About 1986. Woolies in Cambridge. The most basic Black & Decker going.
I think it was about a tenner. Single speed. Or slidey switch (which
soon learnt to slide itself at inappropriate moments) to make extra
noise (and supposedly add hammer action). Self undoing chuck.

See that's where Woolies went wrong - they stopped selling c***loads
of s*** tools.

In article <91f20aca-6133-433f-a29f-(E-Mail Removed)>,
"(E-Mail Removed)" <(E-Mail Removed)> writes:
> About 1986. Woolies in Cambridge. The most basic Black & Decker going.
> I think it was about a tenner. Single speed. Or slidey switch (which
> soon learnt to slide itself at inappropriate moments) to make extra
> noise (and supposedly add hammer action). Self undoing chuck.
>
> See that's where Woolies went wrong - they stopped selling c***loads
> of s*** tools.

They used to have quite a reasonable shelf full of electrical
wiring accessories, and reasonably priced. That gradually
dwindled down to nothing. Walking through there a couple of
weeks back, and seeing the lady's toolkits (complete with pink
handled hammers and screwdrivers), you realise they've completely
lost the plot.

This isn't the first time they've been in trouble. Probably 10
to 15 years ago, they had to sell off all their largest high
street stores, which meant they vanished from many prime shopping
towns. These largest stores had franchised out all their sales
areas to different retail companies, which didn't seem to work
for them. They retained the medium sized stores in the smaller
towns where they hadn't done this.

I'm still puzzled why Alan Sugar bought a load of their shares
when they plumetted a few months back. Keep thinking he's going
to pull a surprise of of the hat.

--
Andrew Gabriel
[email address is not usable -- followup in the newsgroup]

Andrew Gabriel wrote:
> In article
> <91f20aca-6133-433f-a29f-(E-Mail Removed)>,
> "(E-Mail Removed)" <(E-Mail Removed)> writes:
>> About 1986. Woolies in Cambridge. The most basic Black & Decker
>> going. I think it was about a tenner. Single speed. Or slidey switch
>> (which soon learnt to slide itself at inappropriate moments) to make
>> extra noise (and supposedly add hammer action). Self undoing chuck.
>>
>> See that's where Woolies went wrong - they stopped selling c***loads
>> of s*** tools.
>
> They used to have quite a reasonable shelf full of electrical
> wiring accessories, and reasonably priced. That gradually
> dwindled down to nothing. Walking through there a couple of
> weeks back, and seeing the lady's toolkits (complete with pink
> handled hammers and screwdrivers), you realise they've completely
> lost the plot.

Agreed. I can't think of a single reason to go into Woolies. Wilkinsons
seen to have taken over their market niche.


--
Dave - The Medway Handyman
www.medwayhandyman.co.uk

The Medway Handyman wrote:
> Andrew Gabriel wrote:
>> In article
>> <91f20aca-6133-433f-a29f-(E-Mail Removed)>,
>> "(E-Mail Removed)" <(E-Mail Removed)> writes:
>>> About 1986. Woolies in Cambridge. The most basic Black & Decker
>>> going. I think it was about a tenner. Single speed. Or slidey switch
>>> (which soon learnt to slide itself at inappropriate moments) to make
>>> extra noise (and supposedly add hammer action). Self undoing chuck.
>>>
>>> See that's where Woolies went wrong - they stopped selling c***loads
>>> of s*** tools.
>> They used to have quite a reasonable shelf full of electrical
>> wiring accessories, and reasonably priced. That gradually
>> dwindled down to nothing. Walking through there a couple of
>> weeks back, and seeing the lady's toolkits (complete with pink
>> handled hammers and screwdrivers), you realise they've completely
>> lost the plot.
>
> Agreed. I can't think of a single reason to go into Woolies. Wilkinsons
> seen to have taken over their market niche.
>
>
Went into our local one a few weeks ago. Then thought "WTF am I doing
here?", and left. Probably never to return (whether I want to or not, it
seems).

The things they used to sell:

o Crap stationery products
o Cheap cheese and bacon
o Vinyl (Weren't they at one time the biggest record shop in the
country? Or is that my memory inventing things?)
o Contact (Fablon-alike)
o Ladybird kids clothes
o Spud and cap guns

--
Rod

Hypothyroidism is a seriously debilitating condition with an insidious
onset.
Although common it frequently goes undiagnosed.
<www.thyromind.info> <www.thyroiduk.org> <www.altsupportthyroid.org>

In message <492db586$0$507$(E-Mail Removed)>, Andrew Gabriel
<(E-Mail Removed)> writes
>In article <91f20aca-6133-433f-a29f-(E-Mail Removed)>,
> "(E-Mail Removed)" <(E-Mail Removed)> writes:
>> About 1986. Woolies in Cambridge. The most basic Black & Decker going.
>> I think it was about a tenner. Single speed. Or slidey switch (which
>> soon learnt to slide itself at inappropriate moments) to make extra
>> noise (and supposedly add hammer action). Self undoing chuck.
>>
>> See that's where Woolies went wrong - they stopped selling c***loads
>> of s*** tools.

Better hope it doesn't go wrong then

>
>They used to have quite a reasonable shelf full of electrical
>wiring accessories, and reasonably priced.

>I'm still puzzled why Alan Sugar bought a load of their shares
>when they plumetted a few months back. Keep thinking he's going
>to pull a surprise of of the hat.
>
.... or not

Where's that penny I dropped down the back of the sofa ?

--
geoff

On Wed, 26 Nov 2008 21:27:13 +0000, Rod wrote:

> The things they used to sell:
>
> o Crap stationery products
> o Cheap cheese and bacon
> o Vinyl (Weren't they at one time the biggest record shop in the
> country? Or is that my memory inventing things?)
> o Contact (Fablon-alike)
> o Ladybird kids clothes
> o Spud and cap guns

About the only thing there that they no longer sell (sold?) is the cheese
and bacon. OK the Vinyl is now CDs and DVDs not records but still the
modern equivalent. Think I saw cap guns in there the other day, spud guns
have probably been outlawed as "unsafe".

--
Cheers
Dave.

Rod wrote:
> o Vinyl (Weren't they at one time the biggest record shop in the
> country? Or is that my memory inventing things?)

Entertainment UK (EUK) is the UK's leading distributor of entertainment
products, generating an annual turnover in excess of £1.5 billion -
wholly owned subsidery of the Woolworths group and trades with WH Smith,
Tesco, Zavvi (formerly Virgin), Sainsbury's, Asda, Woolworths and
Morrisons.

They have a joint venture '2 Entertain' with BBC Worldwide who look to
be in the running to aquire that bit. But the statement posted here is grim.

<http://www.woolworthsgroupplc.com/media/news_release_article.cfm?year=2008&id=172>

Interesting museum site here
<http://museum.woolworths.co.uk/>

I think (hope) someone will take Entertainment UK and keep that running
as it is. It would be a better ending result than what's now left of the
former American parent - the 'Foot Locker' sports shoe shop!

--
Adrian C

On Wed, 26 Nov 2008 21:27:13 +0000, Rod <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:


>
>The things they used to sell:
>
>o Crap stationery products

Basildon Bond, Platignum pens.

>o Cheap cheese and bacon
>o Vinyl (Weren't they at one time the biggest record shop in the
>country? Or is that my memory inventing things?)
>o Contact (Fablon-alike)

Won't miss that stuff. Next door did their whole fridge with flowery
"Contact". Mum had it on a kitchen table with a worn out formica top.

The pattern wore off it and it shrank, as it shrank little nicks used
to open up in it as gluey little "smiles". Later still it hardened
where it was folded at the corners.

>o Ladybird kids clothes
>o Spud and cap guns

Derek

Tony Bryer wrote:
> On 26 Nov 2008 20:45:58 GMT Andrew Gabriel wrote :
>> They used to have quite a reasonable shelf full of electrical
>> wiring accessories, and reasonably priced.
>
> No you mention it, I can remember buying bell wire there as a child
> in the 1960s, cut off a reel. And cheap tools like a 1/11d hammer.
> And packets of stamps. But, as has been said on Working Lunch more
> than few times, it has lost its purpose and if it didn't exist no
> one would go out and invent it.
>

The Woolies in the market town where I live is the only place you can
purchase cookware, childrens clothes (save for a small boutique where
you pay 40 quid for a 12-18mth shirt), CDs, DVDs, video game hardware
software and peripherals, power tools, glues, socket extension leads,
sandpaper, Christmas lights. We'd miss it if it wasn't there. We use it
every week. Especially for the children's section.


The alternative would be to drive to some out of town place, or perhaps
bus or train into the nearest large town or city. Not exactly convenient.

The flumps and cola bottles are nice too :-)

I hope it survives.

"Gary" <postmaster@127.0.0.1> wrote in message
news:ggll9a$vr3$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Tony Bryer wrote:
>> On 26 Nov 2008 20:45:58 GMT Andrew Gabriel wrote :
>>> They used to have quite a reasonable shelf full of electrical
>>> wiring accessories, and reasonably priced.
>>
>> No you mention it, I can remember buying bell wire there as a child in
>> the 1960s, cut off a reel. And cheap tools like a 1/11d hammer. And
>> packets of stamps. But, as has been said on Working Lunch more than few
>> times, it has lost its purpose and if it didn't exist no one would go out
>> and invent it.
>>
>
> The Woolies in the market town where I live is the only place you can
> purchase cookware, childrens clothes (save for a small boutique where you
> pay 40 quid for a 12-18mth shirt), CDs, DVDs, video game hardware software
> and peripherals, power tools, glues, socket extension leads, sandpaper,
> Christmas lights. We'd miss it if it wasn't there. We use it every week.
> Especially for the children's section.
>

Not to mention pic 'n mix!


--
Bob Mannix (also in a market town with a Woolies)

(anti-spam is as easy as 1-2-3 - not)>
> The alternative would be to drive to some out of town place, or perhaps
> bus or train into the nearest large town or city. Not exactly convenient.
>
> The flumps and cola bottles are nice too :-)
>
> I hope it survives.