The Hidden Glasgow Forums

I loved Lewiss not only the wonderful window displays, did you know their window dressers were sent to NY for training ,I used to dream of being one when I left school, my first impression of Lewiss s was the smell, there was always that kind of weird smell of the many cheeses it sold as you walked in then you got a waft of the bread freshly baked from the back of the floor.. then the very old escalator , brown with heavy metal strips, slow compared to todays. and the big enormous tills.. what were they all about.. and the lassies who worked there aw dressed the same.. I was at a night time Xmas event around 1987 when they had all the staff done up in fairytale costumes, and some footballers were signing photos for charity. who minds the horses in the weans barbers part of the shop.. think it was down in the basement.. oh I miss Lewis s nothing to compare, Goldbergs was my next favourite shop.... both brilliant at Xmas.. with lovely trees and lights.. waiting for Santi, what a treat..

calamity wrote:I loved Lewiss not only the wonderful window displays, did you know their window dressers were sent to NY for training ,I used to dream of being one when I left school, my first impression of Lewiss s was the smell, there was always that kind of weird smell of the many cheeses it sold as you walked in then you got a waft of the bread freshly baked from the back of the floor.. then the very old escalator , brown with heavy metal strips, slow compared to todays. and the big enormous tills.. what were they all about.. and the lassies who worked there aw dressed the same.. I was at a night time Xmas event around 1987 when they had all the staff done up in fairytale costumes, and some footballers were signing photos for charity. who minds the horses in the weans barbers part of the shop.. think it was down in the basement.. oh I miss Lewis s nothing to compare, Goldbergs was my next favourite shop.... both brilliant at Xmas.. with lovely trees and lights.. waiting for Santi, what a treat..

The loss of Lewis's was a real blow to Glasgow. You could literally get everything you needed under one roof.

I detest Frasers, from the layout, the naff snobbiness and the sullen unhelpful staff. Hideous experience even walking through the door.

Fat Cat wrote:I remember shopping in Wryggs (?sp) that was inside Goldbergs. My sister had a Style card

Is she still paying it off.

hazy wrote:

Fat Cat wrote:I remember shopping in Wryggs (?sp) that was inside Goldbergs. My sister had a Style card

Is she still paying it off.

At 33% interest, probably

What about the interest rate on the old provie ? I thought in my blurred childhood reminiscences that it was some kind of charity like seaside holidays in Dunoon courtesy of the Co-op
Ps I take it there is a thread on the fun charity hols in Dunoon?

I worked weekends in Arnotts (was it still called Simpson's as well then?) in Sauchiehall Street when I was at Uni and Sir Hugh Fraser (whoooooooooo) came down the escalators and waved over to me - the mere minion - on the lingerie counter

when I say lingerie we're talking large beige girdles and large industrial cream bras

Frasers wiz fur snobs, ah did go in it but wiz scared to ask for anything with the toffy nosed bints on the makeup counters, but I did used to sneak in to get a scoot of Chanel no 5 on my way to the dancing.

ma pet hate was the warehouses like Fishers, Gordons and Stirlings, they treated your like trash because it was pay up place ah mind it well. waiting big queues for shoes and then they would show you two pairs to choose from.. hated it.

calamity wrote:Frasers wiz fur snobs, ah did go in it but wiz scared to ask for anything with the toffy nosed bints on the makeup counters

My, how things have changed.

Bridie wrote:What about the interest rate on the old provie ? I thought in my blurred childhood reminiscences that it was some kind of charity ::): ::): like seaside holidays in Dunoon courtesy of the Co-op
Ps I take it there is a thread on the fun charity hols in Dunoon?

On Glasgow Guide there is.

Bridie wrote:.................when I say lingerie we're talking large beige girdles and large industrial cream bras

Mention that the next time you see him. Hes always goes on about his back

Fossil

Frasers has aspirations towards a mini Harrods but falls down on the quality of service.Fayed keeps a good shop.Apart from the shrine.

To have an account and shop in R.W. Forsyth at the corner of Gordon and Union Street - now that was class!
I used to go to their January sales. Great bargains. Lewis's January sale downstairs was like a super jumble sale.
But you could get bargains.We dont seem to have these anymore. I was one of the "nutters" who stood outside Forsyths at 7.00am - I was 6th in the queue- to buy a gents suit one late December about 40 years ago.I can
still feel the cold now!!I had a interview for a new job in January and needed a "posh" suit.Got a suit and the job so it worked!!! Carswells was another good shop for mens clothes in the January sales.I always found Rowans in Buchanan Street a tad too expensive but who recalls the gents coffee place in it. It was always full of "office" gent types supposidly working at goodness knows what.Then Frasers had a lunch place where models used to show off dresses to the "ladies who lunched". Had a girl friend at uni who used to do a couple of these lunch time fashion shows between classes at uni.She got some sort of discount which seemed to benefit most of the girls in her year at uni!

grace brothers anyone.

moonbeam wrote:To have an account and shop in R.W. Forsyth at the corner of Gordon and Union Street - now that was class!
....................

Gordon Street and Renfield Street surely.