Author Topic: Lewis's in Birmingham  (Read 62025 times)

Scipio

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Re: Lewis's in Birmingham
« Reply #165 on: November 21, 2018, 08:27:01 PM »
True. I guess time is money.  By scanning the items and it automatically adding up lessens the time for each customer at the tills so they are paying the shop assistants for 'clearing' more customers than they used to.  I don't know whether it's still true, but ALDI used to penalise staff if they didn't get the customers through in a certain amount of time.  I guess the faster they can get people through the tills the fewer tills they have to open (and therefore pay staff to man) as the queues don't build up so much.


Judith I read somewhere Aldi's requirement was 45 seconds per customer at the checkout
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Peg Monkey

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Re: Lewis's in Birmingham
« Reply #166 on: November 21, 2018, 08:55:59 PM »
Back on topic! - Tower lights, do you remember them? Lewis's had one above their elevators, a way of alerting senior staff that they were wanted before the days of pagers and mobiles, large factories also used them, in fact any large organisation whose workforce was mobile found them useful.
Here's the brain teaser - The lights were used in combinations of steady and flashing - the common number of colours in a tower was 4, steady and  flashing gave numerous combinations - so how many from 4 colours? Here's a clue: 1 colour gives you 2 combinations (steady and flashing) but with just 1 more colour you jump to 8....... :-\ :-\ :-\
Peg.
P.S. Have I got the number of floors correct? Basement, Lower Ground, Ground and 1-5? (+ the roof).
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Peg Monkey

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Re: Lewis's in Birmingham
« Reply #167 on: December 10, 2018, 03:00:26 PM »
50s Lewis's  - No Christmas was complete without a visit to Santa's Grotto......
Peg.
 :) :) :)

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Peg Monkey

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Re: Lewis's in Birmingham
« Reply #168 on: December 24, 2018, 09:40:57 PM »
If I remember correctly the rooftop pedal cars didn't make an appearance over the Christmas period - they were very much a good weather attraction.
Peg. 
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Peg Monkey

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Re: Lewis's in Birmingham
« Reply #169 on: December 29, 2018, 02:44:46 PM »
I was devastated when Lewis's closed and Gray's and The Model Aerodrome (Corner of Cherry St and Temple Row), I realised then nothing could be relied upon to last forever :-[  - embrace change or become a dinosaur - right?
Peg.
It's far better to look back on a rejection rather than a lost opportunity.

Snooks

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Re: Lewis's in Birmingham
« Reply #170 on: December 29, 2018, 04:29:38 PM »
Yep, my mum was too! Didn't Grays become Debenhams?
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Peg Monkey

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Re: Lewis's in Birmingham
« Reply #171 on: December 29, 2018, 08:42:36 PM »
Yep, my mum was too! Didn't Grays become Debenhams?
Yes, and then Toys-R-Us (sorry can't do a back to front R).
Peg.
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BrummieBaz

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Re: Lewis's in Birmingham
« Reply #172 on: January 13, 2019, 06:51:43 PM »
Employee 15614 Reporting for Duty....Furniture Dep't 4th Floor. Great memories of Lewis's; all of them good. Worked in the Furniture Department 1959-1961 under John Harwood. Bedroom and Dining-room furniture and of course....commodes. The only lady in our group was Mrs. Gaffey, who we all referred to as "Our Commode Queen"...an earlier post noted a jumper from the roof- I remember the event! Mrs. Gaffey came on the floor all upset, and told us " a lady went past the window....she waved at me!" Sure enough she was right; she hit a sign down in the Minories and made a right mess! As a single Canadian living on my own, my weekly laundry came to work on mondays, and was "demonstrated" in the washer Dep't. Came home with it all clean and folded. Great meals at the Staff Canteen as well- before I left, I took the liberty of taking one of the Hairdressers with me and married her! Maiden name was Pauline Shorrock. Long shot indeed, but fellow Employee 15619 was Malcolm Gooding- he was my "Best Man" when I made an honest woman of her- Malcolm was from Walsall, I believe-sure would be great to reconnect with him should anyone out there know hm.

Peg Monkey

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Re: Lewis's in Birmingham
« Reply #173 on: January 24, 2019, 11:05:12 PM »
Employee 15614 Reporting for Duty....Furniture Dep't 4th Floor.
Hi BrummieBaz, welcome to The Forum. Great to have insider info' on the much loved store, I can still smell the smoked bacon in the food hall as I write. Were you senior enough to have your own set of lights?
Peg.
It's far better to look back on a rejection rather than a lost opportunity.

BrummieBaz

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Re: Lewis's in Birmingham
« Reply #174 on: January 27, 2019, 04:35:18 PM »
Hi Peg- nevermind the good smells from the Food Hall- one day a week the Employees Canteen had stuffed Sheeps Hearts- still remember them today! Never had  them before or since, nor even seen them on a menu! As for the lights- Our Stud Duck John Harwood had a two-colour code, but it stopped I believe at Assistment Mgrs.

Edmund Fifield

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Re: Lewis's in Birmingham
« Reply #175 on: January 28, 2019, 09:53:29 AM »
Hi Ya peg and brummie,it was the same when I worked at Marsh & Baxters in Dale End.The different smells .The Boiled hams the Pork Pies the Black Pudding  and the Bacon Smoking,such delite.
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