[Steve Ellwood]

S Goldberg - Clayton Street West

Oh yeah, one other thing. I recall as a VERY young lad pre-school ? Going into GOLDBERGs department store opposite the catholic cathedral (I think it's a cathedral - St Mary's is it ?) near Marlborough Crescent Bus Station. Are there any pics of that place ? GOLDBERG's that is, not the church !!!!!

Kelly's Trade Directory of 1968 has:

Clayton Street West

26/30 S Goldberg (Newcastle on Tyne) Ltd - gown manufacturers
26/30 S Goldberg (Carpet) Ltd - carpet warehouse

 

[Newcastle Historian]

Actually, no memory of the name, its just donkeys years later I noticed the name Goldberg's in a tile mosaic on the ground outside the entrance to the shop opp St Mary's Cathedral.

This very thing was discussed on the forum back in 2011.

There are quite a few "ornate doorsteps/entrances" along that part of Clayton Street West, and they were shown by Stamford in this post here . . .

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=74742375&postcount=1716

Here is a 'copy and paste' (from the above post) of the "Goldbergs" Doorway . . .

March 22nd 2011.

 

[Newcastle Historian]

Eldon Square Shopping Centre - Mall Symbols . . .

The Mall Symbols used alongside the Mall Names (Sidgate, High Friars, etc) of Eldon Square have been discussed on here a few times . . .

Eldon Square Shopping Centre - Mall Names and Mall Symbols
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=80241374&postcount=334
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=80254132&postcount=336
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=86475106&postcount=4201

These symbols and names are being discussed here again now on the "Retail Memories" thread, as in recent times the owners of Eldon Square (recently having changed their name to 'Intu') appear to have been playing down the use of these 'Mall Names' (that have been there since ES was opened in March and September 1976) and have not even included them on some of the recent Maps and Shoppers Directories of ES.

So, it was a surprise to me that they still feature prominently on one of the walls in Eldon Square, on High Friars near to the 'Chapter 1' Cafe . . .

I took these photos with my phone, so not such great quality, on Tuesday 2nd July 2013.

 

[Shanghai61]

Leathards

Who, apart from me remembers the fabulous Leathards shop, on St Georges Terrace at the top of Acorn Road?

I remember it, too. I was a student in Newcastle in the late 60s, and my then girlfriend lived near Leathard's. Going inside was like stepping back into Edwardian England. Mahogany counters, stacks of biscuit boxes, and the delivery boy's bike parked outside, the kind with the small front wheel under a big wicker basket. Like a much grander version of Arkwright's shop.

Cheese was cut to order with a wire on a marble block, then wrapped in blue paper. And they asked you how thick you wanted your bacon sliced ...

Somewhere up Shields Rd, to the east of Heaton Rd was a traditional pork butcher who sold the most delicious warm roast pork rolls. And down Heaton Road, somewhere near the park (Heaton Park? Armstrong Park?) was an Italian cafe / icecream parlour in which my flatmates and I discovered by accident one Sunday afternoon that ice cream is actually a very good hangover remedy.

All probably long gone. Sadly, replaced by a Tesco Metro and a Starbucks no doubt ...

.

 

[Phil K]

I remember it going to Marks and Spencers and there being a fantastic record shop - Disque I think it was called - a little further along from the Farmers Rest, but I was still a kid then

 

[Aylett 67]

Anyone remember Reddifusion, a television rental company who also made their television sets in Bishop Auckland until 1986?

 

[newcastlepubs]

Anyone remember Reddifusion, a television rental company who also made their television sets in Bishop Auckland until 1986?

yes they also operated an odd cable tv system in areas where aerial reception was poor. I recall parents changing channels on a box with a click switch.

http://www.rediffusion.info/

 

[Steve Ellwood]

Anyone remember Reddifusion, a television rental company who also made their television sets in Bishop Auckland until 1986?

Some previous discussion here @
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=74270175&postcount=892
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=74280145&postcount=893
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showpost.php?p=74290933&postcount=894

 

[Percy Trimmer]

Thompson's Red Stamp Stores

In London the other day at the National Portrait Gallery I was intrigued by a portrait by Laura Knight of Miss Patricia Thompson (1933).

The caption said she was the daughter of J. Todd Thompson of Hartford Hall, Bedlington, the founder of Thompson's Red Stamp Stores - well known throughout the North East (or words to that effect).

I have never heard of the stores (or Hartford Hall) and can only find a few references on the net.

 

[Ken O'Heed]

Thompsons Red Stamp Stores, Gateshead

In London the other day at the National Portrait Gallery I was intrigued by a portrait by Laura Knight of Miss Patricia Thompson (1933).

The caption said she was the daughter of J. Todd Thompson of Hartford Hall, Bedlington, the founder of Thompson's Red Stamp Stores - well known throughout the North East (or words to that effect).

Had as I far as I know their main offices in the former Abbot Memorial School Building - that was located on Durham Rd, Gateshead (almost directly opposite Swallow (former 5 Bridges) Hotel, in position now occupied by car garages, in vicinity of where the Gateshead Flyover begins)

Buildings demolished 1968 for the flyover

Lots of pictures on Isee Gateshead site http://isee.gateshead.gov.uk

including http://isee.gateshead.gov.uk/detail.php?t=objects&type=all&f=&s=abbot&record=8

KEN

 

[Steve Ellwood]

Hartford Hall

I have never heard of the stores (or Hartford Hall) and can only find a few references on the net.

Hartford Hall used to be a NHS Rehabilitation Centre (1990's) where you went to stay after major operations - before that it was used as a Miners' Rehabilitation Centre.

Now converted into apartments.

Copyright Journal Live, NCJMedia Ltd

 

[growly grace]

The caption said she was the daughter of J. Todd Thompson of Hartford Hall, Bedlington, the founder of Thompson's Red Stamp Stores - well known throughout the North East (or words to that effect).

I have never heard of the stores (or Hartford Hall) and can only find a few references on the net.

One thing that does occur to me is that in the development of streets of Tyneside flats there was a big provision for corner shops. In the west end of Newcastle there would be the main shopping area on the West Road, on Adelaide Terrace, Arthurs Hill, Rye Hill and on the streets coming off these road there were a lot of corner shops. Might be the case that Thompson's Red Stamp Stores are a fore runner of chains of shops like V.G. or Spar?

 

[Steve Ellwood]

Thompson's Red Stamp Stores Ltd

One thing that does occur to me is that in the development of streets of Tyneside flats there was a big provision for corner shops. In the west end of Newcastle there would be the main shopping area on the West Road, on Adelaide Terrace, Arthurs Hill, Rye Hill and on the streets coming off these road there were a lot of corner shops. Might be the case that Thompson's Red Stamp Stores are a fore runner of chains of shops like V.G. or Spar?

According to Kelly's Directory of 1959, Thompson's Red Stamp Stores Ltd had shops in Newcastle @

10 Moor St
59 Shields Rd
22 Snow St
445 Armstrong Rd
27 Melbourne St
41 - 43 Adelaide Tce
352 Raby St
Glendale Tce
80 Meldon Tce
2-4 Second Avenue

 

[Ken O'Heed]

Thompson's Red Stamp Stores Ltd

Continued material on Thompson's Red Stamp Stores Ltd

This information from Brian Pears on 13 May 2000 on http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/NORTHUMBRIA/2000-05/0958179651

There were Thompson's Stores in Gateshead at:

Durham Road
87 West Street
126 Sunderland Road
221 Brighton Road
222 Askew Road West
48 Chandless Street
1 School Street

Confusingly there was also a chain of Thomson's Stores. :-(
In Gateshead these were at:

14 Kingsborough Terrace
116A High Street
1 Belford Terrace
130 Saltwell Road
8 Cannon Row
6 Catherine Terrace
285 Sunderland Road

Doubtless the potentional confusion between Thompson's Stores
and Thomson's Stores was the reason for the addition of
"Red Stamp" in the name.

AND

From other information on the web there appear to have been shops across the North East - from Teeside area, across County Durham and into Northumberland

KEN

 

[Steve Ellwood]

Thompson's Red Stamp Stores Ltd

Doubtless the potentional confusion between Thompson's Stores
and Thomson's Stores was the reason for the addition of
"Red Stamp" in the name. [/I]

KEN

I would image it was more to do with the fact that the store gave out red stamps with purchases as a type of bonus - a fore runner of Green Shield Stamps.

 

[Percy Trimmer]

Thompson's Red Stamp Stores

I would image it was more to do with the fact that the store gave out red stamps with purchases as a type of bonus - a fore runner of Green Shield Stamps.

I wonder if 'Red Stamp' could actually have been a slogan along the lines of 'First Rate' or 'Top Class'.

Somehow I think there would be more on the web about Thompson's red stamps if they had been early trading stamps and the business was still going strong in the late 1950s.

 

[Ken O'Heed]

Thompsons Red Stamp Stores

I wonder if 'Red Stamp' could actually have been a slogan along the lines of 'First Rate' or 'Top Class'.

Somehow I think there would be more on the web about Thompson's red stamps if they had been early trading stamps and the business was still going strong in the late 1950s.

As Steve stated Thompsons did issue red stamps with purchases

As you say not a great deal on the Web - but are snippets in various sites about locations, memories etc if type in "Thompsons Red Stamp Stores" into search

The main building at Durham Rd Gateshead was demolished 1968 but from memory think it was not operational for a few years prior to that date

KEN

 

[Percy Trimmer]

Red stamps

I would image it was more to do with the fact that the store gave out red stamps with purchases as a type of bonus - a fore runner of Green Shield Stamps.

As Steve stated Thompsons did issue red stamps with purchases . . .

KEN

I read Steve as suggesting Thompson's might have given out red [trading] stamps rather than stating that they did.

In the references I can find on the web only this one refers to stamps.

Alex Johnson recollects "Mother walked to Crawcrook every week to shop at Thompsons Red Stamp Stores in order to get stamps to earn extra articles for her beloved children and for the home".

The wording suggests (to me at least) that the stamps in question might have been red ink stamps on a card held by the customer - like the modern loyalty cards you get in coffee shops - rather than paper trading stamps. But I'm only guessing.

 

[growly grace]

Would the "red stamp" be going up against the all mighty divi from the co-op.

 

[Percy Trimmer]

Thompson's Red Stamp Stores

Would the "red stamp" be going up against the all mighty divi from the co-op.

Could be. What intrigues me is that an apparently extensive and innovative business, and one which survived into the mid-1960s, is so little known.