Shops from your youth



I can remember that one as me and my mates would often just stand and stare in the windows at all of the toys on display. As we stood and gawped we would try and be first to say “Bagsie all the toys, except the girls ones”. On the few occasions that I bought something, I seem to remember that the shop was owned by two Jewish brothers.
I'm sure it was called Bergs or Hodgson's and they had a record shop as well as a toy shop. Could be wrong though.
When you think about what Sunderland has lost in the way of shops and what those shops were replaced with, generic crap, no wonder retail is dying on its arse. Same all over the country as well.
Some very old names on this link. Including the old arcade with a gun shop, Willie Watson's sports shop and a toy shop inside. A canny diverse variety.

 
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I'm sure it was called Bergs or Hodgson's and they had a record shop as well as a toy shop. Could be wrong though.
When you think about what Sunderland has lost in the way of shops and what those shops were replaced with, generic crap, no wonder retail is dying on its arse. Same all over the country as well.
Some very old names on this link. Including the old arcade with a gun shop, Willie Watson's sports shop and a toy shop inside. A canny diverse variety.

There was a Bergs but I'm buggered if i can recall whereit was. Breckners in Crowtree road where Debenhams is now? Chas Eagles located there too.. a Books fashions on the corner of Vine Place & Crowtree Road..
 
There was a Bergs but I'm buggered if i can recall whereit was. Breckners in Crowtree road where Debenhams is now? Chas Eagles located there too.. a Books fashions on the corner of Vine Place & Crowtree Road..
You can see Bergs in the first pic. Brechners was about opposite the top of Walworth way. Bergs had another branch on the corner of blandford street as well. Or maybe only one branch and moved there from Crowtree road.

The images didn't work some copyright bollocks. They're on this link....



https://www.sunderlandecho.com/imag...ige.Item.1.82642535!image/image.jpg?width=640

https://www.sunderlandecho.com/imag...ge.Item.1.82642613!image/image.jpg?&width=640
 
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There was a Bergs but I'm buggered if i can recall whereit was. Breckners in Crowtree road where Debenhams is now? Chas Eagles located there too.. a Books fashions on the corner of Vine Place & Crowtree Road..
Bergs record shop was in Blandford Street on the corner opposite where the fire was. Think they had a sports shop as well opposite the bus station, part of the Leisure Centre building.
 
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You can see Bergs in the first pic. Brechners was about opposite the top of Walworth way. Bergs had another branch on the corner of blandford street as well. Or maybe only one branch and moved there from Crowtree road.

The images didn't work some copyright bollocks. They're on this link....




My first bike came from Bergs
Bergs record shop was in Blandford Street on the corner opposite where the fire was. Think they had a sports shop as well opposite the bus station, part of the Leisure Centre building.
My long gone family had a shoe shop and cobblers in Brougham Street for years which is now the entrance to the Bridges.
 
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My first bike came from Bergs

My long gone family had a shoe shop and cobblers in Brougham Street for years which is now the entrance to the Bridges.
I remember the sound of a cobblers in a street just off St. Marks. Door was open and could hear the wheel turning. Think it must have been foot operated.

Must have been the 70s.

There used to quite a few corner shops then.
 
My first bike came from Bergs

My long gone family had a shoe shop and cobblers in Brougham Street for years which is now the entrance to the Bridges.
Sunderland had a bustling town centre with a big variety of shops that spread from park lane to the high street and from crowtree road to Fawcett street. We had at least four large department stores, you could buy just about anything you needed. Now we've got a city centre with a mall and the same generic shops you find everywhere in the country. There is no individuality, but it's progress I suppose. :rolleyes:
 
Mam's Aunt and Uncle lived in the flat above Federation Meats for a significant part of their married life, up to around the late 1980s/early 90s.
On reflection must have been a bit grim, but I suppose typical to those times.
They must have been sick as fukk when the fire engines would race out of there on a call in the middle of the night.
 

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