Southport and the lost shops ,Exploring Lord Street's Changing Landscape: Counting Empty Shops

[@lindaelisabethannemarin3241]

Used to be a beautiful street! 😢

[@geoff37s57]

Now live in Australia but used to live here 50 years ago. Married in Town Hall in 1972. Had an Enterprise sailing dinghy on the lake. Is the Swan chippy behind the Bold still there? Best fish and chips and mushy peas.

[@ExplorewithPhilipBond]

Still there the swan going strong

[@paulaburrows8660]

As a kid it was an event to go to "town". The outdoor pool, fairground, Botanic gardens, the cinema and one of the many big toyshops. Seeing how empty and hollow it is now is heartbreaking. You can't go home again

[@colinblackshaw971]

Wow, that shocked me , not walked down Lord Street since the 90s , it was booming then , every shop open , sad times now and getting no better

[@rayaspo4893]

Loved Southport in the 80s and 90s not so much these days which is a disgrace how this beautiful town became neglected.

[@christinecoates2499]

Loads of wonderful memories of Southport in the '60s with my grandparents and aunt. The shops on Lord Street were amazing. I especially remember the shoe shops and lovely boutiques. To be fair it hasn't really changed. Hopefully more shops will be open in the summer.

[@glenfordburrell1076]

Sone of these Northern Towns are absolutely beautiful! Will definitely give Southport a visit!

[@ExplorewithPhilipBond]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@HYUKLDER1]

There are hotels there including an excellent Premier Inn (Southport Central) at Marine Drive right by the pier.

[@therespectedlex9794]

Do!

[@deniseroney]

See our comments above!

[@deniseroney]

Great for food there too!@@HYUKLDER1

[@PK-yf3hd]

This is surely one of the architectural gems of britain. Why is it not publicised and celebrated ? .i am proud of the main thoroughfare in leeds ,impressed with gray street ,union street,deansgate in newcastle ,aberdeen and manchester and elsewhere but none others are superior or could be to this..where is your marketing dept?

[@ExplorewithPhilipBond]

The victorian canopies above the shops are in desperate need of repair and the pier looks like it maybe the next to go due to funding but thats in the balance

[@SuePearson-q1i]

Having been involved in retail all my working life ,I find the site of closed shops and stores , heartbreaking.

[@robertfmorton]

Used to visit Southport from Liverpool many years ago. Such lovely architecture and the wide shopping street was amazing. Sad to see it so down. Actually, Southport always suffered from its vast almost waterless beach.

[@MZig-rw7su]

It should be smartened up with an eye for detail and be a lovely place to go. Rich footballers etc should aspire to live there. The place still has something about it but without a council policy of independent shops and Mary Portas eyes for detail it's difficult. That arcade could be bristling with quirky little shops with low rents. The place has a unique charm and once the crowds vone it could be like Brighton.

[@brighton59]

Sefton Council have totally ruined Southport, there needs to be one hour free parking in the town centre and no more than a 50p for every hour on top, this will encourage people to shop more, they also need to abandon the cycling lanes on Houghton St and allow vehicles to park there once more as it's a short stroll from there to the main shops, if you stood on that Street for four hours on any day of the week you'd be lucky to see two cyclists using those lanes.

[@ExplorewithPhilipBond]

Lots of truth there and that cycle lane is ridiculous

[@paulbutler6984]

I love southport going to the bold in a few weeks

[@uk-paranormal-search]

Thats one place they have kept real nice to be honest (enjoy)

[@deniseroney]

Don't forget the huge concert at Victoria Park over the weekend in Summer, 3 days all live bands and different music!! Air Show, Firework finals, Flower Show - go Southport!!!

[@johnlavin8192]

Love going to Southport

[@ExplorewithPhilipBond]

That's good John , I do think it's declining rapidly in my eyes anyway

[@jerrydowse5061]

Yes john lavin,i live nr Preston,go to Southport when i can,miss the Woolies brekkie,dropping the kids at school on a day off,drive their and enjoy the brekkie,sadly missed shop.Hope the town survives,🤙

[@richardbowness1595]

@@jerrydowse5061 Aaaah, Woolies breakfast!! My kids loved going there. Such a shame when it went!

[@mikebarnes3557]

MEANWHILE THE TOP COUNCILLORS PAY THEMSELVES £300K PER YEAR, EVERY YEAR

[@jeffreyhegg9964]

Used to go and stay many times as my in-laws had a guest house from 1978 for around 15 years had some good times there

[@thelostsock2187]

The rent on those shops were through the roof for decades. Whoever owns them is to blame.

[@desrez6]

Greed kills everything. They would rather leave the shops empty than focus on the greater good of society

[@spicy6892]

I used to sit on council meetings and what I was told is that the landowner won't reduce his rates, lives in London and doesn't seem to care if they fill or not

[@robertcatterall6514]

Absolutely Love Southport As a kid in the Late sixties used to start at happy Land then catch the miniature Railway to go the main Fair.. there used to be Loads of cafes open all Day and get anything from Breakfast to a Roast Dinner…… oh Lovely memories 👍👍

[@debsprior862]

Parking is the problem with Lord Street! I've worked on Lord Street for decades, it was a bad day when they installed those pay& display machines around the town. Now there are car parks offering three hours free parking, taking people away from Lord Street. Wherever there is free parking, there are people.... If Sefton Council offered a period of free parking- people would come back to Lord Street. As it is, the parking bays are pretty empty- so they're not really collecting any revenue ( which people argue the council needs & that's the reason for the meters) Tackle the parking and welcome the visitors!

[@lucybeckmann1378]

They have digital parking machines all over Newcastle upon Tyne now. I don’t pay! Corrupt councils.

[@frankward8336]

Trouble is, handy free parking spaces are too often filled by staff !

[@debsprior862]

@@frankward8336 you mean in the surrounding streets outside the pay& display zones?

[@MARKETMAN6789]

Lord street used to be a pleasure to shop in the nice shops , It's now turning into ,just another run down shopping area like every other British inner city town

[@jerrydowse5061]

Dont forget its Southport Airshow this weekend,🤞for good weather. And plenty of revenue for the town.

[@sharonellis8776]

I really like Southport in general. I under estimated the number of empty shops. I guessed 20 xx

[@p.stephens9305]

Watching from Vancouver Island: Have to say despite all the closed shops, it still seems like a vibrant place. And it picks up in the summer, right? Hang in there Southport! (Oh, that arcade looked beautiful!)

[@ExplorewithPhilipBond]

Yes it allot more vibrant in Summer. But from when i was a kid i just feel its been drained of money and investment,Its not just Southport to be honest lots of sea-side towns have gone down hill in this country

[@deniseroney]

So maybe you should do a vid of what it has to offer in order folk will praise it and not put it down!?@@ExplorewithPhilipBond

[@uk-paranormal-search]

@@deniseroneyIt was not a void on Southport it was a general video on shopping i did say most seaside towns

[@deniseroney]

@@uk-paranormal-search Saying 'most seaside towns' whilst filming in one gives folk the impression you actually mean that town!!

[@frankward8336]

The Pier is a priority. It must be restored for Southport to have a chance.

[@ExplorewithPhilipBond]

i agree will it happen that's the question

[@markshirley01]

I live in Southport, it's suffering the same problems that most town centres are. It's online shopping, plus the size of the shops aren't quite right for a lot of modern retailers, plus a very old population that is a challenge to get them to spend. I reckon the new theater complex being built will bring in more money to the town tho.

[@ExplorewithPhilipBond]

Let's hope so , deffo not just our Town , What's the theatre complex going to be ?

[@deniseroney]

Plenty of out of town (on the edge of) stores too! @@eightiesmusic1984

[@Jimimac73]

Good to see man to man and manz world barbers still going strong been there since at least the 60s...

[@timspooner59]

This is a walk down memory lane as I was a teenager in the 60's and early 70"s in Southport and Lord street was my old stamping ground. Mostly seen at 100mph on our motor bikes back then The shops were also fully occupied then. What a shame

[@deniseroney]

Was there yesterday and hey its 'still buzzing' just as it was when the first hotel was built in the sand dunes that are still here!!

[@SuePearson-q1i]

Having been involved in retail all my working life ,I find the site of closed shops and stores , heartbreaking.😢

[@ExplorewithPhilipBond]

I was in Germany a few years ago can't believe there retail looked like it was booming

[@marvinarbiton8093]

Good quality footage and it was high time the sad state of retail in Southport was publicised. We need far more private shop owners with a greater variety of shops in Southport. Reduce the rents or fine the shop owners for not trading.

[@ExplorewithPhilipBond]

Think rent is the big problem as well as online shopping i

[@stevenadams6393]

Very well made and produced video. Southend-On-Sea has this similar problem of empty shops. Although Southport is defo classier! Would you consider doing a video of Southport and Birkdale pubs & bars sometime?

[@ExplorewithPhilipBond]

Thank you glad you enjoyed , as for the pubs and bars as in closed down or open ?

[@veronical.lianmaseras4543]

Lord Street remains a fantastic experience with new shops opening all the time Phil?

[@lorrainereeves4466]

Lord Street is long and very wide with a great number of beautiful classic buildings. It’s a joy to walk from one end to the other. Unfortunately a lot of the shop premises are small and no longer viable for today’s leading businesses (shoppers now use retailers in streets nearby). Another factor is Southport’s population of 94,000. Realistically the population is insufficient to warrant a huge injection of cash to relaunch this grand road but it can’t be left to decay that’s for sure. To make matters worse Southport’s magnificent pier has been closed waiting for £millions of restoration money to be found. I’m hoping the local authority have got their thinking caps on.

[@ExplorewithPhilipBond]

Let's hope the pier stays be a disaster if it goes

[@boycecat1964]

@11:29 you pass a lovely second hand bookshop on a few levels down a sort of courtyard/ alley

[@deniseroney]

Correct! is that the one that sells all sorts of shells too? Phil actually passes another brilliant book shop on the other side of the road down the side street next to the Carlton, the one that was in the Arcade has closes as owner was moving away.

[@marybedward9381]

Thanks for that I haven’t been to Southport in a lifetime. 👍

[@ExplorewithPhilipBond]

You re most welcome and thank you for watching

[@deniseroney]

The town is built on 3/4 levels that includes Lord Street so if Lord Street doesn't float your boat another level will!!

[@haydndavies2475]

You akright phil mate. You and me live here. The place has changed drastically since we were young. Boarded up shops or charity shops everywhere. The lord street canopies never painted. All the towns famous hotels in decline and run down. The parks are mainly cleaned by volunteers who try their hardest but they are left to rot by the council. Smashed lighting all around the marine lake and litter everywhere. Its a shame but the place is in free fall decline.

[@ExplorewithPhilipBond]

@@haydndavies2475 Not to bad mate , i feel it has but some of the other comments disagree 🤔 check out my haunted page @uk-paranormal -search . That's another channel that takes away all the drama from what you see on TV nowadays . Good to hear from you

[@haydndavies2475]

@@ExplorewithPhilipBond will check it out.👍

[@davidmalone2580]

Cool 😎 video

[@expatexpat6531]

I had a fry-up breakfast many years ago in the bus station café - a great building, but I didn't know it was once a train station. Is the indoors market near the railway station still open? There was also a small side street around there with some interesting shops and a very good 2nd hand bookshop.

[@ExplorewithPhilipBond]

The market is now a eating facility but i believe its very good and as usural busy , Its in market street if thats the premises you are thinking about

[@expatexpat6531]

@@ExplorewithPhilipBond Yes, just saw it on Google maps. Pity the market's gone, but at least the building is being looked after. Broadhurst's bookshop is also still there (3 Market Street).

[@therespectedlex9794]

1:12 Good facts, but what you don't mention is the earlier history of that clock tower. It formed a small part of the remarkable Winter Gardens, from what we know as the Victorian era. The art deco thratre next door, which even as a bingo hall has been closed, recently, had an opera house there, before it was built.

[@mediasatsng6889]

Its criminal to see Towns like these with empty shops, in my opinion its an easy fix but one the local council won't like, lower Business council rates and introduce free roadside parking, ok maybe have to make it a maximum stay of 3 hrs to prevent the shop or office workers beat the spending customers to the parking.

[@ExplorewithPhilipBond]

Have a point there , and the online shopping i suppose dont help

[@keswickcaravan]

Beyond outrageous. Southport is the richest town in Merseyside. The councils lack of professionalism, wholesale mismanagement and associated neglect are clear for all to see. I grew up in Southport and my heart sinks anytime I see what its become. Freemasonry at its worst.

[@davidholgate123]

Yes, local councils and especially the government are partly to blame but they can't just magic shoppers out of thin air... Most people, including me, shop online these days... Nobody goes into towns these days, unless it's a stunning beautiful and pleasant place to visit like Hebden Bridge, Skipton and other nice little rural market towns!

[@ryanmcguinness7898]

​@@davidholgate123 your right, but what life are people lifting sat at home ordering stuff I'd rather go out shopping then spend the rest of the day out and about atleast your getting to see things rather than sat in watching the world go by, I am only 29 so things may change in future when am crippled or whatever

[@lucybeckmann1378]

All part of the plan!

[@CrisTheRed]

Sefton ruined Southport needs Lancashire back

[@lucybeckmann1378]

I could say the same about Newcastle upon Tyne. Extremely corrupt council!

[@PK-yf3hd]

I went on a works outing from west yorks in 1965 and was impressed with lord street ..i always wanted to return but didnt ..in 1977 i was at college with a lady who had worked at the prince of wales hotel(have i got that right?).

[@ExplorewithPhilipBond]

Prince of Wales is on Lord Street is that what you are asking . its still there up and running

[@Jasonm25870]

Never thought I'd see Nicholas Thomson shut. It was still open last summer, unless he's retired.

[@ExplorewithPhilipBond]

Maybe refurbished going on not sure

[@mikeherbert7664]

Definitely closed for good & another three have closed since Christmas

[@uk-paranormal-search]

That's a Shame ta for the info

[@petalguru5432]

Fun Fact - in the late sixties on a day trip as a child, I watched Norman Wisdom Shooting a Film (What’s good for the Goose I think) outside the bank at 7:24.

[@mrt8694]

Think they should start by not charging for any car parking in Southport started to go wrong when they pedestrianised …..

[@JoseMartinez-og2hy]

That old bingo hall looked beautiful. What a shame that the council do nothing with it except let it rot…makes zero sense!

[@ExplorewithPhilipBond]

Lets hope so, its a great inside also.it was a cinema and has the old boxes still in situ

[@TheHandsomeman]

Councils with their high rates are to blame for this.

[@petaparkhouse8278]

Did you count the empty shops in the other side of Lord Street as there were a few

[@ExplorewithPhilipBond]

No only did the main side sorry

[@loftlegacy]

Living nearby, I popped in on Saturday for my lad some shin pads from Sports Direct as it's free parking on Tulketh Street for customers, we also popped into The Atkinson for a look at any new exhibitions. Apart from buying the shin pads, it was raining and utterly miserable in town. I really think parking charges are killing Southport and other parts of Sefton. How much really will the council make from parking compare to lost revenue of the local economy? OK, the park and ride has to be paid for but all those spaces on the front, which are usually empty, why not have them free as people, if visiting for a few hours, park in Ocean Plaza anyway. As for the shopping area, Chapel Street needs a good clean up as it looks so grotty. Moving down the coast, Formby Village is a shadow of its former self with the usual "cash only" barbers etc and Sefton charge for the bit of parking on Sumner Road and the machines on The Cloisters private car park are so dodgy, people avoid it to avoid the ticket as the machines don't work most of the time.... all for a few quid. We went through on Saturday night and it was dead. To contract, yesterday we went to New Brighton for a day out and struggled to find a space as it's free parking. Whilst a cold day there were lots of people about and spending their hard earned cash. Sefton MBC take note.

[@ExplorewithPhilipBond]

Reply so true was in New Brighton last week it's come on again so much , chapel street never the same since it was pedestrianised , and i think the rents are the big thing for the shops so expensive i believe , Obviously car parking and like lots of people have said online shopping , but you look at all the money wasted ie Houghton street no access to cars what the hell is that all about

[@frankhornby6873]

I wonder how many Turkish barbers have opened in the town?...they are thriving all over the country...even with hardly any customers!...WHAT IS THEIR SECRET?...

[@ExplorewithPhilipBond]

There are a few in and around southport some good ones also

[@thefamilysilver9762]

You predicted it almost exactly right, Philip, but I think you had every right to count the shops in the Wayfarer's Arcade and across the street in the Cambridge Arcade as well, and that would probably have put the score past 50 and nearer 60. I think you even overlooked the HCBC Bank, which appeared to have a For Sale sign, and a shop nearby which had its shutters down and could well have been empty too. How do you get the shops to thrive? It's probably not just a matter of persuading shopkeepers to occupy them; you'd still have the problem of people not going in the shops and then the shopkeepers closing down again. What's needed might be some sort of attraction nearby - when they refurbished the Midland Hotel at Morecambe it created a boost for the shops there, without the shops themselves needing to change. Let's say they opened a Disneyland at Southport (!), every shop on Lord St. would probably be booming as a side-effect. However, due to the unlikelihood of Disney ever coming to Southport, a more realistic hope might be a theme park or a visitor centre with a wide appeal, not one of those out-of-town factory outlets but a cultural visitor centre with a popular theme, eg shipping/railway/canal museum, Victorian tourism/fashion museum, etc. Good luck and best wishes to Southport.

[@ExplorewithPhilipBond]

It was hard as some might just be shut for winer such as the ice cream shop etc, i think the big problem is online shopping ,parking charges, and the cost to rent more than anything, I went to Berkin it was thriving with shops all descriptions , even a Woolworths but was more like a tack shop too be honest no pick and mx etc lol

[@petaparkhouse8278]

What about the old empty shops underneath Neville Street

[@ExplorewithPhilipBond]

😂😂

[@davidwaddington9414]

you can add another 3 to your list @ October 2024.

[@ExplorewithPhilipBond]

Maybe i should do it again next year

[@CrisTheRed]

Because of extortionate rental prices

[@uk-paranormal-search]

Think that's the main reason to if am honest

[@lucybeckmann1378]

The death 💀 of the high street!

[@ianclarke3627]

Is this typical for off season resort though ?

[@ExplorewithPhilipBond]

i imagine so nothing better to make something better when the sun is out

[@keithlinney7084]

Ebay has nothing to do with it? It's better than most areas

[@lucybeckmann1378]

Increasing business rates, rising costs of bills.

[@brucknerian9664]

Lockdowns, coerced vaccinations, some never recovered ... same everywhere, even here in small towns across Canada. Rich getting filthier rich, the poor living on the streets, or in their cars, can't afford skyrocketing rents.

[@davidsumner4335]

Thank you for being negative about my home town. You were wrong on 2. One is being refurbished and Rossi's ice cream is still open. Pity you couldn't be positive about the good things on both sides of Lord Street.

[@ExplorewithPhilipBond]

As i said in the video some shops might be shut for the winter that's why i did not count the italian ice cream store as in summer its as per rule open , It was not being negative on Southport if you actually watch the video i said this also its the theme with lots of sea side towns

[@marvinarbiton8093]

Ah but the four shops at the Bingo Hall were not counted, nor was the shop across the road next to the cafe on corner of Portland Street, nor was the old Shell shop which was set back a bit. Rossi's is not Rossi's as I am given to understand since Rossi's is a family owned business in Essex that does not distribute to Southport.

[@uk-paranormal-search]

@@marvinarbiton8093 The shell shop i remember as a kid did it not have some kind of witch doctor for pinchers at the doorway

[@timspooner59]

Rossis used to be much bigger

[@stephengardner2896]

It is called progress. If you want a shop, then do something that people can not do online. Hirdressors, nails. Fast food etc. We all have created this by putting price before buying local.and now you all start moaning.

[@DavidHoins]

What do people expect actually?? The British public rather do shopping online Instead of supporting and shopping on their local high street shop's why is that I hear you ask well with prices cheaper on online ànd delivered to their doors that enabled the lazy trend look at some cut price food retailers herons etc that stopped home delivering due to the fact of people buying a minimum of £30 which is normally one bag of shopping they the people who and still think they are so self entitled they rather kill off home delivering as they refused to carry one bag of shopping the attitudes of that had killed off the high street shop's and the British public are too blame noone else

[@ExplorewithPhilipBond]

You have a point , but also the cost of renting these premises is also a scandal

[@PeterTwistmarketing]

Very sad, I worked as a dj there end of the 70s and visited often as a kid, many happy memories, thanks for the video

[@jerrydowse5061]

@@ExplorewithPhilipBondExactly Phillip,thanks for uploading.A nice town.all the best.

[@deniseroney]

With such a strong scouse (Liverpool) accent how on earth is Southport your home town. Afraid we stopped your video after 3 mins as the history on the CLR that was is incorrect then you went on to describe the boarded up building that was once a 'cinema' !? Really? So it was never a stunning origianl art deco theatre that has retained many of its features? Therefore it is now in the position of being totally renovated, hence the reason for its boarding up! If you faithful guys do visit Southport you will be rewarded with a great little town (we are NOT a city) but we have everything! Don't forget the great parks and play areas, the one in the newly renovated Kings Gardens is the latest AND free!

[@uk-paranormal-search]

strong scouse accent 😂😂am afraid i am born in southport

[@deniseroney]

Of scouse parents then? @@uk-paranormal-search

[@ExplorewithPhilipBond]

definitely not thanks

[@lucybeckmann1378]

Not much footfall.

[@MrWardnine]

Home Town ? He,s a scally

[@ExplorewithPhilipBond]

i can insure you i was born in Southport , always one 😂

[@edwardburnsenhicks7772]

Whole country is a turd. Odd towns an city's to live. I wanna get out if I can.

[@ExplorewithPhilipBond]

I want a lighthouse but will never happen 😭

[@edwardburnsenhicks7772]

@@ExplorewithPhilipBond . ?????? Enigma code.

[@mark861]

I tell you what. .sell me the whole of Southport for £1 and come back In 18 months time. .the whole place will be rammed ..full of tourists and holiday makers.

[@MrVulcanbomber]

Not good! 🤮

[@paulfrench3356]

Amazon.

[@MARKETMAN6789]

Plenty of kebab take away sellers on their way here in dingies ,with lots of experience on the streets of Pakistan ,turkey,Egypt, Morocco,India ,Afghanistan ,Somalia ,Albania etc You will have lots of barber shops ,they might not be able to cut hair professionally, but it keeps them off the streets You can probably turn some into immigration offices I'm sure some can be turned into mosques in the near future as more and more islamic councillors get on the local councils, They might even change some into temporary accomodation to help the economic asylum seekers with their housing needs Until their new flats and houses are built for them Don't forget the pound shop entrepreneurs who spread the goods all over the pavement ,,make sure you've got your camera with you ,to witness your broken legs when you fall over the goods on the pavements outside their shops

[@SuePearson-q1i]

Having been involved in retail all my working life ,I find the site of closed shops and stores , heartbreaking.

[@timspooner59]

No customers and rent and overheads much too high