Toby's store & Friar Lane


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When we were walking up to the Bell the other week, Mick mentioned Toby's - which brought back very strong memories.

How many of us, as young boys or girls, went there to buy a knick-knack for our mums for Christmas? I vaguely remember buying Disney figures there, and much later (when I could afford it), a "Toby" jug! However, I also remember walking away on many occasions somewhat despondent because of their prices!

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I am 73 yrs old and I started work at Toby's age 15 on may 9th 1957 I knew Joan Peck very well although she started a lot later than me .I worked there till June 1965 when I left to have my first b

Gee Hi Limey, I found a romantic little history of Tobys in a Civic Soc. book, a plumber bloke called Hartley had a bathware shop top of Friar lane, married a girl called Florence who'd been a manager

John Jeffcoate Ross Sergeant was a partner in my accountancy firm of Hubbart Durose and Pain and I always understood that he was related to the pharmacist. We occupied premises to the rear of the Coun

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I've spent ten minutes scouring this picture for a piece of evidence that Tobys was here but I can't see 'owt

5556259816_bc04245e72_b.jpg

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I knew that Den, I meant I was trying to find something left behind to show they were there !

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  • 1 month later...

I have placed a post in the general chat section about Toby's, maybe I have placed it in the wrong section. I do remember Toby's well, still have some wine glasses that were bought from there in the 1950's. When did the shop open, and when did it close? This shop was a sad loss when it finally closed its doors. The quality of its goods was always top drawer, however, they did have sales of seconds when bargains could be found. Any other memories of this Nottingham store.

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  • 2 months later...

I worked at Boots QA Labs (D10) at the Beeston site between 1968-72 and sometimes used to work Saturday mornings as overtime.

The bus that Boots laid on for Saturday morning workers used to pick up outside Toby's at about 07:30 arriving Beeston works at 08:00.

I well remember waiting one Saturday morning in the freezing cold with my good friend Paul Seaman smoking and talking about football and girls

We'd jump on the bus (I think one man buses were just coming in) run up the stairs and light up.

Paul used to do an excellent impression of Eric Morecambe and was a big Forest fan. I was (and still am) a County fan so we used to have some lively exchanges.

I think Paul may still work at Boots.

There was a bloke in the labs at Boots called Mr Pegg who managed 50 years. I never gave it much thought at the time but that means he joined them in 1918! He must have had some fantastic tales to tell but I was crazy 18 year old back then who just wanted to smoke and talk about football and girls.

Doesn't life teach you a lot?

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  • 7 months later...

Even though everyone of a certain age remembers the place, there don't seem to be any photos of it when it existed. Must be the most non-photographed building in Nottingham.

I found this which isn't great, but it's the closest I've seen of Tobys when it was still there.

tobys.jpg

And you also get the partly-built ugly 1960s concrete block (still an Aussie bar?) on the other side of the road; and that cafe on the corner has been mentioned here before

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My dads older brother, my uncle, was a graphic artist at Toby's for most of his working life, he had a major stroke in his early 60's then passed a little later.

He was responsible for all the display artwork and signage around the store.

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Post No 13 shows a number of vehicles on the road. I can see a Morris Traveller, a Commer commercial, an Austin Cambridge and is that a Ford popular or is it an Anglia?

To keep on topic - yes I also remember Toby's. My mother used to take us kids in for a look around every so often. Could never afford to buy owt though.

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I was always afraid of knocking something over in the glassware area.

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