Genealogy Forum UK

I saw on the Local News yesterday that John Lewis is having a super new Store built over the new 'New Street Station' Birmingham, due to open 2014. I am sure there was a Lewis's Store in Brum years ago, do any of you Brummie's on here remember it Linell.

I remember it well Linell - used to go and see Father Christmas there when I was a kid. What a long queue there was around the stairs. It was on the corner of Bull Street. When I started my wedding dress business in the 1990s it was the first place to have one of my dresses in the window.

Oh that was nice then Maggie, good place for your first sale. I thought the Store was on the Corner of Bull Street, was it part of John Lewis The way they were talking on Midlands Today was as if this new store will be the first time John Lewis have been in Brum I don't think that is correct. Linell.

I remember John Lewis in Birmingham too, we sometimes went sales shopping there after Christmas, combined with visiting relatives. Merry Hill knocked that one on the head. Don't think I've been to Birmingham city center since I was about 18!
My great aunt always refers to Birmingham as "town", like some people do with London!

linell wrote:Oh that was nice then Maggie, good place for your first sale. I thought the Store was on the Corner of Bull Street, was it part of John Lewis The way they were talking on Midlands Today was as if this new store will be the first time John Lewis have been in Brum I don't think that is correct. Linell.

I don't think it was part of John Lewis Lin, as far as I can remember, most of the Lewis's stores were taken over by Owen Owen. I think the one in Birmingham was closed down completely and later on Hamley's took over the premises.

snoopysue wrote:I remember John Lewis in Birmingham too, we sometimes went sales shopping there after Christmas, combined with visiting relatives. Merry Hill knocked that one on the head. Don't think I've been to Birmingham city center since I was about 18!
My great aunt always refers to Birmingham as "town", like some people do with London!

LOL Sue, my posh Aunts who lived in Quinton, used to refer to it as 'Town' too! Birmingham has had a major overhaul in the last 20 years, you wouldn't recognise it, we have Canal Side Bistro's and Designer Shops and Restaurants, with water features in the town centre. You must visit when you are over here again. Linell.

Antie Em wrote:

linell wrote:Oh that was nice then Maggie, good place for your first sale. I thought the Store was on the Corner of Bull Street, was it part of John Lewis The way they were talking on Midlands Today was as if this new store will be the first time John Lewis have been in Brum I don't think that is correct. Linell.

I don't think it was part of John Lewis Lin, as far as I can remember, most of the Lewis's stores were taken over by Owen Owen. I think the one in Birmingham was closed down completely and later on Hamley's took over the premises.

Thanks for that Maggie, that answer's my query, I couldn't work out if the old Lewis was John Lewis or not. Cheers from Lin.

Lin.....Same here haven't been to Brum since in my twenties !......I remember Lewis's and all the old places like Yates Wine Lodge but I don't think this new one is the same family.....may be wrong !

Mike x

One of my aunties would take me to Lewis's to see Father Christmas and afterwards we'd have tea and cakes at Lyons's.
That's a really early memory something i haven't thought about in more than 50 years.
Made me sad now.
My dad loved Birmingham Rag Market and the fish stalls.I used to go with him and i remember one of the barrow boys asking me if i'd had a good eyeful. I must have been staring at him.

I remember my Gran Ford taking me to Lewis' and telling me it was one of the few shops where you could get run over whilst still in the shop.

Apprently it had some street running through it as some stage?

I brought a Matchbox car from there that I still have on my computer desk.

mikleed wrote:Lin.....Same here haven't been to Brum since in my twenties !......I remember Lewis's and all the old places like Yates Wine Lodge but I don't think this new one is the same family.....may be wrong !

Mike x

You'd love Brindley Place in the summer - that's about as far as I go into the city

Rob wrote:One of my aunties would take me to Lewis's to see Father Christmas and afterwards we'd have tea and cakes at Lyons's.
That's a really early memory something i haven't thought about in more than 50 years.
Made me sad now.
My dad loved Birmingham Rag Market and the fish stalls.I used to go with him and i remember one of the barrow boys asking me if i'd had a good eyeful. I must have been staring at him.

Oooh yes Rob, better than anything, Lyons Tea Shop, don't make Cakes like that anymore

When doing my soon to be sister in laws tree (they get married on the 12th March but have been together for about 10 years) I found she was a 2nd cousin a few times removed to Mr Joseph Nathaniel Lyons.

Being a 5th generation Aussie she had never seen a Lyons tearoom or heard of them at all so was shocked when she read about how many stores they had.

linell wrote:

Rob wrote:One of my aunties would take me to Lewis's to see Father Christmas and afterwards we'd have tea and cakes at Lyons's.
That's a really early memory something i haven't thought about in more than 50 years.
Made me sad now.
My dad loved Birmingham Rag Market and the fish stalls.I used to go with him and i remember one of the barrow boys asking me if i'd had a good eyeful. I must have been staring at him.

Oooh yes Rob, better than anything, Lyons Tea Shop, don't make Cakes like that anymore

Do you remember the Kardoma by the Great Western Arcade ? My aunties used to take us there after seeing Father Christmas.

The only time I go to Birmingham now is to the rag market to buy zips, cotton and stuff and down to Digbeth, to my favourite material shop and of course the theatres.

Never liked it for shopping much. We went in the day after boxing day (yes, I know, not the best day to choose) but the kids wanted to spend their Christmas money. Hope I don't have to go again for a while.

MarkCDodd wrote:When doing my soon to be sister in laws tree (they get married on the 12th March but have been together for about 10 years) I found she was a 2nd cousin a few times removed to Mr Joseph Nathaniel Lyons.

Being a 5th generation Aussie she had never seen a Lyons tearoom or heard of them at all so was shocked when she read about how many stores they had.

Isn't Nigela Lawson related to the Lyons family - I saw her on Who do you think you are