Woolwich Town Centre

A Memory of Woolwich.

I remember very fondly Woolwich market & town centre in the 60's & 70's. Cuffs department store always seemed so imposing with polished wooden floors, we had to go there to get my school uniform for Notre Dame Convent in Eglington Road. Christmas time always meant a visit to the store to see Santa's grotto, and a ride up in the lift which was always manned. My favourite department was the downstairs jewellery dept, (still love a bit of bling now) it had a wood and glass case which revolved round and you pressed a button to stop it at your favourite item. Mum used to treat herself and have her hair done there too. Garretts Store was mainly furniture and there was a lovely toy shop, Branstons, at the top of Powis Street.
My Saturdays consisted of going swimming to Woolwich Baths, drying our hair outside the building round the back from the warm air outlet pipes, getting a bag of chips and pickled onion and eating them on the Ferry going backwards and forwards all afternoon.
Who can remember the huge 2 storey fish & chip restaurant next to the CO-Op in Hare Street, it was always packed out on Saturdays and families would queue to get in?
I had my first Saturday job at 14 working in Vogue haridressers who were on the "high pavement" by the market with Matthews butchers on the corner beneath it. I can remember McDonald's first UK store opening in Woolwich, the milkshakes were 35p then! My Saturday wages were usually spent in Martin Ford's clothes shop, the quality was terrible and they used to fall to pieces after a few washes but the styles were so trendy and when you are young you don't care, as long as you looked the part!


Added 29 January 2011

#231008

Comments & Feedback

Brought back some fond memories, I remember CUFF's, Garretts & of course the Co-Op.
My Dad always talked of the High Pavement & said he would look at the first fruit & Veg. stall then go all around the market then come back & buy at that first.
I remember him often talking about Hedley Vicars but can't remember them myself.
As I grew older (1960's) there always seemed somewhere new to discover around the streets off the market - little shops in Sray St. or the old High St., etc.
To be cont. perhaps
At the time, perhaps we may have felt a bit hard done by. Looking back Happy Memories. I loved Woolwich. The market was always buzzing with activity.
Mike Allen.
I moved away from the area in 1982. Never went back much, but the last time, around 2016 I was horrified. The lovely old Post Office gone. And other historical places. Yet more hideous looking flats. Run down stores. Choirs singing gospel type songs throughout the town, especially in Powis Street. What the hell went wrong? And the flip side....with the hugely expensive flats that have been built and which very few can afford. Seemed surreal. I have been trying to find the surviving members of the McNally family. A very kind gentleman helped me so much and located for me the grave of Ronny McNally etc. but I would love to find his 2 brothers Michael McNally and Danny McNally. They would be around 60 years of age now. They had 2 older sisters. One was called Kathy. If anyone knows them I would so love to be put in touch. Please email liz.bobin@gtrailway.com. Thank you.
It was a wonderful town to grow up in. A solid strong town. I miss it very very much.

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