Schofields Ltd. Angel St. (formerly T.B. and W. Cockayne Ltd.)

[chri5]

Does anyone remember if Schofields on Angel St. had direct access to the Hole In The Road subway? I know there was a ramp going down to the HITR from outside, but was there bassment level direct access?

 

(Argos currently occupies this building)

Edited April 18, 2016 by chri5

[Elmambo]

Don't think there was, the escalator ran down in front of it and the shop was on the level, whereas Angle Street was fairly steep. I could be wrong on this, the memory plays tricks.

[hillsbro]

No, there was no direct access from Cockaynes/Schofields to the Hole in the Road. The only building on that side of the Hole with direct access was the Midland Bank (now the Banker's Draft) which had swing doors near the bottom of the escalator at subway level and a staircase leading up to the banking hall.

[chri5]

Thanks all.

[Guest]

Which shop had underground access through two sets of double doors? I seem to recall it was Schofields, but I could be wrong. My recollection is from the late 70s very early 80s. Not Rackhams.

 

Passing through the first set of doors gave access to a branch of Halifax on the left-hand side, then the second set of doors saw you into the store itself.

[hillsbro]

Hi Hecate - there was a subway entrance to Schofields, adjacent to a branch of the Halifax, but this was at the end of the tunnel under Angel Street (the public toilets were adjacent to this tunnel). Another tunnel led from near the Halifax into "Castle Square" proper, but there was no actual direct access from the Halifax or Schofields to the "Hole" itself as they were not near enough. The four sides of the Hole had direct access from the Midland Bank, Walshs/Rackhams, Bunker & Pratley and C & A. I've been trying to find online a photo of the part of the complex near the Halifax but without success!

[Guest]

Thank you, hillsbro. I was 11 when Schofields closed, so my recollections of it are a wee bit woolly.

 

Speaking of which, this thread has had me taking a mental walk through the Hole in the Road. My route into town was usually through the Co-Op ('Stores'), through the pharmacy/cosmetics section on the first floor, then out via the back door and off to the left down the ramp into the tunnels.

 

Can you recall the route? The descending ramp was lined with display windows, a travel agents and, I think, a football souvenir shop right at the top. A newsagent cabin (sales through the window only) was at the bottom right-hand corner where the tunnel formed an L-shaped junction; off to the right were the toilets and straight on took you off to C&A and out into the Hole itself (with its flower display or the winos, depending on the decade).

 

I can't recall what was at the end of the tunnel with the toilets. Where did that tunnel ultimately lead? Did it just end in another ramp back to the other side of Angel Street, or could you turn left and head up into the Hole area, as at the other end? I think it came out near the escalator at the bottom of High Street, at the other side of the road from Rackhams, but I'm fuzzy on the details.

[hillsbro]

...I can't recall what was at the end of the tunnel with the toilets. Where did that tunnel ultimately lead?..

It led to a junction between the ramp coming down from near the ABC cinema and the tunnel that came from Schofields via the Halifax branch. There was a left turn from this point along a short tunnel into the "Hole". Here is a very rough sketch (I'm no artist!). I don't remember a "window-only" newsagents but Leesons was in the position shown on the sketch. You could (just) go inside but it was a poky little place! From 1970 to 1976 I worked at the Midland Bank and Tony Leeson was one of our customers. His staff had a habit of turning up one minute before closing time with a vast amout of cash to pay in! Edited April 20, 2016 by hillsbro

[Guest]

It led to a junction between the ramp coming down from near the ABC cinema and the tunnel that came from Schofields via the Halifax branch. There was a left turn from this point along a short tunnel into the "Hole". Here is a very rough sketch (I'm no artist!). I don't remember a "window-only" newsagents but Leesons was in the position shown on the sketch. You could (just) go inside but it was a poky little place! From 1970 to 1976 I worked at the Midland Bank and Jack Leeson was one of our customers. His staff had a habit of turning up one minute before closing time with a vast amout of cash to pay in!

That's brilliant - thanks very much! I've just spent a nostalgic five minutes populating it with all the shops I can remember.

 

I've added an 'X' where the little newsagents was. It was really no more than a cubby hole with a hatch.

 

I remember the other newsagents; it had an excellent range of magazines along its corridor-like walls, and the tills at the end nearest to C&A. I think it was a GT News by the time I was going in there to buy my Just Seventeen and Smash Hits, though.

[melthebell]

i remember the newsagents hatch, it was literly a door with a hatch in the wall next to it selling mags, papers, baccy etc