mick2me 3,033 Posted April 20, 2011 Report Share Posted April 20, 2011 The Griffin and Spalding thread reminded me of Pearson Brothers, and visiting the toy department on the top floor. Can anyone remember the model train lay out they had there? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
EileenH 496 Posted April 21, 2011 Report Share Posted April 21, 2011 The name rings a bell M2M - Pearson`s - was it another posh shop like G&S? If so I prolly never went there. Remind me where it was again - my memory gets worse. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mick2me 3,033 Posted April 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2011 It was opposite the Odeon. It was later NEXT. I have vague memories of there being a fire there? I could be wrong. I would not put it in the Posh Catagory? But it werent Rough neither. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,466 Posted April 21, 2011 Report Share Posted April 21, 2011 I have vague memories of there being a fire there? I could be wrong. Wasn't that sometime in the 80s? I think it was while the building was being restored/renovated. Something like ........ winos or similar had got up onto the roof to sleep for the night and decided to light a fire to keep warm up there. Clever, Ruined all the restoration work which had gone on so far, and I'm not sure if it was ever rebuilt the way it was intended Quote Link to post Share on other sites
.... 23 Posted April 21, 2011 Report Share Posted April 21, 2011 I would not put it in the Posh Catagory? But it werent Rough neither. I'd certainly put it at 'high end' as a retailer, Mick. My memories of Pearsons was that it was a very classy and smart department store. A great shame what happened to it with the fire. Isn't part of it now the car park that is accessible from Upper Parliament St? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,466 Posted April 21, 2011 Report Share Posted April 21, 2011 I'd forgotten about it also being on Parliament Street That was where they had the spectacular WINDOW Quote Link to post Share on other sites
.... 23 Posted April 21, 2011 Report Share Posted April 21, 2011 Spectacular indeed. Like so many beautiful things in Nottingham, disappeared. I think that area now houses something like a benefits office. There's just a narrow car-width entrance into the car park. On a nearby note (and probably for another thread entirely) I see Rob's Record Mart on nearby Hurts Yard is being refurbished. Now THAT'S a job and a half! How will Rob ever find his considerable stock again? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted April 21, 2011 Report Share Posted April 21, 2011 And this is whats there now!! If you look in Cliffs picture you can see the window and 'H' of "Home Ales" on the front of "Fox Inn" (Or Foxys as it is now) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
katyjay 5,091 Posted April 21, 2011 Report Share Posted April 21, 2011 I do remember a record dept in the lower level, and listening booths to hear the record before you bought it. If i remember rightly, going up the various stairs it was all household stuff for sale, then furniture before you came out at the Parliament St level. Don't remember clothing or such, am I right? 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,466 Posted April 21, 2011 Report Share Posted April 21, 2011 I don't remember clothing either, but in those days I didn't pay much attention to clothes (still don't) and my mum would've decided what I was wearing. I remember a record department, but couldn't tell you where it was within the building. I'm talking about the late 70s and I have a vague memory it was "upstairs" somewhere. The one thing which sticks in my mind about the whole place was that it was a rabbit warren of inter-connecting rooms, up a few steps, down a few, an odd corner here and there, small dead-end departments which went nowhere, strange floor levels and roof-lines. It was obviously a lot of individual small buildings which had gradually all been knocked together into a big unit. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
.... 23 Posted April 21, 2011 Report Share Posted April 21, 2011 I can confirm there was definitely a record department in Pearsons, folks. I remember going in there. My big sis worked in it's counterpart in Griffin & Spalding incidentally. Used to love those listening booths when I was a kid! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mick2me 3,033 Posted April 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 21, 2011 Nice 'Then and Now' Beef & Cliff... THX And I had also forgotton that Window. More Nottingham destroyed by the 1970's Vandal Architects! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dgbrit 258 Posted April 22, 2011 Report Share Posted April 22, 2011 I worked there after i left school Trainee Draftsman in the heating installation but the manager was abusive used to beat me up if i did sh1t wrong Wednesday was my best day had the run of the store ( Half day closing ) Scalectric & the trains & the music room LOL I remember the message tubes where you put stuff in & the tube would send it to the office, I thought they we brilliant Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ashley 288 Posted April 22, 2011 Report Share Posted April 22, 2011 Re the listening booths, Redifusion across the road from Pearsons had those in a downstairs basement record department, used to go there as a teenager after paying the TV rental upstairs most saturdays, remember first record I ever bought, it was from there and was Cathy's Clown by The Everley Bros. recall it had serial no. WB 000001 or something like that being first Warner Brothers release, recently wondered as 000001 if worth anything but more or less still same as paid for all those years ago, unlike the first fender strat now owned by Dave Gilmour said to be worth "millions" and "not for sale" there only one strat with 0000001 (or whatever) on it! Going back to those listening booths, it's no wonder they died a death? I mean what was their purpose? Did you ever go in a shop ask for a unheard record listen to it then say no don't like it and not buy! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beefsteak 305 Posted April 22, 2011 Report Share Posted April 22, 2011 I bought "The Bitterest Pill" and "Beat Surrender" by "The Jam" unheard in 1982 . They were both purchased from "Selectadisc" on Bridlesmith Gate whilst I was making my weekly delivery to "The Hippo" club. The guy behind the counter had to open up the delivery box for me both times so I like to think I bought the first copies in the country (Highly unlikly I know!!) Me and my mate at the time were big fans (He was actually in their fan club) and we got to hear about the releases long before they came out . Most of their stuff was already on Albums ("All Mod Cons"," The Gift", etc) but these final two releases were put out with no airplay or pre release hype,(only fan club members new about them !!) making it to number 2 and number 1 respectively. I vividly remember Vince and I sitting in our office at work trying to guess how it would 'go'!! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cliff Ton 10,466 Posted April 22, 2011 Report Share Posted April 22, 2011 And another thing I've just remembered about Pearsons.......if you went in to the place from Long Row, you entered by going round several of those big full-height display windows which were like giant fish tanks. Floor-to-ceiling glass with all kinds of items on display, a bit like going round a glass maze, with junctions where you could go one way or the other. You don't see features like that on shops today. There was also a similar large display window/fish tank which you walked around, from the street, on the early C&A on Lister Gate. And a smaller version of the same theme at the Beecroft's toy shop when they were on Pelham Street. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
dgbrit 258 Posted April 23, 2011 Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 Wimoway & Big bad John the first records i bought I only worked there about 3 months & the cops showed up & arrested everyone for nicking stuff So now im top man without a clue of what i was supposed to do so i quit , Bored stiff i had figured out if i had a piece of paper in my hand i could just walk around the store all day & chat up the girls Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mick2me 3,033 Posted April 23, 2011 Author Report Share Posted April 23, 2011 10/10 for initiative. You should have taken a stroll up to Co-op House and worked with me, Quote Link to post Share on other sites
OLDACE 196 Posted April 24, 2011 Report Share Posted April 24, 2011 In 1965 I worked on the Pearson's extension that took the store through to Upper Parliament Street. This was when the big window was installed. I remember hand screwing 8" galvanised pipe for the dry risers, it took about 30 minutes to put a thread on.I also remember going into the shop from the extension,clambering through a hole in the wall into a maze of little departments and staircases. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
edthefolkie 7 Posted June 30, 2011 Report Share Posted June 30, 2011 Mick2me, who started the thread, mentioned a model railway layout at Pearson's, which I do remember. Think it was narrow gauge (Eggerbahn), may be wrong, it's a long time ago. Everything about Pearson's model department in the 1960s was thanks to a gent called Mike Skidmore. He was a dab hand at railway modelling and particularly painting and lining locos. In fact I bought one off him once - a Hornby Dublo Duchess. It's still around somewhere but God knows where, and it's in bits anyway. Mike's lair was all too tempting as I worked across the road at Barclays and hadn't discovered expensive girls and unreliable cars. I think Mike went off to Millholme Models, Woodborough in the late 60s or early 70s. They had a fantastic model railway but unfortunately not enough customers! Pearsons also had a GOOD record department (as mentioned by others), I've still got a couple of vinyl albums from there (32/6d each or similar). Island, original pink label. What a sad person I am. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
danny333 7 Posted July 6, 2011 Report Share Posted July 6, 2011 We bought an Ironing Board at Pearsons in around 1966 , and it is still going strong, it is built like a Battleship and must have cost an arm and a leg then but it has lasted.. Do you remember the very ancient escaltor at Griffins it was made with wooden Slats and was only one person or so wide.My sisterOlive trained at Griffins as a seamstress before the second world war but we lived at Bulwell so mother thought Olive should work nearer home when the war broke our. She got a job at the Co-Op on Logan Street and Mr Toone was the manager. The staff took turns at Firewatching at the factory next door , which was a Sweet factory Whiteheads. Olive would bring home next morning a bag of sweets provided by the nightwatchman Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BulwellBrian 107 Posted July 8, 2011 Report Share Posted July 8, 2011 Were there two shops, Pearson Bros opposite the Odeon and Pearson & Pearson on the same side as the Odeon? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mick2me 3,033 Posted January 25, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 25, 2013 At the former entrance to Pearson Brother the last remaining evidence of their existance can still be seen. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nottinghamite 8 Posted January 25, 2013 Report Share Posted January 25, 2013 My aunt who lived at Bishops Stortford used to visit quite often and always used to take me into town and Pearsons was always on the list of shops visited along with Toby's and Griffins, Pearsons and Tobys were quaint shops. As a nipper I always liked to see the large Toby Jug that was over the entrance of Tobys. I suppose the nearest we have to those is Debenhams. Dennis Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jackson 301 Posted January 25, 2013 Report Share Posted January 25, 2013 Very much missed in Nottingham's City Centre are Quality Class shops, such as: Toby's, Pearson Bros, Waring and Gillow, Farmer's - all were lovely to browse around............ and giving that 'extra little bit of something' within their service. It's a truism that we have to move with the times but I wouldn't be surprised if shops similar to those I mention, make a welcome return to the High Street one day. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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