genome.ch.bbc.co.uk/schedules... This was probably filmed in April 1982.
Пікірлер: 559
@ajs412 жыл бұрын
Walton-on-the-Naze programme available here in 3 parts: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iKCYgpJuj62GY7M kzbin.info/www/bejne/pXOmiHdpqN13gdU kzbin.info/www/bejne/q5naeIRsjbWGbKc
@craigjohnson82402 ай бұрын
I thought Are You Being Served was a sitcom, now I realise it was a documentary!.
@misst.e.a.1872 ай бұрын
😅 Mrs Slocom. Are you being served?
@Bisheebarniebee712 ай бұрын
lol yes 😂
@davidlondon28102 ай бұрын
It was based on careful observation of some of the characters who worked in British department stores.
@jamestheposh5 ай бұрын
‘Miss’ Mary Brogan, aptly named the ‘Queen Mother’ led a very long life - she died in 2023, aged 94. She joined Selfridges in 1956 and stayed there for 33 years.
@lhasalynn20912 ай бұрын
Wow---thanks for updating us. Those subtitles had nothing to do with what the people were saying!!
@peterward39652 ай бұрын
Yes James you're so right, she was known as the Queen Mother 😂 cheers 🥂
@user-my8bb6nc1x2 ай бұрын
Good for her. This is 1982? It looks like 1942.
@gabriellaj.o.61802 ай бұрын
I bet miss Mary brogan sacked a few girls in her time.
@peterward39652 ай бұрын
@@gabriellaj.o.6180 That would have been down to Audrey Hawker. Cheers 🥂
@peterward39657 ай бұрын
OMG, just seen this for the first time the lady addressing the perfumery ladies is Miss Audrey Hawker, head of perfumery. She was my old boss as I dealt with the cash taken in that department, which was the biggest money making dept in the store. She would be 90 now as retired in 1993, apparently she was an ex ballerina in her day. She was strict, firm but fair and was approachable about any problem you had. The other lady Miss Mary Brogan was the Head buyer for perfumery if I remember rightly. She was a character as well. I enjoyed my days in Selfridges, the stories I could tell 😅😊😅 The date shown 29th March 1983, I was 26 that day. Cheers all .🥂
@ajs417 ай бұрын
Thanks for such a wonderful and interesting comment Peter. I think the show must have recorded around April 1982 and wasn't broadcast for about a year.
@peterward39657 ай бұрын
@@ajs41 Thank you, there were ghostie rumours of the perfumery ladies being touched by unseen hands, they say it was old Gordon Selfridge. I would use his old private lift to return to my cash office, which had wood panelling and a painting inside on the lift wall. I found that a bit chilling at times. Sorry I'm gabbling on, thanks for taking me down memory lane. Happy days they were.
@pattymelt-go3fv3 ай бұрын
@@peterward3965 No apologies necessary! Please go on! This is the best part of KZbin! Comments from people like yourself, who were actually there!
@Dragonrdh2 ай бұрын
Its a good sign that they kept so many staff for many years.
@lhasalynn20912 ай бұрын
Thanks so much for the information! I'm from New York City, but I lived in London for 13 years from 1969-1982, and I spent many happy lunch hours just wandering through Selfridge's!Lynn in NYC
@ttp4362 ай бұрын
I worked at Selfridges in the 90’s part-time whilst a student at the London College Of Fashion for nearly two years. One of the best times in my life. I still have my technics stereo and designer wall clock I purchased from there during the sales and with my added Sears Staff discount card I got them for a steal price. The wonderful staff canteen with a La carte discount food. I had wonderful friends from all walks of life and had a blast. So many stories. I absolutely loved that company, building and area. It taught me about style, how to hold myself, how to talk to people and the finer things in life. It was a fabulous life. After work we’d go to the Spirit cafe, Bond Street, then off to Soho and Covent Garden. I remember it all like yesterday but at the same time it’s like a totally different life time ago. Oh where have the years gone and my how life has changed since then.
@typower92 ай бұрын
Have you bee back to Selfridges in the following decades and if so, what changes did you notice?
@markylon2 ай бұрын
I worked there in the 90s too, used to drink in the Henry Holland and other pubs around Duke Street, I'd forgotten about the Sears Card which had our photo imbedded in it. I loved the canteen with Glady's on the till. I had so many friends in Selfridges. Loved my time there. In this video I remember Norman (Maurice) bless him
@dotheyfloat99612 ай бұрын
Are you gay, per chance? I swear all the men in this documentary are gay, bar a couple. I have pretty good gaydar.
@lukethomas6582 ай бұрын
I always enjoy when people share personal anecdotes, thank you for sharing.
@diane92472 ай бұрын
Thank you for writing about it! Like you, I am nostalgic in my old age.
@sablemorton30132 ай бұрын
God this country used to be civilised. And Oxford street a lovely place to shop. This is the Great Britain I grew up in. Sadly missed.
@jaijai52502 ай бұрын
I wonder if the Krays, and all the other London mobsters used to shop there when London was civilised, pre 1990’s?
@gabriellaj.o.61802 ай бұрын
Agree. Sadly no more.
@EC-mw7ty2 ай бұрын
Your comment sums it up perfectly. Me too.
@mrmrsmsmisscloud75122 ай бұрын
YES, this is very similar to a department store here in Australia called “David Jones” and bs I then, they served and life was great! ❤😢
@dodgeboy90522 ай бұрын
@@gabriellaj.o.6180 Yes you are right very sad ... People hated Margret Thatcher ... But she is very needed now in England...
@kostanabanjac48962 ай бұрын
Absolutely love - “my face is like farmer’s arse on a frosty night” 😂
@fran-kittyayers53293 ай бұрын
I can see where the late victoria wood got some of her characters from, especially miss brogan, crikey how i wish i could go back in time, just for a while 😊
@hilarybarnes13192 ай бұрын
My thoughts EXACTLY! 😂❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
@Paratus72 ай бұрын
When London was still a stylish, classy city.
@jaijai52502 ай бұрын
Oh please! I did my health visitor alternative placement in Dulwich in 1991, and the flats were slums, with green mould growing indoors. It was probably stylish for the minority, but definitely not the majority!
@kevinshaw13872 ай бұрын
Erm, maybe in Selfridges it was !
@bibi-xh1bm2 ай бұрын
you can always find comments like this on youtube, nostalgia is a powerful thing
@gabriellaj.o.61802 ай бұрын
Agree. Miss that london. Stick the world city dump it's become.
@kevinshaw13872 ай бұрын
Happened in Croydon, they shut classy shops like Allders and Debenhams and the whole place is a deserted shit hole now
@susieb64542 ай бұрын
The way that guy carries the mannequins 😂
@charlescalthorp53758 ай бұрын
Some of the people have lovely speaking voices, especially the beautician.
@user-my8bb6nc1x2 ай бұрын
That's because they're all rich wanna bees. Closest they ever got to being rich was being allowed to try on some expensive jewelry for two minutes
@TheMusicalElitist2 ай бұрын
@@user-my8bb6nc1x Oh do shut up.
@kaysmith89922 ай бұрын
@user-my8bb6nc1x that's just how people spoke on TV back then. It wasn't about trying to look rich but trying to fit in with how you heard other people speak in the media.
@kaysmith89922 ай бұрын
That period nailed the nicest accents for telly. It wasn't as posh as the old days, and wasn't as 'reality TV' as today... a nice middle ground.
@elisa78812 ай бұрын
The "sprayers", the department store scourge of the 80s.
@dmj88912 ай бұрын
Everybody seemed to have such wonderful different personalities back in those days. Norman the postman must have been a delight to work with. Such a good documentary.
@misspurrr-fect36842 жыл бұрын
Sad to think many of these Characters have now passed away .
@christopherhulse8385 Жыл бұрын
That's life!
@spidyman88537 ай бұрын
Some of the young employees would be in their 60s now
@re74167 ай бұрын
@@christopherhulse8385 With Esther Rantzen!
@Dangerman52 ай бұрын
Always the way, can’t believe how long ago this was
@jenlfpotter38702 ай бұрын
This would have been filmed about 9 to 10 months before I was conceived. I'm 40 as I'm watching this now in April 2024. Wow! I love all the older soaps and documentaries.
@somewhereeeelolz99832 ай бұрын
I worked in Harrods and the Army and Navy department store in the 80s and then the 90s and I loved every minute of my job! There were so many wonderful characters who had loyally worked in the same job in both stores for many years and only left when they retired. Now Oxford street is a sad skeleton of what it used to be.
@misst.e.a.1872 ай бұрын
Indeed it is. I used to love all the department stores along that stretch and on Regent Street. Times have drastically changed.
@gabriellaj.o.61802 ай бұрын
@Le7Dauphin it was Peter Robinson.
@hamneggs3452 ай бұрын
England was so English in the 80s, I loved it
@timthelamb2 ай бұрын
You're absolutely right. I m miss it terribly.
@tiapina70482 ай бұрын
What does that mean?
@DebraGruber-hk7xl2 ай бұрын
@@tiapina7048 it means we didnt have the keffiya crowd ruining life for everyone with their poison
@gabriellaj.o.61802 ай бұрын
Political change was forced on us including migration without the electorate being asked.
@tiapina70482 ай бұрын
@@gabriellaj.o.6180 when was "political change" forced on you? What would you like to be asked about migration?
@QuadriviumNumbers2 ай бұрын
"Don't sing to the woman!...He clenched his teeth at me...nasty man!!" 🤣😂🤣 What a great character!
@mikemanners10693 жыл бұрын
I can't help but to think of Grace Brothers Department Store....
@tonyclifton2653 ай бұрын
except everyone is john inman
@th82572 ай бұрын
The department store that was actually based on is now the big Waterstones at Piccadilly. It used to be called Simpson's of Piccadilly
@gabvideo2 ай бұрын
I just had the same thought !
@Tempe19622 ай бұрын
lol
@typower92 ай бұрын
That might be one of the department stores alluded to at the start of this documentary .
@maddi35822 ай бұрын
It strikes me that folk in this film just seem a lot more content than folk are these days yet in many ways life was 'tougher' ...
@gabriellaj.o.61802 ай бұрын
Life was simple but better. You got on with life and the hand you were dealt with.
@baylorsailor2 ай бұрын
People not only had to work, but they were grateful for the jobs that they had in most circumstances. Today we have a lot of entitled people who do not want to do a good job in any work environment. I believe the reason for that is because now there's the option to be unemployed. People aren't starving in the Western World.
@Alitawc12 ай бұрын
I was a kid that era. Born 75. I remember do many faces from the store. My dad would buy his white shirts there and hanky. And mum all round the store. I got lost so many times. I would get bored. Go to cosmetics where the perfumes are. The women were so nice to me, always left with tester spray perfumes. Mum knew many working there over time. And the lady manager of cosmetics department. I too she was really nice to me!! Unless certain holiday's or weekends they would say not many young like i go. Miss my parents and sister RIP. Miss London 🥺💕🇬🇧 miss old days!!
@traceyreid45852 ай бұрын
How would you describe your life? Stan: "Lots of ups n downs!" what a character
@misst.e.a.1872 ай бұрын
What about Mr Misery on Hats?
@angelaegan75113 ай бұрын
I was an air hostess in 1982 and my second port of call, after Harrods, on my return to the UK, was always Selfridges. It doesn’t seem that long ago but watching this, I realise how long ago it was, 42 years!
@mediacityavid Жыл бұрын
In the days when interviewing was subtle. John was a class act
@julben272 ай бұрын
The Beautician is an absolutely wonderful lady
@helendeacon76372 ай бұрын
This was excellent. I kept expecting to see Captain Peacock, Mrs Slocombe and Miss Brahms. A great doco. Thank you!
@GothGuy8852 ай бұрын
Same! I believe I heard that "Are you being served" was based on Selfridges .but I might be wrong, it was a while back.
@simon-oy6um6 ай бұрын
Basic rules ,never push a customer you will alienate them they will decide for themselves 😊
@user-my8bb6nc1x2 ай бұрын
That woman flogging the perfume promotion was awful. No wonder nobody ever bought from her. How annoying can you get.
@kaysmith89922 ай бұрын
Also, when they're too close I always feel like I'm being watched in case I shoplift, which puts me off trying stuff.
@andynixon2820 Жыл бұрын
I was attending a local college not long after this was made . On Friday I'd get a free sample of very expensive perfume which was perfect for a poor student on a night out . It was a fantastic store .
@monacophotographyevents23842 ай бұрын
There were always some very strange and interesting people wandering around Selfridge' and Harrod's.
@gabriellaj.o.61802 ай бұрын
I love the store detective she could catch them. Love her. RIP
@timthelamb2 ай бұрын
Thanks for uploading this programme. It brings back memories of walking around department stores with my mum when my little brother and I were five and eight years old.
@ajs412 ай бұрын
Thanks for your comment. It seem to have become very popular in just the last few days because I'm getting more comments than ever before! Not sure why. Maybe it was linked to on a discussion board or something like that.
@misst.e.a.1872 ай бұрын
One of my all-time favourite department stores along Oxford Street. In all its forms it's been the place to go. It went through a complete refurb and upgrade 1996/97 and became a high fashion emporium. I guess it's just hanging on as so many department stores have gone along the shopping mile. "More front than Selfridges" was always an amusing quip when referring to someone audacious and loud, because the store's window displays were famously the stuff of creative genius. And audacity.
@neilmcintosh5150 Жыл бұрын
I had the best time of my life when I worked at Selfridges during the mid to late 80's. Only those that have worked there will know exactly what I mean. Selfridges was a very magical place to work back then.
@AvaDelta Жыл бұрын
I loved working there in the 80s.
@ttp4362 ай бұрын
Absolutely I was the 90’s era
@markylon2 ай бұрын
I worked there end of the 80s into the 90s best time of my life.
@barrieuk2 ай бұрын
My Mother loved Selfriges more than any other department store. One year to the minute from the date of her death, at 18 00 17th of May 2007, I scattered some of her ashes into the central up escalator to ladies' fashions on the second floor. Afterwards, we had a private party in what was the White Restaurant on the first floor.
@gabriellaj.o.61802 ай бұрын
Unusual but lovely.
@bobikdylan2 ай бұрын
I worked as a temp in the unloading bay at Selfridges in about 79. The pilfering was unbelievable. Levis were the loot of choice. Workers would find their size and put them on with their usual trousers on top. Not me, I hasten to add.
@monacophotographyevents23843 ай бұрын
My ex wife and I used to regularly shuttle between Selfridge's and Harrods. We used to love both stores, especially at Christmas. The windows at Selfridge's, and the interior of Harrods was fantastic over the Christmas period. Oh, and the loo's in Harrods were something else :0) Try as I might, I can't remember what Selfridge's was like before the big refurb. I do remember that back in the 80's, both stores had some rather peculiar staff. I now live in Monaco, so I don't get to either store very often any more. There's nothing like either Harrods or Selfridge's over here in Europe.
@cleornroll2542 ай бұрын
@monacophotographyevents2384 alot of men jaggin' off?
@misst.e.a.1872 ай бұрын
Selfridges was far better, imo
@monacophotographyevents23842 ай бұрын
@@misst.e.a.187 I really do like both stores, but they are hard to compare. I like the atmosphere in Harrods, especially over Christmas, (Selfridge's over Christmas isn't as nice as it used to be) and as I mentioned earlier (only half jokingly) the fantastic loo's and the concierge parking in Harrods. Certainly one will bump into many more eccentric people (staff and customers) in Harrods, than in Selfridge's. Although the food hall in Harrods is much grander than Selfridge's, I prefer the products in the Selfridge's food hall. But the range of products that one can buy in Harrod's is staggering. I really do quite miss going to both stores, as I said, there's nothing in Monaco, or indeed in Europe to compare.
@Merseysiderful Жыл бұрын
This was filmed in the first month of The Falklands War with Argentina.
@gabvideo2 ай бұрын
I worked one Xmas break from college in the toiletries department in the mid 80s and had to bring up stock twice a day from the huge underground warehouse. This film is exactly how I remember it. I also remember seeing the first IBM desktop computer that was being used in our warehouse for stock control. The next Xmas break I worked in Harrods and it was great fun seeing so many famous people shopping there.
@user-my8bb6nc1x2 ай бұрын
4:15 "You don't have time? Why is that?" Mouthy cow. Her hairstyle is hilarious.
@childrensorg8562 ай бұрын
She's an early chav.
@njm1971nyc2 ай бұрын
Thoroughly enjoyed watching this 😄 I didn't discover Oxford Street for myself until a few years later - 1986 - but I was hooked straight away. Sadly it's lost all its charm nowadays, and Tottenham Court Road is literally a ghost town. Sad.
@misst.e.a.1872 ай бұрын
It was still a good shopping hub in 86
@njm1971nyc2 ай бұрын
@@misst.e.a.187 it was indeed! 🙂
@gabriellaj.o.61802 ай бұрын
I remember the Lloyds Bank in Selfridges. I think that's gone now. Selfridges was a lovely unique department store then not now. I would not visit now.
@cleornroll2542 ай бұрын
why not muffin?
@gabriellaj.o.61802 ай бұрын
@@cleornroll254 Because people change. I don't like London these days and I have more sense with my money as well.
@user-hz9yv4ov6c2 ай бұрын
My ex husband worked at Selfridges in the late 70's in the Menswear Department. He said they often had famous people in their department and one day sold a raincoat to Harry H Corbett the actor who played Harold in Steptoe and Son. He said the older members of staff always made a bee line to the famous customers so for a younger salesman to achieve a sale was very rare and frowned upon. He also talked about the shoplifters that frequented the store and chased one down the escalator who tried to steal a coat. Perks of working for Selfridges was the big staff discounts. My ex acquired lots of suits, shirts and ties that without the discount he would never have afforded them. When he left there he left retail for ever and became a HGV driver 😊
@GothGuy8852 ай бұрын
did your husband tell him that the raincoat would Ride up with wear? [ Are you being Served Reference ]
@Dragonrdh2 ай бұрын
Loved Selfidges! I used to shop there every week, and take our daughter to the Christmas village
@misst.e.a.1872 ай бұрын
You could spend the whole day in Selfridges. What a store
@minekara64072 жыл бұрын
Love this.....funny characters.....I worked in retail for many years..but over the road on South Molton street...miss the old days of retail.
@QuadriviumNumbers2 ай бұрын
South Molton Street? Very nice! I used to shop there in the 80/90's.
@robynjones76913 жыл бұрын
Strange. I have a vivid memory of seeing the store detectives on the down escalator. Probably because I saw this when it was first broadcast (I would have been 13) and they are unlikely and incongruous! But I recall nothing else of the programme! Funny how certain images imprint themselves on us whilst others, seemingly, make no impression whatsoever. Very good series, all told. Thanks for uploading.
@gaykid802 ай бұрын
Having worked in Harrods for many many years, it’s so interesting to see how some things just never change: The sort of characters that work in retail, the chatters, the managers, the briefings, the customers, the vibe, the lingo, the departments, the brands… There were moments while I was watching this and I thought “I can’t believe they were talking about the same things 40 years ago!!!”, and there were other moments when I thought the world has changed so much since then. Great documentary. Thanks for uploading! Also, if I may add, a little reminder to ALL customers: When you treat staff nicely and politely it goes A LONG way. Be polite! ;)
@ajs412 ай бұрын
Thanks so much for your comment! (I had to delete a few comments earlier today because they were abusive, so it's nice to see the positive ones).
@mde60062 ай бұрын
I agree . I worked for BHS in the '90s and it was exactly like this. I'm not sure stores are like this anymore though. I don't think stuff have to put on quite so much of an act anymore.
@timothyhughes2052 ай бұрын
@@mde6006 I'm an ex Harrodian too, and this really resonated with me. Talk about finding your tribe!
@gabriellaj.o.61802 ай бұрын
Fenwick and John lewis are still around so the Department store is not dead yet. Selfridges face an uncertain future under new ownership.
@user-lo1iz8tj1v2 ай бұрын
@@gabriellaj.o.6180 Fenwick in Bond Street is now permanently closed.
@johnathandaviddunster38 Жыл бұрын
I WORKED IN DEBENHAMS CLEANING THE BEDDING DEPARTMENT STARTING AT 6A.M ONE MORNING THE MANAGER WOKE ME UP AT 9A.M ASLEEP ON A BED!! BYE BYE JOB!!
@jamesbomd35032 ай бұрын
trauma being woken up
@Venus292 ай бұрын
I miss Debenhams 😢
@johnathandaviddunster382 ай бұрын
@@jamesbomd3503 especially with a stiffy in a public place ( not the first time and definitely not as embarrassing as waking up in Alicante airport after some one slipped a load of viagra in a bottle of whisky , fortunately before everyone had smart phones ....)
@neilmanhard1341 Жыл бұрын
This was very interesting. Brought back many memories. Shopped at Selfridges many times (particularly the food court) when stationed in London (1989-1991). It was a short walk from the headquarters building at Grov. Square. Their Christmas displays were just awesome.
@richardyoung10532 жыл бұрын
Looks so different now. I have only visited since the major refurbishment at the end of the 1990s which did away with all the 1960s fixtures and escalators.
@th82572 ай бұрын
Easy to forget this programme is literally from last century
@emilymorley36552 ай бұрын
my parents bought the old lift art deco iron work when it was chucked out during refurbishment
@roygardiner22292 ай бұрын
Brings back happy memories of my short experience of retail. It's the fellow junior members of staff who kept me sane. There were all sorts, the good, the bad, the ugly. Management were a distant and completely different species. Strutting seemed to be their default demeanour.
@nigelwilliams9307 Жыл бұрын
Brilliant stuff! I worked there Christmas 1984 and loved the place. Kenny Noye worked there too on Saturdays when he was very young.
@ajs41 Жыл бұрын
Thanks for the comment Nigel. Do you recognise anyone in the video? I think it was filmed in about Easter 1982.
@nigelwilliams9307 Жыл бұрын
@@ajs41 I'll have a closer look. I worked in the Kitchenware dept. lower ground floor.
@markylon2 ай бұрын
@@ajs41 I remember Norman (Maurice) bless him
@PAUL-ge1kl2 ай бұрын
You didn't fall out with him I hope😮
@caroljones45113 жыл бұрын
I spent 1981 to 1986 working in Selfdrges shirt Dept and I as some good times and some bad times but Im glad I left but went back there in 2012and worked in their Xmas grottoand thank God it only lasted 2 weeks.
@mariash19702 ай бұрын
Loved Selfridges. I remember it like this as a young teen, but it became my local shop when I worked nearby in the late 90s and early 00s - it was fab after that first big refurb. It’s gone far too upmarket now. The spirit section was so cool - so sad when that went.
@kenstevens5065 Жыл бұрын
Stan the goods lift man.....brilliant!
@lisajanedegara98582 ай бұрын
Selfridges is one of my favourite stores in the world-- it was great to look into this slice of history!
@zaftra2 ай бұрын
every character from are you being served is in there.
@misst.e.a.1872 ай бұрын
Hasn't been like that in decades. It always had the best quality merchandise but went very high-end and sleek in the late 90s
@storytellercommunications99562 ай бұрын
I was there. In the stationery department. Remember Mr Yates, the man in Lost Property and the peculiar 'Norman' the postman.
@texluh2 ай бұрын
John Inman gets everywhere
@jenniferyule87862 ай бұрын
London to me in the 80s when I turned 18 was the most stylish, chic, wonderful city in the world.
@Dinadino9942 ай бұрын
I worked in Selfridges in early 2000 , Jo Malone counter . Loved it .
@misst.e.a.1872 ай бұрын
By then, it had gone almost entirely designer, following a very expensive makeover in 96
@Dinadino9942 ай бұрын
@@misst.e.a.187 very true , I lived very nearby trying to get by on minimum wage . It was a stark contrast from the designer prices 😊👍
@mistofoles Жыл бұрын
"Who would you say is your worst customer ?" "The grumbling old tw*t over there who's never pleased."
@jenlfpotter38702 ай бұрын
On this film, it would have to be the possessed very high pitch baby in the hairdresser's. Wow!
@jamessergeant21362 ай бұрын
Wonderful documentary. So many characters.
@lafillenoir2 ай бұрын
Wow, 3000 staff at once! I love seeing old footage of how we used to shop pre 2000s
@craigjohnson48192 ай бұрын
This is fabulous. Thank you for sharing
@giacomosaragoni36032 ай бұрын
Thank you for posting it!Just great
@srobinson40702 ай бұрын
I used to work at Selfridges on Saturdays and in the Summer holidays. They really paid well.
@gabriellaj.o.61802 ай бұрын
They had some characters then. 2024's Selfridges really is not the same and the brand was diluted with branches in Birmingham and Manchester Trafford and Manchester City Centre like Harvey Nichols too it's not the same now.
@nicolepowell54702 ай бұрын
The stock guy carrying the mannequin made me laugh considering where he was holding it. Surprised he wasn't told not to hold it like that, i worked in an old fashioned store in Oxford called Boswells in the 90's very similar
@GothGuy8852 ай бұрын
reminded me of are you being served, and Mr Nash and Capt Peacock's exchanges about the nude dummies being brought onto the sales floor during shop hours . 🤣
@nicolepowell54702 ай бұрын
@@GothGuy885 Very true
@lukestagg21382 ай бұрын
By gone era, slightly before I was born. Things are so different now
@Greenz11002 ай бұрын
This is amazing. I worked in Selfridges on the ground floor which was Ladies active wear in the back near the entrance to the cinema. First floor was Menswear I think it still is now so the Mens hats are on the 1st floor. Working in Selfridges was an honour, I pop in still and reminisce of my days working at Giant (that was the name of the concession). These staff in this documentary I hope they all lead a great life.
@ajs412 ай бұрын
Thanks for your comment Greenz1100. I just wish the picture quality was better. The BBC must have a HQ version in their archives.
@hisdivinegraceimperialmaje41782 ай бұрын
Having worked in Harrods and Selfridges ... in the 2000s & 2010s ... 20 years ..i wish i was working there in the good old days it seems so much more fun .. but yeah i enjoyed myself immensley and wont change anything about the experience !!!
@ForceFreeTrainergirl062 ай бұрын
In the 80s I worked in a lawyers' office in the West End and I used to wander around Selfridges most lunchtimes.
@sammytee702 ай бұрын
Brilliant video....trip down memory lane 👍
@ciaransammon2 ай бұрын
An amazing documentary. I had the misfortune of working in a store like this for many years & you can see the personalities are all still the same - just in various incarnations/decades. Absolutely demented people - many unlikeable.
@gabriellaj.o.61802 ай бұрын
Was it that bad?
@pburke5274Ай бұрын
Oh no no no...... delightful characters....... 😂
@aprillroberts2 ай бұрын
Fabulous, brought back memories
@Faith_Chi2 ай бұрын
Thanks for uploading this, I really enjoyed it. :)
@ajs412 ай бұрын
Thanks Faith, I appreciate your comment.
@ObsoleteOddityАй бұрын
“Norman” the postman was wildly eccentric, brilliant!
@mistofoles Жыл бұрын
The cleaners never get much of a mention, do they ? Being on the job myself, I can tell you that for a store that size, a team of cleaners would have to start work at least three hours before opening time.
@allnightmike83744 ай бұрын
Cleaners are the real hard workers
@nicholasgargano73963 ай бұрын
I worked as cleaner 10 till 2 pm great I worked shopfloor and behind scenes not tethered to one department knew everyone. Loved it.
@pattymelt-go3fv3 ай бұрын
it's a small world unless you have to clean it.
@Dragonrdh2 ай бұрын
The store was always sparkling.
@mistofoles2 ай бұрын
@@Dragonrdh Well thank you for the acknowledgement : )
@amandajane82272 жыл бұрын
Pet Coffin! Biggest laugh I have had for some time. :D
@sairamaster77412 ай бұрын
I worked at selfridges too at the trafford centre in the early 2000's full time. So many memories.. Made some interesting sales
@Lynsey19752 ай бұрын
Haha people spend around 5 pounds,how times have changed on the high street,I do miss those shopping days,I was around 8 then and shops were magical.
@debl99572 ай бұрын
Awesome to watch!!
@g-dave8002Ай бұрын
I really thought this was going to be a mockumentary when I saw that woman with the Thatcher haircut, speaking to the cosmetics sales staff in the beginning. It had a very Come Fly With Me sort of vibe.
@nathaniliescutotherescue60472 жыл бұрын
Thanks for this j really enjoyed it, plus I fancy the make-up/perfume manager haha.
@discogareth2 ай бұрын
I worked for House Of Fraser in the late 90s and there were still throwbacks to this kind of staff/customer even as late as that. Department stores really are a different world.
@ajs412 ай бұрын
Thanks for your comment. Can I ask a question? I'm suddenly getting a large number of comments on this video which I've never had before. I'm just wondering whether this video has appeared on some type of discussion or chat group which has caused a lot more people to watch the video? Regards, Andew
@expectingthebeach23682 ай бұрын
@@ajs41 think the algorithm is favouring this video ! it showed up randomly in my suggested and so i thought i'd have a look. Enjoyed it very much cheers 🤗🛍
@discogareth2 ай бұрын
@@ajs41 it just suddenly appeared in my suggested videos, so thought I’d take a look. The algorithm is algorithming!
@markylon2 ай бұрын
The staff of Selfridges used to call House of Fraser House of Failure and Dickens and Jones, Chicken and Bones. We always used to say if you got sacked from Selfridges you would end up in HoF or D&J
@ajs412 ай бұрын
@@discogareth Thanks. I didn't realise it might just be an algorithm.
@mistofoles Жыл бұрын
Must have been annoying walking through the cosmetics deparment with that girl spraying you like you were a bloody fly !
@janwong94372 ай бұрын
We weren't allowed to do that in Debenhams
@typower92 ай бұрын
She certainly 'left' her mark'...whether verbally or/and physically.
@gabriellaj.o.61802 ай бұрын
The selfridges carrier bags then were thick plastic and cream with brown writing. Brown was the theme throughout the store and selfridges hotel as well.
@flyc3 Жыл бұрын
The lack of Mrs Brodeys’(?) is the reason customer service is so shite these days.
@th82572 ай бұрын
Let's face it - customer service wasn't amazing then either.
@Ben-gj4jr2 ай бұрын
This reminds me of my time in Lewis's Department Store's in Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham and Manchester. This doesn't surprise me as Lewis's and Selfridges were both part of the same company at the time (Sears). Even some of the fixtures and fittings look the same. If you worked in some of the Lewis's stores you could get sent to Selfridges London for training. Some of the characters were the same in Lewis's. Sad to think Lewis's is now just a TJ Hughes brand name while Selfridges is still successful. It shows the state of department stores in this country.
@zetametallic2 ай бұрын
Loved Lewis's in Liverpool. I was born in 1976 but I remember the 5th floor, the lift operator and most of all the legendary grottos at Xmas. I've still got a tote bag which says I ❤ shopping at Lewis's.
@Ben-gj4jr2 ай бұрын
@@zetametallic Lewis's in Liverpool was great wasn't it. I remember the 5th floor with the red rose room - it was very posh! And the self service cafeteria with the big mural. Lewis's had some really amazing grottos over the years with all types of animatronics. I remember the Manchester store had a beautiful sprung ballroom on the 5th floor.
@frankiefranklin97612 ай бұрын
Miss brogan is a blue umbridge. Totally get why they called her the queen mother. Fascinating documentary but just reminds me how much I have always hated department stores. Only went because my parents took me or out of necessity. Too many people trying to sell shit i don't want or need. And I always feel judged
@Fitzrovialitter3 жыл бұрын
You can tell from the sign on the front doors that this film was made before May 1982 (when Mayday Monday fell on May 3rd)
@ajs413 жыл бұрын
Thanks, I was trying to identify the date it was filmed.
@ajs413 жыл бұрын
@Leonard Ssenkindu That was when it was broadcast, but a film like this would take time to put together, especially in those days. And they often waited a long time to broadcast it even after it was ready because of course there were only 3 or 4 TV channels in the UK at the time. Most documentaries would be shown at least a year after they were filmed. This was probably filmed in the first half of 1982.
@Fitzrovialitter3 жыл бұрын
@Leonard Ssenkindu No it wasn't. Read the sign on the door.
@Fitzrovialitter3 жыл бұрын
@@ajs41 This was definitively - not "probably" - filmed before May 1982.
@Fitzrovialitter3 жыл бұрын
@Leonard Ssenkindu You need to examine the facts, not accept what people tell you.
@squirrelvertАй бұрын
That permed (or at least curly) sort of 'mullet for women' hairstyle was so big then, including across the pond in the U.S. I remember quite a few women sporting this style well into the '90s. (There are probably still a few women out there -- perhaps in their 60s now -- who continue to sport the style as I type this!)
@mootpointmusic76272 ай бұрын
This exchange about hats at about 6:00 is just superb. The interviewer must have thought he was in a mad house. Bizarre!
@marikaprocko25602 ай бұрын
Love this
@viviennepopek2 ай бұрын
I enjoyed working in retail (soft furnishings) for the first few years and I preferred it to working as a secretary in a bank in London. But later on customers became so bad (violent and abusive) I couldn't cope with it so I left. The shop had to close down due to so much shoplifting so my former colleagues list their jobs. I would NEVER work in retail again but I do miss those earlier years when I was the most happiest.
@alisonmcveigh35712 ай бұрын
Enjoyed watching this. The guy carrying the mannequin around made me chuckle
@richinderbyshire47793 ай бұрын
13:47 I have the exact same Teddy. From 1978 ish.
@susieb64542 ай бұрын
I used to have one too
@jend80Ай бұрын
Born 1980 & I still have that exact teddy from my childhood
@StephenLyons-tl8ie2 ай бұрын
"Mr Yates! Are you free?" "No, I'm in the stockroom with Gordon!!"
@Ch0yc3z2 жыл бұрын
9:27 - "How do you describe your life?"... 😂😂
@gillysmusic2 ай бұрын
It's like a 1980s soap with all the stereotypes going!
@juliemcleod98693 ай бұрын
My friend and myself went down to London from the North east, about 10 years ago. My friend wanted to go in the store as the series had just been on the telly. I bought stuff from the world food section if I remember rightly. I think it had a Christmas department too.