Ten Shops That Have Defined The Ladysmith Centre: Ashton Review of Shops Extra

An Ashton Review of Shops Extra Not So Perfect Ten

Fifty years old: the Ladysmith Shopping Centre, Ashton-under-Lyne. This is the Warrington Street entrance. Photographed by Mikey in Easter 2015 (Creative Commons License: Attribution-Some Rights Reserved).

Back when the creator of East of the M60 was born, this entrance seen above was between two iconic stores: Marks and Spencer, and Woolworths. It was also the last weekend before VAT almost doubled from 8% to 15%. Warrington Street wouldn’t be pedestrianised till 1985, and the market ground had three roundabouts. A gigantic yellow-bricked hulk was under construction.

Retail Comings and Goings in Tameside, August 2017: The Ashton Review of Shops

This month’s window on the shop windows

Ashton-under-Lyne in the 1960s: captured in postcard form. Image courtesy of Historic Images – Lancashire (Creative Commons License: Attribution-Some Rights Reserved)

Better late than never. Please note that this month’s ARoS is later than the usual time of the first Saturday of the month (yours truly was otherwise engaged – on holiday that week). Thank you for your patience.

• Dinosaurs and new look ‘Spoons make up the Stalybridge scene;
• Co-op returns to Newton;
• Ashton-under-Lyne rail engineering works update;
• Plus all the usual retail movements.

Retail Comings and Goings in Tameside, July 2017: The Ashton Review of Shops

This month’s window on the shop windows

“No time to say hello/goodbye, I’m late, I’m late, I’m LATE”: an image of Warrington Street, Ashton-under-Lyne. Photographed by Mikey in Easter 2015 (Creative Commons License: Attribution-Some Rights Reserved).

• Market delays hindering trade?
• Ashton-under-Lyne rail engineering works;
• Plus all the usual retail movements.

After last month’s lull, a fairly tumultuous month.

Retail Comings and Goings in Tameside, June 2017: The Ashton Review of Shops

This month’s window on the shop windows

Haughton Green, seen from Werneth Low. Image by Mike Serigrapher, 2007 (Creative Commons License: Attribution-Some Rights Reserved)

• Swish new premises for charity shop;
• Updates on the Joint Service Centre and surrounding area;
• Plus all the usual retail movements.

The last month hasn’t been that busy, apart from the fact that two shops have settled into their new units.

Eatymology: A Tea Potted History of the Superstore Café

Feast of the M60 looks at how the superstore café has evolved in the last fifty years

Please forgive me for taking a well trodden part for this introduction. In my formative years, the supermarket café seemed fairly exotic. Supermarkets, when I was young, were small, in town centre locations, and a bit chaotic. The edge of town supermarket with its vast car parking seemed otherworldly. Back then, the Fine Fare hypermarket in Hyde, Ashton’s original ASDA, and the Shopping Giant stores in Droylsden and Denton were notable exceptions.

Retail Comings and Goings in Tameside, May 2017: The Ashton Review of Shops

This month’s window on the shop windows

Walkerwood and Brushes Reservoir: an appropriate choice of picture given that the Greater Manchester Walking Festival is on this month. Image by Ian Roberts, 2008 (Creative Commons License: Attribution-Some Rights Reserved)

• More Ashton arrivals and departures;
• Iconic café closes;
• Updates on the Joint Service Centre;
• Plus all the usual retail movements.

Over the last month, there has been more retail movements of existing stores moving to new sites.

Retail Comings and Goings in Tameside, April 2017: The Ashton Review of Shops

This month’s window on the shop windows

• Ashton arrivals and departures;
• ‘Spoons’ Stalybridge expansion;
• NatWest to close Droylsden branch;
• Plus all the usual retail movements.

A real contrast to last month, but some activity at the Arcades and Ladysmith shopping centres have set the agenda.

Retail Comings and Goings in Tameside, March 2017: The Ashton Review of Shops

This month’s window on the shop windows

The Changing Face of Ashton Market: a view of the new look open market, taken with a cheapo (i.e. free of charge) disposable camera.

• Co-op stores change hands in Dukinfield, Haughton Green and Newton;
• First year of trading celebrated at Bridge Beers;
• Stalybridge Celtic to consider a town centre move;
• Plus all the usual retail movements.

It has been a fairly quiet month.

Retail Comings and Goings in Tameside, February 2017: The Ashton Review of Shops

This month’s window on the shop windows

“He painted Salford’s smoky tops on cardboard boxes from the shops (and parts of Ancoats where I used to play)”. Image by Rept0n1x, 2014 (Creative Commons License – Some Rights Reserved).

• Ashton busks for the homeless;
• Dukinfield takes the iTrain;
• Queues outside Denton’s new Wilko store.

January has been a fairly mixed bag in terms of retail movements on what is a quiet month. Livening up the streets of Ashton late last month was a few all-round good guys on Warrington Street.