I used to be dragged into one of them to have my feet measured.

I think all the shops ended up under the management of one global holding company then online shopping took off, it's fairly difficult to find a shoe shop in some towns  these days.

Brantamo, seems to be everywhere.

The City Bakeries>

There was one in Clydebank while I was A child. Downstairs, as you entered from the street, it was just a bakers' shop. But upstairs it was a tea-room. It was a wonderful adventure to a 5 or 6 year old child when we had time to go upstairs, 'cos you knew you were going to be allowed to get a really fancy/messy type of cake that you don't have normally.

But even while I was still a child, though slightly older now, it was changing. The tea-room closed eventually and a few years later so did the rest of the shop.

I mourn the demise of independent book shops

Me too 

Recently I google-street-viewed the area I grew up in, in Belfast [80's]. Our road used to have a village feel to it - we were clustered around a butchers, bakers, fruit shop, newsagents, post office etc

All gone and replaced by soul-less franchises. The rest empty and boarded up 

What I do like is that there are many more independant coffee/tea shops now,I have  about four really nice ones in my town. There is also the usual smattering of Costa, Java etc ... but I never go to them.

I realise that isn't about shops that I miss!!

I miss the Cadena Cafe in Cornmarket, Oxford. Their chocolate eclairs were about a foot long ... or maybe, because I was a wee child it just seemed that way!!

Good grief ...talk about a blast from the past Cold Sweat I remember all of those. The shop I miss most, particularly at the time of year , is Woolworths . Going back a lot further in time Home and Colonial. 

Browns is on the Woodstock Road, just off St Giles. i think you mean George's (and Georgina's), the coffee shop in the Covered market? that is indeed still going, I had a rather delish blackberry and apple yoghurt topped flapjack there last week. Actually, that does sound a bit weird, but it was truly lovely. 

The place in Headington is probably the Queen of Hearts? I only ever go to the hospitals in Headington, it never seems to me to be a place to enjoy!!

i used to go out with a dutch girl who wore inflatable shoes

but she died

she popped her clogs

look its an old 'un

but still makes me laugh

On topic... it used to be that there were tons of shoe shops in our High Street - now there's more charity shops than anything else.     The shops I miss are the little hardware ones where you could buy anything from a handful of nails to a mop bucket or a teapot.

I miss Woolworths as well 

Virgin (the store before the megastore - although I did like the megastore as it was full of music) - Loved their music stores.

Or some fork handles  

Off topic ... one of the questions in our pub quiz last week was 'name the first five items named in the Two Ronnies hardware store sketch'.

We didn't win

Binns (House of Fraser) 

Fork handles, four candles ....that's all I remember  

I'm sure we still have one of those in Meadowhall.

we got that, and Os (hose) and that was it!

Back on topic, we used to have two great department stores, one was Coopers - it's Primark now, and the other was Elliston and Cavell, which is now Debenhams

Oh shurrup you now! 

First HMV (which I still haven't forgiven you for)   and now Binns 

hoes....but wanted letter 'O's - I think.

That was 1976....apparently!

Soz 

I know ...scary , eh EFFT

There is a House of Fraser in Glasgow and also a Debenham's....which used to be Lewis'.

Woolworths and C&A. Although I saw Woolies in South Africa and Botswana a few years ago, and I'm quite sure I've passed a C&A recently in some dull part of Europe (probably in Germany somewhere).

The Wollies Christmas ad was always something I looked forward to. 

The parade of shops on the estate where I grew up in Enfield still has a newsagent, laundrette and off licence – but the butchers, co-op and haberdashery store that I remember are all long gone.

Oh yes, I'd forgotten about C&A ....it used to be my first port of call for clothes when my kids were small  

William Hill, Ladbrokes, Ramsdens and Cash Converters.

Where did they all go?

We've still got a Hills and Ladbrokes.........plenty of them actually 

Brentford Nylons

Dunn & Co

Are Tandy electrical shops still going?

Bakers Oven

Oh blimey Cold!  You're right! where have they all gone 

Alive and kicking in Wishaw!  

Recently acquired Coral too. Where one of the shoe shops used to be though.

Yep.

Inhabiting all the old High/Main Street favourites of yore.

And all the chemists are either LLoyds or Boots.