Walton-on-the-Naze programme available here in 3 parts: kzitem.info/news/bejne/s6Vrt5Nuk3qEYIY kzitem.info/news/bejne/0Hh5vXhprKp1fqg kzitem.info/news/bejne/1p6trYVskYKEaXo
@craigjohnson8240
Ай бұрын
I thought Are You Being Served was a sitcom, now I realise it was a documentary!.
@misst.e.a.187
Ай бұрын
😅 Mrs Slocom. Are you being served?
@georginamahoney649
Ай бұрын
lol yes 😂
@davidlondon2810
25 күн бұрын
It was based on careful observation of some of the characters who worked in British department stores.
@peterward3965
6 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 .🥂
@ajs41
6 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.
@peterward3965
6 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-go3fv
2 ай бұрын
@@peterward3965 No apologies necessary! Please go on! This is the best part of KZitem! Comments from people like yourself, who were actually there!
@Dragonrdh
Ай бұрын
Its a good sign that they kept so many staff for many years.
@lhasalynn2091
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
@sablemorton3013
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.
@jaijai5250
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.6180
Ай бұрын
Agree. Sadly no more.
@EC-mw7ty
Ай бұрын
Your comment sums it up perfectly. Me too.
@mrmrsmsmisscloud7512
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! ❤😢
@dodgeboy9052
Ай бұрын
@@gabriellaj.o.6180 Yes you are right very sad ... People hated Margret Thatcher ... But she is very needed now in England...
@jamestheposh
4 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.
@lhasalynn2091
Ай бұрын
Wow---thanks for updating us. Those subtitles had nothing to do with what the people were saying!!
@peterward3965
Ай бұрын
Yes James you're so right, she was known as the Queen Mother 😂 cheers 🥂
@user-my8bb6nc1x
Ай бұрын
Good for her. This is 1982? It looks like 1942.
@gabriellaj.o.6180
Ай бұрын
I bet miss Mary brogan sacked a few girls in her time.
@peterward3965
Ай бұрын
@@gabriellaj.o.6180 That would have been down to Audrey Hawker. Cheers 🥂
@ttp436
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.
@typower9
Ай бұрын
Have you bee back to Selfridges in the following decades and if so, what changes did you notice?
@markylon
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
@dotheyfloat9961
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.
@lukethomas658
Ай бұрын
I always enjoy when people share personal anecdotes, thank you for sharing.
@diane9247
Ай бұрын
Thank you for writing about it! Like you, I am nostalgic in my old age.
@elisa7881
Ай бұрын
The "sprayers", the department store scourge of the 80s.
@dmj8891
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.
@kostanabanjac4896
Ай бұрын
Absolutely love - “my face is like farmer’s arse on a frosty night” 😂
@QuadriviumNumbers
Ай бұрын
"Don't sing to the woman!...He clenched his teeth at me...nasty man!!" 🤣😂🤣 What a great character!
@fran-kittyayers5329
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 😊
@hilarybarnes1319
Ай бұрын
My thoughts EXACTLY! 😂❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
@hamneggs345
Ай бұрын
England was so English in the 80s, I loved it
@timthelamb
Ай бұрын
You're absolutely right. I m miss it terribly.
@tiapina7048
Ай бұрын
What does that mean?
@DebraGruber-hk7xl
Ай бұрын
@@tiapina7048 it means we didnt have the keffiya crowd ruining life for everyone with their poison
@gabriellaj.o.6180
Ай бұрын
Political change was forced on us including migration without the electorate being asked.
@tiapina7048
Ай бұрын
@@gabriellaj.o.6180 when was "political change" forced on you? What would you like to be asked about migration?
@charlescalthorp5375
7 ай бұрын
Some of the people have lovely speaking voices, especially the beautician.
@user-my8bb6nc1x
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
@TheMusicalElitist
Ай бұрын
@@user-my8bb6nc1x Oh do shut up.
@kaysmith8992
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.
@kaysmith8992
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.
@Paratus7
Ай бұрын
When London was still a stylish, classy city.
@jaijai5250
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!
@kevinshaw1387
Ай бұрын
Erm, maybe in Selfridges it was !
@bibi-xh1bm
Ай бұрын
you can always find comments like this on youtube, nostalgia is a powerful thing
@gabriellaj.o.6180
Ай бұрын
Agree. Miss that london. Stick the world city dump it's become.
@kevinshaw1387
Ай бұрын
Happened in Croydon, they shut classy shops like Allders and Debenhams and the whole place is a deserted shit hole now
@susieb6454
Ай бұрын
The way that guy carries the mannequins 😂
@misspurrr-fect3684
Жыл бұрын
Sad to think many of these Characters have now passed away .
@christopherhulse8385
Жыл бұрын
That's life!
@spidyman8853
6 ай бұрын
Some of the young employees would be in their 60s now
@re7416
6 ай бұрын
@@christopherhulse8385 With Esther Rantzen!
@Dangerman5
Ай бұрын
Always the way, can’t believe how long ago this was
@jenlfpotter3870
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.
@maddi3582
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.6180
Ай бұрын
Life was simple but better. You got on with life and the hand you were dealt with.
@baylorsailor
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.
@mikemanners1069
2 жыл бұрын
I can't help but to think of Grace Brothers Department Store....
@tonyclifton265
Ай бұрын
except everyone is john inman
@th8257
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
@gabvideo
Ай бұрын
I just had the same thought !
@Tempe1962
Ай бұрын
lol
@typower9
Ай бұрын
That might be one of the department stores alluded to at the start of this documentary .
@Alitawc1
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!!
@traceyreid4585
Ай бұрын
How would you describe your life? Stan: "Lots of ups n downs!" what a character
@misst.e.a.187
Ай бұрын
What about Mr Misery on Hats?
@somewhereeeelolz9983
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.187
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.6180
Ай бұрын
@Le7Dauphin it was Peter Robinson.
@helendeacon7637
Ай бұрын
This was excellent. I kept expecting to see Captain Peacock, Mrs Slocombe and Miss Brahms. A great doco. Thank you!
@GothGuy885
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.
@julben27
Ай бұрын
The Beautician is an absolutely wonderful lady
@angelaegan7511
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!
@timthelamb
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.
@ajs41
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.
@mediacityavid
Жыл бұрын
In the days when interviewing was subtle. John was a class act
@simon-oy6um
5 ай бұрын
Basic rules ,never push a customer you will alienate them they will decide for themselves 😊
@user-my8bb6nc1x
Ай бұрын
That woman flogging the perfume promotion was awful. No wonder nobody ever bought from her. How annoying can you get.
@kaysmith8992
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.
@misst.e.a.187
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.
@monacophotographyevents2384
Ай бұрын
There were always some very strange and interesting people wandering around Selfridge' and Harrod's.
@ObsoleteOddity
Күн бұрын
“Norman” the postman was wildly eccentric, brilliant!
@gabriellaj.o.6180
Ай бұрын
I love the store detective she could catch them. Love her. RIP
@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 .
@njm1971nyc
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.187
Ай бұрын
It was still a good shopping hub in 86
@njm1971nyc
Ай бұрын
@@misst.e.a.187 it was indeed! 🙂
@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.
@ttp436
Ай бұрын
Absolutely I was the 90’s era
@markylon
Ай бұрын
I worked there end of the 80s into the 90s best time of my life.
@bobikdylan
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.
@user-my8bb6nc1x
Ай бұрын
4:15 "You don't have time? Why is that?" Mouthy cow. Her hairstyle is hilarious.
@childrensorg856
Ай бұрын
She's an early chav.
@gabriellaj.o.6180
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.
@cleornroll254
Ай бұрын
why not muffin?
@gabriellaj.o.6180
Ай бұрын
@@cleornroll254 Because people change. I don't like London these days and I have more sense with my money as well.
@monacophotographyevents2384
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.
@cleornroll254
Ай бұрын
@monacophotographyevents2384 alot of men jaggin' off?
@misst.e.a.187
Ай бұрын
Selfridges was far better, imo
@monacophotographyevents2384
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.
@barrieuk
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.6180
Ай бұрын
Unusual but lovely.
@storytellercommunications9956
Ай бұрын
I was there. In the stationery department. Remember Mr Yates, the man in Lost Property and the peculiar 'Norman' the postman.
@minekara6407
2 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.
@QuadriviumNumbers
Ай бұрын
South Molton Street? Very nice! I used to shop there in the 80/90's.
@richardyoung1053
2 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.
@th8257
Ай бұрын
Easy to forget this programme is literally from last century
@emilymorley3655
Ай бұрын
my parents bought the old lift art deco iron work when it was chucked out during refurbishment
@gabvideo
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.
@roygardiner2229
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.
@user-hz9yv4ov6c
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 😊
@GothGuy885
Ай бұрын
did your husband tell him that the raincoat would Ride up with wear? [ Are you being Served Reference ]
@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.
@markylon
Ай бұрын
@@ajs41 I remember Norman (Maurice) bless him
@PAUL-ge1kl
Ай бұрын
You didn't fall out with him I hope😮
@Merseysiderful
Жыл бұрын
This was filmed in the first month of The Falklands War with Argentina.
@gaykid80
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! ;)
@ajs41
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).
@mde6006
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.
@timothyhughes205
Ай бұрын
@@mde6006 I'm an ex Harrodian too, and this really resonated with me. Talk about finding your tribe!
@gabriellaj.o.6180
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-lo1iz8tj1v
Ай бұрын
@@gabriellaj.o.6180 Fenwick in Bond Street is now permanently closed.
@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.
@kenstevens5065
Жыл бұрын
Stan the goods lift man.....brilliant!
@robynjones7691
3 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.
@squirrelvert
9 күн 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!)
@nicolepowell5470
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
@GothGuy885
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 . 🤣
@nicolepowell5470
Ай бұрын
@@GothGuy885 Very true
@caroljones4511
2 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.
@Dragonrdh
Ай бұрын
Loved Selfidges! I used to shop there every week, and take our daughter to the Christmas village
@misst.e.a.187
Ай бұрын
You could spend the whole day in Selfridges. What a store
@lisajanedegara9858
Ай бұрын
Selfridges is one of my favourite stores in the world-- it was great to look into this slice of history!
@mariash1970
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.
@Greenz1100
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.
@ajs41
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.
@ForceFreeTrainergirl06
Ай бұрын
In the 80s I worked in a lawyers' office in the West End and I used to wander around Selfridges most lunchtimes.
@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!!
@jamesbomd3503
Ай бұрын
trauma being woken up
@Venus29
Ай бұрын
I miss Debenhams 😢
@johnathandaviddunster38
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 ....)
@zaftra
Ай бұрын
every character from are you being served is in there.
@misst.e.a.187
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
@mistofoles
Жыл бұрын
"Who would you say is your worst customer ?" "The grumbling old tw*t over there who's never pleased."
@jenlfpotter3870
Ай бұрын
On this film, it would have to be the possessed very high pitch baby in the hairdresser's. Wow!
@srobinson4070
Ай бұрын
I used to work at Selfridges on Saturdays and in the Summer holidays. They really paid well.
@hisdivinegraceimperialmaje4178
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 !!!
@texluh
Ай бұрын
John Inman gets everywhere
@lafillenoir
Ай бұрын
Wow, 3000 staff at once! I love seeing old footage of how we used to shop pre 2000s
@jenniferyule8786
Ай бұрын
London to me in the 80s when I turned 18 was the most stylish, chic, wonderful city in the world.
@discogareth
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.
@ajs41
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
@expectingthebeach2368
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 🤗🛍
@discogareth
Ай бұрын
@@ajs41 it just suddenly appeared in my suggested videos, so thought I’d take a look. The algorithm is algorithming!
@markylon
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
@ajs41
Ай бұрын
@@discogareth Thanks. I didn't realise it might just be an algorithm.
@gabriellaj.o.6180
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.
@jamessergeant2136
Ай бұрын
Wonderful documentary. So many characters.
@alisonmcveigh3571
Ай бұрын
Enjoyed watching this. The guy carrying the mannequin around made me chuckle
@amandajane8227
2 жыл бұрын
Pet Coffin! Biggest laugh I have had for some time. :D
@lukestagg2138
Ай бұрын
By gone era, slightly before I was born. Things are so different now
@Lynsey2024
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.
@Dinadino994
Ай бұрын
I worked in Selfridges in early 2000 , Jo Malone counter . Loved it .
@misst.e.a.187
Ай бұрын
By then, it had gone almost entirely designer, following a very expensive makeover in 96
@Dinadino994
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 😊👍
@sairamaster7741
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
@Ben-gj4jr
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.
@zetametallic
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-gj4jr
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.
@debl9957
Ай бұрын
Awesome to watch!!
@aprillroberts
Ай бұрын
Fabulous, brought back memories
@mootpointmusic7627
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!
@craigjohnson4819
Ай бұрын
This is fabulous. Thank you for sharing
@giacomosaragoni3603
Ай бұрын
Thank you for posting it!Just great
@viviennepopek
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.
@gabriellaj.o.6180
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.
@mistofoles
Жыл бұрын
Must have been annoying walking through the cosmetics deparment with that girl spraying you like you were a bloody fly !
@janwong9437
Ай бұрын
We weren't allowed to do that in Debenhams
@typower9
Ай бұрын
She certainly 'left' her mark'...whether verbally or/and physically.
@bikerianm
19 күн бұрын
I worked there around this time and remember most of these people I used to cover lost property and the service lift during their breaks
@ajs41
19 күн бұрын
Thanks for the comment. Were any of the people in the video still in the same jobs into the 1990s?
@ciaransammon
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.6180
Ай бұрын
Was it that bad?
@pburke5274
16 күн бұрын
Oh no no no...... delightful characters....... 😂
@g-dave8002
20 күн 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.
@donnaspeer2760
15 күн бұрын
The London I used to love, not anymore.☹😩
@outoforbit00
Ай бұрын
The hat guy was so laid back, so long there probably that he couldn't be annoyed by anyone, especially the boss. He had a straight, honest way about him, a kind of authority over himself like he was his own boss.
@Fitzrovialitter
3 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)
@ajs41
3 жыл бұрын
Thanks, I was trying to identify the date it was filmed.
@ajs41
3 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.
@Fitzrovialitter
3 жыл бұрын
@Leonard Ssenkindu No it wasn't. Read the sign on the door.
@Fitzrovialitter
3 жыл бұрын
@@ajs41 This was definitively - not "probably" - filmed before May 1982.
@Fitzrovialitter
3 жыл бұрын
@Leonard Ssenkindu You need to examine the facts, not accept what people tell you.
@Faith_Chi
Ай бұрын
Thanks for uploading this, I really enjoyed it. :)
@ajs41
Ай бұрын
Thanks Faith, I appreciate your comment.
@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.
@allnightmike8374
3 ай бұрын
Cleaners are the real hard workers
@nicholasgargano7396
2 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-go3fv
2 ай бұрын
it's a small world unless you have to clean it.
@Dragonrdh
Ай бұрын
The store was always sparkling.
@mistofoles
Ай бұрын
@@Dragonrdh Well thank you for the acknowledgement : )
@StephenLyons-tl8ie
Ай бұрын
"Mr Yates! Are you free?" "No, I'm in the stockroom with Gordon!!"
@flyc3
Жыл бұрын
The lack of Mrs Brodeys’(?) is the reason customer service is so shite these days.
@th8257
Ай бұрын
Let's face it - customer service wasn't amazing then either.
@jamesrouchard4455
28 күн бұрын
This is the original “The Office”
@gillysmusic
Ай бұрын
It's like a 1980s soap with all the stereotypes going!
@GothGuy885
Ай бұрын
Ground floor: perfumery Stationery and leather goods Wigs and haberdashery Kitchenware and food Going up First floor: telephones Gents' ready-made suits Shirts, socks, ties, hats Underwear and shoes Going up Second floor: carpets Travel goods and beddings Materials and soft furnishing Restaurant and teas Going down Are you Free Mr Humphreys? I'm Freeee! 😀 10:53 Mr Nash, How many time have I told you to stay off the sales floor during shop hours. and cover up that dummy! there are customers present!
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