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Houghton has a le-Spring in its step – the changing fortunes of the North East’s ex-Woolies sites

Graham Soult March 03, 2011 Property, Woolworths 5 Comments

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Former Woolworths, Newton Aycliffe (1 Mar 2011). Photograph by Graham Soult

Former Woolworths, Newton Aycliffe (1 Mar 2011)

With a dwindling number of empty Woolworths stores remaining in the North East, it doesn’t take too long to check out whether anything’s happening on the ground.

I … Continue Reading

Crook’s long-lost Woolies

Graham Soult December 10, 2010 Market Towns, Property, Retail History, Woolworths 3 Comments

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Former Woolworths (now Boots), Crook (6 Nov 2010). Photograph by Graham Soult

Former Woolworths (now Boots), Crook (6 Nov 2010)

Imagine a small town whose Woolworths opened in the 1930s, closed in the 1970s, and is now occupied by Boots.

A town where, even all those years later, the building is instantly recognisable as a former Woolies.

A place where, in 2010, discount retailer The Original Factory Shop has to some extent assumed Woolies’ place as a variety store at the heart … Continue Reading

The ghosts of Washington’s former Woolworths

Graham Soult June 22, 2010 Retail History, Woolworths 5 Comments

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Former Woolworths (now Heron Foods), New Washington (Concord) (17 Jun 2010). Photograph by Graham Soult

Former Woolworths (now Heron Foods), New Washington (Concord) (17 Jun 2010)

Back in February, I blogged about the former Woolworths store in Sunderland’s Fawcett Street, which closed in 2004 following its acquisition by Primark.

At the time, I noted the curious lack of Woolies stores left on Wearside … Continue Reading

Former Woolworths in Seaham – one store, two stories

Graham Soult June 02, 2010 Fashion Stores, Property, Woolworths 7 Comments

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Former Woolworths, Seaham (2 April 2010). Photograph by Graham Soult

Former Woolworths, Seaham (2 April 2010)

Recent comments on this blog about the former Woolworths in Church Street, Seaham have given me the nudge that I required, having taken some photos of the store back in April but not yet got round to writing about it.

Just like the … Continue Reading

Logging the North East’s long-closed former Woolies

Graham Soult May 31, 2010 Retail History, Woolworths 6 Comments

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Former Linthorpe Road Woolworths, Middlesbrough. Photograph by Graham Soult

Former Linthorpe Road Woolworths, Middlesbrough

Last week’s blog post about the long-closed former Woolworths in Benwell seems to have opened the floodgates to lots of comments and insights about other nearly-forgotten Woolies in the North East – many thanks indeed for all your contributions!

While Seamaster … Continue Reading

Lost in (Ethel) Austin?

Graham Soult February 05, 2010 Fashion Stores, Property 2 Comments

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Ethel Austin, Bishop Auckland. Photograph by Graham Soult

Ethel Austin, Bishop Auckland

Reports that value fashion retailer Ethel Austin and its sister homewares business, Au Naturale, are poised to enter administration – less than two years after both chains were rescued from previous administrations - is sad and disappointing news, as well as being quite surprising in its timing. 

True, there has been talk of an impending refinancing deal for … Continue Reading