History of Woolworths (The Moor)

[begood]

Yes I worked at Woolworth s The Moor round about 63/64, remember a Mrs Crossland as a floor walker, I worked there as an Electrician, under a Mr Broadbent, have since moved to Africa in 1967, been there ever since have visited Sheffield all my Son were Christened there at St John in the Park Distric

[nannydb]

I worked in Woolworths on The Moor as a Saturday girl in 1965. In those days the counters were all arranged in rectangles, with the staff "imprisoned" inside - you could always get someone to serve you! It was a really busy shop in those days, wooden floors and hugely popular - as were most of the shops on The Moor.

I was paid 2/6d per hour which gave me the grand total of One Pound for a day's work. It was hard work too - there were fold-down stools behind the counters, supposedly for the staff to rest when not busy, but these were invariably covered by strategically placed fittings for the display shelves so you had to resort to "tidying up the lower shelves (where spare stock was placed) and sitting on the floor if you wanted a rest. We had 15mins break in the mornings, the same in the afternoon, and half an hour for lunch. As soon as the buzzer sounded for break all the staff in the appropriate shift ran hell for leather for the stairs to get to the canteen where we were given the choice of crisp sandwiches or beetroot sandwiches and a cup of tea!

The floorwalkers were God and made sure everyone was pulling their weight (hence the very tidy lower shelves!).

[grinder]

When I was a kid during the war there was also a Woolworth's on Attercliffe common...

Woolworth's were like Tesco's, every where, they even had their own record label, Embassy...

[Hopman]

I think there may have been a Woolworth store at Hillsborough.

Incidentally the own label of Woolworth was Winfield, which was the founder's middle name.

[Cyclecar]

When Woolworth's on the Moor was bombed out in WW2, the business moved into the Lansdowne Cinema on London Road, which therefore had all the seats removed, etc. . It was a strange experience, as the floors sloped downwards towards the 'screen'!

 

I don't know when they moved back to the Moor, probably round 1950. The Lansdowne didn't last long as a cinema, becoming the Locarno dance hall, then a night club(s), and eventually demolished save for the pinnacled corner. Now Sainsbury's etc.

[neilf]

I worked at the one at Haymarket in 1970. Worked on the doughnut and baked bread counter. It was hard work we hadnt gone decimel at that time, all adding up had to be done in your head.Had to work until 6.00 pm on Saturdays. Only stuck it six months it wasnt doing my social life any good.

[0742Sheff]

End of an era

[grinder]

I think there may have been a Woolworth store at Hillsborough.

Incidentally the own label of Woolworth was Winfield, which was the founder's middle name.

 

The Woolworth's record label I remember as a lad back in the fifties was called Embassy.

The Landsdown cinema after the blitz was taken over by M&S...

Edited January 10, 2012 by grinder

[Cyclecar]

The Woolworth's record label I remember as a lad back in the fifties was called Embassy.

The Landsdown cinema after the blitz was taken over by M&S...

 

 

Was it M&S. Sorry. My excuse is that I was just a little lad, all I can remember was the sloping floor....

[Erin]

I dont suppose anyone remembers the burglar who broke in Woolworths the moor in the Early 1970s. This person was apparently so drunk he could not remember how he got in there. He had to come to the inside of the front door and alert passers by (or police) to let him out.