Anyone remember Blanchards dept store, infirmary road

[spada573]

What year did they close think it was sometime in the late 60's?

 

Hello there DY.

Yes i remember you though i seem to remember you as being a couple of years older than me. I was in the same school year as Eric Bennett and Neville Wright, I think you will remember them. Lots of memories of the area and the people. The yards and back to backs. The cut through fron Arthur Street to Cross Addy Street and all the other shortcuts through peoples back yards. Throw some names into the pot and i will see if i remember them.

[docmel]

Not much I can add - spada describes the place spot on, but just wanted to mention the other shops down on that stretch of Infirmary Road. (talking mid to late 60's)

 

Walking up Infirmary Road towards Hillsborough - there was a brilliant 'Swap Shop' where you could spend hours (at least it seemed that way) looking at all the stuff in the window. - I got my first 'proper' bike from there.

I am sure there was a co-op.

There was a garage...and then Langsett cycles which took up two or three shop fronts.

 

There were other shops and then another branch of Langsett Cycles, but I am sure they sold just toys etc.....or is my memory playing tricks?

 

That was about as far as a young kid dared wander on his own - on the opposite of the road (pre Kelvin flats) was all terraced houses and one or two little shops I think, but cannot remember details..except that was where I saw my first Chinese take away

[spada573]

Not much I can add - spada describes the place spot on, but just wanted to mention the other shops down on that stretch of Infirmary Road. (talking mid to late 60's)

 

Walking up Infirmary Road towards Hillsborough - there was a brilliant 'Swap Shop' where you could spend hours (at least it seemed that way) looking at all the stuff in the window. - I got my first 'proper' bike from there.

I am sure there was a co-op.

There was a garage...and then Langsett cycles which took up two or three shop fronts.

 

There were other shops and then another branch of Langsett Cycles, but I am sure they sold just toys etc.....or is my memory playing tricks?

 

That was about as far as a young kid dared wander on his own - on the opposite of the road (pre Kelvin flats) was all terraced houses and one or two little shops I think, but cannot remember details..except that was where I saw my first Chinese take away

 

Hiya Mark. The Swap shop was owned by a friend of my fathers and for the life of me i cannot remember his name. All i can remember was that he live at Nether Edge. Got my first air rifle from him. The Chinese was called The Coronation after the cafe that used to be there and i think he had something to do with the garage at the bottom of Gilpin Street. I always knew him as Nobby after his reply after every order, nobelong.

[1942mick]

Hi I used to be caretaker/driver at Blanchards and lived in there house on Cross Bedford St. I think that was about 1966. The alarm went of many times but whilst we were there the police never caught anyone even though they used to send a dog and handler through the premmises before sending other policemen to look for the intruder !

The alarm went off a couple of times on bank holidays in the daytime and the police said it was due to the vibration from heavy goods vehicles on Infirmary Road.

[jaffa1]

I am sure, Blanchards was at the juntion of Albert Terrace Rd not Bedford St.

It is still a furniture shop now.

 

You're right bazjea , the picture on picturesheffield is showing Langton's shoe

shop at the top of Bedford Street and not Blanchards.

Langton's, that's where we got our new Whitsontide shoes from.

As you said Blanchards was the building that still stands where Mr Slater

occupies now and again. It's still open and if you look down the side of the

building on Albert Terrace Road I believe it says Blanchard in the stone work.

[bullerboY]

im certain Blanchards store was on Hillsbro bridge before Wigfalls had their shop at the same spot,perhaps in the 40s.

[bullerboY]

Mr, A.J.Blanchard lived at Dial House before it became the club.

[kay1]

I remember in the 60s they had a competition were you had to spot the spot hidden somewhere in the window I "spotted" it and won 3 Pyrex basins [still got one still in use] first time I had ever won anything in my life couldn't believe my luck when I found that little yellow spot

[Iwasthere1]

can anyone remember the Dept store blanchards on infirmary road, my dad used to be a van driver for them.

 

I remember Blanchards well. When kids Mum's got their 'Provident' Cheques (like a loan where they could pay off a sum each week from a guy who would call at your house) I could go and buy something from there either for school or occasionally for leisure like Levi and wrangler jeans - They didn't stock proper Ben Sherman shirts but you could make do with a 'Brutus" copy. Apparently these cheques were only used in limited stores and Blanchards was one (also remember you could use them in 'Wigfalls' an electrical shop, who had many outlets in the City). Walking up Infirmary Road in the late 60's early 70's I remember there was a small tobaccanist who used to amaze us with the collection of different brand of cigs he had in stock - and we would pick a different brand every time we went in there? And sometimes we didn't pay as the old man hadn't a clue what was going on? Shameful I know! now cigarette smokers from that time, Does anyone remember Cambridge fags? They were the ones with green shield stamps inside? Also talking of dividend stamps? There was a co-op store on Infirmary road which at one time was called Gower & Burgowns who of course would give you co-op dividend stamps when you shopped there .... There was a pub called 'The General Gordon' just off Infirmary road and as very young males and obviously unable to get in the 'George' the old man that run the General Gordon would let you in and inside you would find the most amazing juke box in the area - it was completely lacking any music from the last 3 or 4 years (obviously no-one had maintained it with new music) and had records you couldn't hear anywhere else? Does anyone remember the bingo Hall up near the Sally Army place? it was the sit-down, Blackpool/Skeegy type bingo style and where a line either up/down or across would win you a 'Win' - This bingo was the first I ever saw where you could gain groceries/cigs with your win vouchers - Also for a time we noticed there was a lady caller who would not correctly check the numbers when someone had called house so on the four number of a line we would call 'Bingo' and would wipe away the opposition virtually every other game - You would go in with ten bob (10 goes) and win maybe 4 or 5 vouchers and exchange them for a fiver's worth of items (Mum's were proud as they thought you had genuinely won them a few tea's without the fiddle going on) Sorry, i'm sounding like we were a right bunch (Which we were) but it was survival and you had to do things to get by in those days .... Also up infirmary Road was a bookies called 'Bagnell & Tim' It was well known for lots of disputes with punters cheesed off that their genuine winning bets had somehow been snookered by Mr Bagnell or Mr Tim (although old fella's they could pack a punch when it spilled outside)

[mh01]

loved that shop as a kid, that & was it redgates near t'moor?