3 Comments

• At 2010.06.17 09:18, Peter said:

  In 2002 we were told that we were getting “an exciting new Department Store” to replace the ‘House of Fraser’ Department Store, called BINNS, that had traded on that site since 1977 and had closed down in 1996. That site was, of course, a very traditional ‘Newcastle Department Store’ site, as Bainbridges (now trading as John Lewis) had traded there (as the FIRST Department Store in THE WORLD) from 1838 to 1976, before moving to Eldon Square.

  After 1996, the entire BINNS building was demolished, and a smaller new building was built behind the facades to house the ‘new Department store’. The link from Market Street through to Bigg Market (in this smaller building) was broken, and the “small side entrance” to Bainbridges/Binns (on Grainger Street) was enlarged to become the T J Hughes main entrance, as shown in your photo Beth.

  Whatever people think of T J Hughes as a shop, it classes itself as a “Discount Department Store”, and a visit to it does not have the impact (to me) that a visit to the big-city Department Stores of (say) Fenwicks and Bainbridges has.

  I have written a thread about Department Stores in Newcastle (including T J Hughes at ‘Posts 184 and 234′) which can be seen here . . . http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1005737

  The Grainger Street building remains an attractive building, but its appearence (as a store at ground level) has (only last year) been affected in my opinion, by some signage changes. This change is covered at ‘Post 234′ of the above.

  Regards,
  Peter (NH).

  [Reply]
• At 2010.06.17 21:40, alf stone said:

  An excellent picture, Beth but I think Peter has covered it all.

  [Reply]
• At 2010.06.26 08:52, Dave said:

  Peter, this is absolutely superb - thanks so much.

  I loved looking at your post on department stores, and I remember so much (and I’m not THAT old!)

  I well remember going into Parrish’s as my dad worked in Byker; I also remember all the department stores featured, although I don’t actually recall going into Wengers and Howards (although I probably did!)

  Binns and Farnons feature strongly in my memory, and the way they threaded through buildings, e.g. winding through Binns and ending up on the Bigg Market. Whilst it’s great that we still have the façades to so many wonderful buildings, it still seems desperately sad that the guts of so many of them have been razed.

  Thanks again, Dave

  [Reply]