We all know our beloved high streets are suffering at the moment.
But what about those afternoons and weekends we used to spend walking up and down the high street trying to find the best bargain or perfect pair of shoes.
From rummaging through the pick n mix at Woolies to spending endless hours deliberating over which movie to rent from Blockbuster's, which stores and memories do you miss the most?
Woolworths
The old Woolworths store.
One of Britain’s most quintessential high street stores has got to be Woolworths.
As kids we used to run in after school to grab a bag of pick n mix whilst tasting the odd one as we went.
Mum’s always referred to it as ‘Woolies’ and no back-to-school shop was complete without stopping into the store.
The old Woolies store on Weymouth high street is now a TK Maxx.
Top Drawer
This cards and gift shop sadly closed its doors in Dorchester town centre in 2015.
The family run business had been a staple of the town for 30 years.
Times Furnishing
During the 80’s Times Furnishing took pride of place on Lower Bond Street.
Known as the place to go in town for your home furnishing needs, including those fashionable floral curtains everyone used to love.
Jewell and Norcombe
Another loved interiors shop of the past, Jewell and Norcombe closed down in 2005.
The lighting shop had been on Dorchester high street for 70 years.
Millets
The outdoor clothing company originally expected to close the Dorchester store in March 2013 when other branches were axed.
However, the shop stayed open for another year after a new rent was negotiated. It finally closed in May 2014.
Blockbuster
Our grandchildren will never know the excitement of a Friday night trip to St Thomas Street’s Blockbuster to rent a few movies for the weekend.
Before the likes of Netflix and TV on-demand, Blockbuster was the place to go to choose what to watch and get some perfect movie snacks.
The film, TV and games rental company went into administration in 2013.
Timothy Whites
Timothy Whites was a chemist and houseware store that first opened in Portsmouth in 1848.
The Timothy Whites in Dorchester had been trading since 1865 until it was purchased by Boots and merged with the 13 Cornhill branch.
From then, it went on to have over 600 stores up and down Britain until it was brought by Boots in 1968.
If we have missed your favourite by-gone shop, let us know in the comments!
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