peg”, through to bikini and miniskirt, today C&A still offers the customer the latest fashion in the widest possible selection at a favourable price. And that Europe-wide. So much for the history of C&A. But we are certain that the story will continue ...

[bamber 128]

Actually, I think the "Modes" came later - but, yes, they were Dutch owned. I dated a young lady who lived in Clifton Village whose father was a buyer for C&A - and he was Dutch!

Niewenhuys?

[Limey 242]

Niewenhuys?

You KNOW them? I dated Barbara for a short while! If you know how to contact her, let me know!

[bamber 128]

Well, not exactly. Her brother Gerard sat behind me at school and it's hard to forget a name like Nieuwenhuys.

Gerard started off selling Vauxhalls at Oscrofts in the early 1980s and then joined Frank Sytner. He is now MD of the entire business, Britain's leading distributor of luxury cars.

So if you're sure you want to contact Barbara he is your best bet.

[rob237 89]

Don't go there Eric...could be dangerous

Cheers

Robt P.

[Limey 242]

LOL - you lot!

Nah, I'd like to know what happened to the whole bunch - IIRC they were kinda "stuck up" - and I was not well regarded being a (coal) Mining Engineer. I did come across her parents some years later in East Leake, but they didn't recognise me. I think they were living in East Leake at that time. I believe Gerard was a fair bit younger - and didn't he have some fame because of his driving skills, or something?

Perhaps I'll look him up next time I'm there!

[Marcopolo 0]

Where abouts was the old C&A store located? I cant remember if it was down on Lister Gate nearl Broadmarsh or up on Long Row in the building that's now Primark.

[Jill Sparrow 10,304]

Welcome to Nottstalgia, Marcopolo. Hope you will enjoy the site. The C&A I remember was on Lister Gate but I think it may have been in a different place when I was a child. I remember my moither taking me there to buy clothes.

[FLY2 10,108]

I can only remember it being where H & M is now. My mother frequently dragged me there as a child on Saturday afternoons. 

It used to be so hot and stuffy there, that after a few minutes, I was on the verge of passing out. I still have flashbacks and nightmares about the place. LOL. That's probably why I still have an aversion to clothes shopping with madam. The thing is to know what you want, get in, buy it and leave immediately. However, I must admit to liking H of F for shopping, it's almost relaxing, but I'd never admit it. 

[hippo girl 1,995]

1 hour ago, Marcopolo said:

Where abouts was the old C&A store located? I cant remember if it was down on Lister Gate nearl Broadmarsh or up on Long Row in the building that's now Primark.

 The primark building was littlewoods

[Jill Sparrow 10,304]

If C&A was always situated on Lister Gate, it must have been rebuilt when the Broad Marsh Centre was constructed. I remember the original shop had huge metal-grilled storage type heaters which is probably why FLY had hot flushes and felt faint. The store was not set out as decorously then. I seem to remember there were just long rails of clothes on hangers and people searched through them..

 

Mum bought me a pink and white dress from there around 1967. I'm wearing it on that year's Berridge school photo, with a matching head band, although the photo is in monochrome. Look a real precocious little madam, I do, in my new frock!

 

I was never keen on the later C&A but there was a shop in the Broad Marsh called Copper Knob which had quirky clothes in the late 70s and early 80s. Much more my style then. They did tiny sizes too cos I had an 18 inch waist in those days!  where did that go, then?