Lewis's Department Store

Bunkers, shelters and other buildings
Mcmanus66
Posts: 2
Joined: Mon 22 Dec, 2014 10:33 am

Re: Lewis's Department Store

Post by Mcmanus66 »

My Grandad Walter Gledhill work as a commissionaire for years, I remember going to the barbers in Lewis's with him then onto the restaurant for a massive knickerbocker glory happy days :). When the commissionaire's were disbanded he went on to be the night watchman. I still have my photo's from santas grotto which we went to every year without fail.
Cut me in half & it says Leeds through & through

electricaldave
Posts: 266
Joined: Thu 29 Nov, 2007 2:29 pm

Re: Lewis's Department Store

Post by electricaldave »

Oh Gosh, I remember the rainy days and rushing over the Headrow to get shelter - I had completely forgotten about that canopy - we used to work out a route from the Merrion Centre down to the bus station that would keep us as dry as possible, but usully got soaked trying to cross Briggate and Vicar lane

j.c.d.
Posts: 571
Joined: Mon 27 Jan, 2014 4:54 pm

Re: Lewis's Department Store

Post by j.c.d. »

Have just discovered this most interesting set of memories, have not had time to read them all so someone else may have similar memories, after the war when the lights ban was lifted Lewis's had the best window dressers and each large window down the Headrow had a display, at one time they had a couple in bed in one window (very risqué in those times, am sure they would have been married) at Christmas time they put on fantastic Xmas themed displays and my Mother used to take us down every year. there would be dozens of folks walking up and down looking in the windows. In leeds lots of shops used to do window displays but Lewis's used to always win the chamber of commerce prize.
Someone mentioned the food hall downstairs, that was at the Woodhouse Lane entrance and to a lad (me) always hungry due to rationing the smell of cooked meats etc. was mouth watering.
about 1950 I was working in King Edward St. and used to spend every lunchtime walking around the store and listening to thee sales patter of some of the display salesmen, marvelling at the "1001" demonstrator who used to have a manky old bit of carpet and bring it back to life with his bottle, "Only 1/6d.
Don't remember buying much as I never had any money, maybe a Rael Brook shirt in the sales.
Happy Days.

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Leodian
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Joined: Thu 10 Jun, 2010 8:03 am

Re: Lewis's Department Store

Post by Leodian »

Ah yes, 'Rael-Brook Toplin, the shirt you don't iron' :P. For a bit of nostalgia this is a link to a Rael-Brook Toplin video on YouTube:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HUGeDrJB3U.
A rainbow is a ribbon that Nature puts on when she washes her hair.

j.c.d.
Posts: 571
Joined: Mon 27 Jan, 2014 4:54 pm

Re: Lewis's Department Store

Post by j.c.d. »

Leodian wrote:Ah yes, 'Rael-Brook Toplin, the shirt you don't iron' :P. For a bit of nostalgia this is a link to a Rael-Brook Toplin video on YouTube:- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HUGeDrJB3U.

I could only afford the R.B. shirt when Lewis's had seconds that was about the time I bought a "Frankie Laine Sharkskin" shirt from CLASS in Lower Briggate and each time my Mother washed it the buttons and the buttonholes were in different places.

BLAKEY
Posts: 2556
Joined: Mon 24 Mar, 2008 4:42 am

Re: Lewis's Department Store

Post by BLAKEY »

On the subject of "non iron" shirts, just across the road from Lewiss's, next to the Odeon, was Harrington Shirts - a little narrow shop with a wonderful selection of boxed shirts in the window and even more inside. I bought shirts there for years, very inexpensive too they were and good quality. Believe me I'm not kdding when I say that I still have four of them and, yes, they are still very convincingly "non iron" and smart - and definitely bought sometime in the 1960s.
There's nothing like keeping the past alive - it makes us relieved to reflect that any bad times have gone, and happy to relive all the joyful and fascinating experiences of our own and other folks' earlier days.

Hunsletlass
Posts: 8
Joined: Sat 23 Aug, 2014 9:05 am

Re: Lewis's Department Store

Post by Hunsletlass »

Very good topic this. I have lovely memories of queueing to see Santa with my mum and brother in Lewis's, up the beautiful staircase. We used to make a special trip into town to see the Christmas window displays too. That was probably about 1962-4 i would hink.

j.c.d.
Posts: 571
Joined: Mon 27 Jan, 2014 4:54 pm

Re: Lewis's Department Store

Post by j.c.d. »

One Christmas eve lunchtime we were fuddling in the Three Legs and I remembered I needed some perfume for our lass and crossed over to Lewis's. it was packed with shoppers and with about six pints of Tetleys mild inside me it was not long before I went looking for the toilets. I remembered that I had seen some on the staircases at the end of the store. finally found one, did not notice the W in brackets and burst in. I was met by an old Asian lady who said something to the effecf "This is for Ladies only" I resisted the old chestnut reply "So is this " I dived into a cubicle and when I came out pushed some coins on to the plate and escaped. felt sure that some security guy would stop me and I would spend Christmas in the Bridewell. fortunately I got the Smellies and got the bus home to Beeston.

j.c.d.
Posts: 571
Joined: Mon 27 Jan, 2014 4:54 pm

Re: Lewis's Department Store

Post by j.c.d. »

BLAKEY wrote:On the subject of "non iron" shirts, just across the road from Lewiss's, next to the Odeon, was Harrington Shirts - a little narrow shop with a wonderful selection of boxed shirts in the window and even more inside. I bought shirts there for years, very inexpensive too they were and good quality. Believe me I'm not kdding when I say that I still have four of them and, yes, they are still very convincingly "non iron" and smart - and definitely bought sometime in the 1960s.

In the late 50s and 60s I used to buy my shirts from a tiny shop opposite the Scala Cinema. those were the days when you would never go out without a clean pressed shirt and tie, even at lunchtimes. the name of the shop escapes me but the window was very tiny and you had to go up a spiral staircase to get into the shop.

MrH
Posts: 4
Joined: Tue 04 Aug, 2015 9:33 am

Re: Lewis's Department Store Model Airport Display

Post by MrH »

As a child of the 70's I remember Lewis's Toy Department with great affection like most. There was one particular visiting display that I remember late 70's or early 80's which was a model airport. I seem to remember the guy who's display it was had been an Airline Pilot and his lovely assistant (his Wife, not Debbie McGee) had been an Air Stewardess. The whole thing seemed large to a child my size at the time. The model aircraft slid down wires to land on the runway whilst the guy did the Air Traffic Controllers voice via microphone. There were moving vehilcles and the whole thing was really impressive. I visited it twice with my Parents (must have been there for a few days) and we bought a postcard iamge of the layout which I have long since misplaced. Does anyone remember or know more about this?

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