Which shop do you miss the most?
DAVE KNAPPER recalls some of the much-missed stores of the Potteries Centre
Always one of the first which shoppers call to make a return. Packed with toys, clothing and just about everything associated with the worldwide brand. But the magic ended and the shop closed in 2013.
Lee Harvey wrote on our Facebook page: “People always want the Disney store back so they can have a look around like an art gallery. You actually have to buy things to make them stop around.”
Jane Barker added: “They are concentrating on their online business and will no longer operate on the high street. So sadly for all those hoping, they will never return.”
FOOD COURT
At a time when developers are transforming iconic buildings into food halls, this little gem was ahead of its time. A wide choice of units serving up a whole host of treats and an ample seating area. Just walking past it made you hungry.
Sentinel reader Jane Broadhurst said: “The food court was the best. All you have now is posh coffee shops with overpriced food.”
GADGET SHOP
Perhaps found its true popularity at Christmas when people were after a unique gift. But it was always fun to wander around a shop where a remote-controlled helicopter may swoop over your head.
LITTLEWOODS
There was always something strangely exciting about a catalogue shop and the wonder of just where they stored everything. I am ready to be proved wrong - but didn’t Littlewoods also have a really nice cafe? As a youngster, and with my mum dropped off at work, this is where my dad would buy a breakfast that a kid of my size shouldn’t have been facing.
MUSIC ZONE
Remember when we used to buy tapes and CDS? Music Zone gave HMV a run for its money with its offers. You’d be guaranteed an album for about a £1.
TAMMY GIRL
With its wide range of stylish clothes this was something of an iconic store back in the 1990s.
BOBANGLES
This was right up there for anyone looking to get some accessories, earrings, hairbands and a whole range of things to complement your style.
ALL:SPORTS
I once worked here, and the chances are I tried to sell you some trainer cleaner. With our cool grey polos with fluorescent stripes, we had a great look at All:sports. For a time it blended traditional sports gear, fashionable items along with sports kit.
DIXONS/CURRYS
Those were the days when you’d be dragged around every electrical store while your mum and dad looked for a bargain.
As a youngsters it was always great to check out the latest stereos – even if you did feel a little like Alan Partridge during his VIP trip to Tandy (if you know, you know).
This was a time of Rumbelows and Radio Rentals when you could attempt to play them off against each other.
DOLCIS
Perhaps it was the style of the sign but I always presumed this particular footwear shop was ‘posh’. Back in those days my mum would whisk me straight up to Beans in Smallthorne.