Poe Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 Magnet southerns. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold big jim Posted March 17, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 17, 2012 The original flatpack merchants. Made For Idiots!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium John M Upton Posted March 17, 2012 RMweb Premium Share Posted March 17, 2012 Jewson have been around a long time, although thought more of as a trade supplier, they were advertising on the TV in the 1980's. I also remember FADS and (I stand to be corrected on this one) a general purpose everything from furniture to boxes of nails shop chain called 'House of Holland' who no one else seems to remember!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave777 Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 I wouldn't go too much on the architectual style, it's going to vary hugely from location to location. The Texas near where we lived was in an industrial park (note - not a retail park) and had a tiny front entrance. It was just a long building with a flat roof, nothing distinctive. My main memory of it was that it was open on a Sunday when nothing else was. Seems incredible to think of it now, but this meant you could obtain chocolate from the selection by the till, when everywhere else was shut and petrol garages just sold petrol, oil and fan belts. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dseagull Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 My main memory of it was that it was open on a Sunday when nothing else was. Seems incredible to think of it now, but this meant you could obtain chocolate from the selection by the till, when everywhere else was shut and petrol garages just sold petrol, oil and fan belts. Similarly, I have vauge memories of B&Q doing a 'buy a carrot, get a free kitchen' promotion to get around Sunday trading laws in the late 80's Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 I also remember FADS and (I stand to be corrected on this one) a general purpose everything from furniture to boxes of nails shop chain called 'House of Holland' who no one else seems to remember!! There was one in Manor Park (East London) that used to be Woolworths before that (towards the beginning of Woolies long, terminal decline). Just a bit nearer to Ilford Magnet Southerns bought up an old brewery (Ind Coope?) distribution depot. This was extensively rebuilt later but never opened under their name again as they went bust! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tase Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 There was one in Manor Park (East London) that used to be Woolworths before that (towards the beginning of Woolies long, terminal decline). Just a bit nearer to Ilford Magnet Southerns bought up an old brewery (Ind Coope?) distribution depot. This was extensively rebuilt later but never opened under their name again as they went bust! There was also a House of Holland in Walthamstow High St. (East London) It was there for years until its demise.....gotta be talking 30 years ago now!! T Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ydna Posted March 17, 2012 Author Share Posted March 17, 2012 Jewson have been around a long time, although thought more of as a trade supplier, they were advertising on the TV in the 1980's. I also remember FADS and (I stand to be corrected on this one) a general purpose everything from furniture to boxes of nails shop chain called 'House of Holland' who no one else seems to remember!! I was thinking of doing Jewsons, although am I right in saying that their logo has been the same for a long time? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kenton Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 Weren't Travis Perkins around in the 80's or did they start up in the 90's. More of a "Builders Merchants" but then so were Wickes originally. Also don't forget Habitat or is that too posh? ... and don't forget that favourite of modellers ... Ikea ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ydna Posted March 17, 2012 Author Share Posted March 17, 2012 Weren't Travis Perkins around in the 80's or did they start up in the 90's. More of a "Builders Merchants" but then so were Wickes originally. Also don't forget Habitat or is that too posh? ... and don't forget that favourite of modellers ... Ikea ! Thanks for the comment. Yes, I'd forgotten about Habitat. Just a tad on the posh side, but its still possible. Travis Perkins would actually be perfect because my layout is late-80s to mid-90s and TP were founded in '88. The Travis Perkins logo is also a circle symbol which would add interest I suppose. Thanks again, Andy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
briantwigley Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 What about Keyline? Sort of a DIY store.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poe Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 Allied Carpets. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poe Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 Hey dont forget woolworths, that was a home improvement store! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold big jim Posted March 17, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 17, 2012 there is an industrial estate between cradley heath and old hill, one of the buildings on there looks very much like an old texas diy building, the colours certainly do anyway, blue and red. i think fads were based in holmes chapel, the buildings were next to the station, they were certainly there back in 2001 when i first worked trais past there Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave777 Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 Another one that occurs to me was 'Queensway' (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queensway_(retailer) ). They stick in the mind because they just had a perpetual sale on - they seemed to go through the year starting with a New Year Sale, then through Spring Sale, Easter Sale, Summer Sale, Autumn Sale, Winter Sale, Christmas Sale... before starting it all off again the following year. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dorset Wanderer Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 There was also a House of Holland in Walthamstow High St. (East London) It was there for years until its demise.....gotta be talking 30 years ago now!! T One on North Circular near Hanger Lane- bought a kitchen there. Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold D9020 Nimbus Posted March 18, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 18, 2012 Also Timberland, owned by Comet and with a taste for exaggerated staff titles—the local branch had a General Manager, Deputy General Manager, Warehouse Manager and two Senior Sales Supervisors—and that was the entire staff! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ess1uk Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 this thread is similar http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/49307-shops-of-the-period/page__fromsearch__1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
birdseyecircus Posted March 18, 2012 Share Posted March 18, 2012 In Hull we had an 'International DIY'. This closed down and moved down the street to an old carshow room to become 'Inspector prices' (!) and later 'Choice DIY' Paul Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted March 19, 2012 Share Posted March 19, 2012 Another one that occurs to me was 'Queensway' (http://en.wikipedia....nsway_(retailer) ). They stick in the mind because they just had a perpetual sale on - they seemed to go through the year starting with a New Year Sale, then through Spring Sale, Easter Sale, Summer Sale, Autumn Sale, Winter Sale, Christmas Sale... before starting it all off again the following year. Same goes for Allied Carpets. I can't ever remember a time when they didn't have a sale on...... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ess1uk Posted April 14, 2012 Share Posted April 14, 2012 There is still a store in Telford that still has a Do It All paint job and bits of the branding showing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold chris p bacon Posted April 14, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 14, 2012 MFI was one of the biggest around that time and had stores everywhere. They started in the 1960s grew into maybe the largest player but ceased trading a few years ago. The brand has recently been relaunched as an online trader. If you look up them and the other home improvement stores on Wikipedia you'll find their logos. Another large one was Magnet - which might have been trading as Magnet & Southern at that time. MFI split some of its kitchens off into Howdens somewhere around the early 90's, aimed at trade only they still trade, I have 3 within 10 miles. Travis perkins appeared early 90's, locally they purchased Ellis & Everards and Keyline, they also know own Wickes, PTS + others. Can't think when Plumb Centre, Build Centre etc (Wolseley group) started ? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Poe Posted April 15, 2012 Share Posted April 15, 2012 MFI? manufacturers of flimsy items... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold chris p bacon Posted April 15, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 15, 2012 MFI? manufacturers of flimsy items... Depended on how good you were at putting them together. In my experience of putting flatpacks together nothing beats Ikea for sheer c**p, after about the 10th piece of furniture I stopped accepting the orders. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon_R Posted April 16, 2012 Share Posted April 16, 2012 What about Halfords? Not really DIY but nationwide in a variety of sized stores and location and they would certainly have been trading widely in the 80's They used to have a small branch on Market square in central nottingham. I used to work for Texas when I was a college. Most of the stores where either pent or flat roof sheds, with the odd one being a refurbished warehouse or supermarket. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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