The Bike shop was a Woolworths when I was at school.
DaveH48says
Sorry Linda, Woolworths was next door which is now “Blockbuster”
When Woolworths closed it became part of an electrical retail outlet called “Trident” who along with “Comet” were the first to offer discount prices of electrical goods.
I worked for “Trident” from 1980 until 1988 when it was closed after being taken over by “Vision-Hire” who were a TV rental company looking to get into the retail trade. Needless to say they didn’t make a very good job of it and the company failed in early 1990.
I think the bike shop has always been there, albeit under different guises but will do some digging and find out for sure.
Lyndasays
I don’t remember the electrical shop so that must have been in the 80’s when I moved out of Greenwich, but I do remember the tiny jewellery shop and the man who ran it and I am sure it was next door to Woolworths where the tatoo shop was. I remember him convincing me not to get my ears peirced until I was older. I must have been about 7 years old at the time back in 1967. I moved away in 1980 and came back in 1987. As a teenager I went shopping in Woolworths every weekend.
DaveH48says
Hi Linda,
Yes, I knew the people who ran the jewelers shop too, but I promise you that Woolworths was where Blockbuster is today.
Trident moved into it around 78/79 and just before I joined the company in 1980 they had a re-fit and new shop front (Which is as it is now) fitted. The Woolworths store had two entrances with big bowed windows, the old lift was still there and we used it to get to the upper floor where we kept stock of heavy items such as washing machines, fridges and cookers etc. I remember helping to take down the section which was right at the rear of Woolworths where the cashiers sat and also parts of the compressed air powered system that was used to send money to them – I think it was when you used a note, don’t forget a pound went a lot further in those days- was still there.
I’ve asked around and it seems that from the 70’s onwards the bike shop was first a car dealers then went over to bikes after Trident closed in 1988. I know it was a car dealer when trident was there because over a Bank-Holiday weekend somebody broke into the car showroom, knocked a hole through the second floor wall and helped themselves to some Hi-Fi equipment. They loaded it all into one of the cars and drove it out the back entrance. Fortunately they weren’t very bright because they didn’t bother to check the fuel and the car conked out on them about 200 yards down the road.
I can’t find out what it was before that time period (i.e.: car dealers) but I’ll contact somebody I know who had a shop in the road around that time.
Cheers,
Dave.
Lyndasays
Hello Dave
I would really like to know now so I look forward to an update. I do remember the bike shop ‘Pratts’ on the one way system and the bike shop where I used to buy my puncture repair shops on the opposite side to Woolworths. I know it’s cheeky but what are the chances of finding some pictures of the shops for this site and a comparison of then and now?
The Bike shop was a Woolworths when I was at school.
Sorry Linda, Woolworths was next door which is now “Blockbuster”
When Woolworths closed it became part of an electrical retail outlet called “Trident” who along with “Comet” were the first to offer discount prices of electrical goods.
I worked for “Trident” from 1980 until 1988 when it was closed after being taken over by “Vision-Hire” who were a TV rental company looking to get into the retail trade. Needless to say they didn’t make a very good job of it and the company failed in early 1990.
I think the bike shop has always been there, albeit under different guises but will do some digging and find out for sure.
I don’t remember the electrical shop so that must have been in the 80’s when I moved out of Greenwich, but I do remember the tiny jewellery shop and the man who ran it and I am sure it was next door to Woolworths where the tatoo shop was. I remember him convincing me not to get my ears peirced until I was older. I must have been about 7 years old at the time back in 1967. I moved away in 1980 and came back in 1987. As a teenager I went shopping in Woolworths every weekend.
Hi Linda,
Yes, I knew the people who ran the jewelers shop too, but I promise you that Woolworths was where Blockbuster is today.
Trident moved into it around 78/79 and just before I joined the company in 1980 they had a re-fit and new shop front (Which is as it is now) fitted. The Woolworths store had two entrances with big bowed windows, the old lift was still there and we used it to get to the upper floor where we kept stock of heavy items such as washing machines, fridges and cookers etc. I remember helping to take down the section which was right at the rear of Woolworths where the cashiers sat and also parts of the compressed air powered system that was used to send money to them – I think it was when you used a note, don’t forget a pound went a lot further in those days- was still there.
I’ve asked around and it seems that from the 70’s onwards the bike shop was first a car dealers then went over to bikes after Trident closed in 1988. I know it was a car dealer when trident was there because over a Bank-Holiday weekend somebody broke into the car showroom, knocked a hole through the second floor wall and helped themselves to some Hi-Fi equipment. They loaded it all into one of the cars and drove it out the back entrance. Fortunately they weren’t very bright because they didn’t bother to check the fuel and the car conked out on them about 200 yards down the road.
I can’t find out what it was before that time period (i.e.: car dealers) but I’ll contact somebody I know who had a shop in the road around that time.
Cheers,
Dave.
Hello Dave
I would really like to know now so I look forward to an update. I do remember the bike shop ‘Pratts’ on the one way system and the bike shop where I used to buy my puncture repair shops on the opposite side to Woolworths. I know it’s cheeky but what are the chances of finding some pictures of the shops for this site and a comparison of then and now?
Thank you!
Lynda