[ Post made via Mobile Device ]
Cobbs Department Store
Re: Cobbs Department Store
Have a Bud.
[ Post made via Mobile Device ]
[ Post made via Mobile Device ]
Re: Cobbs Department Store
I worked in Cobbs of Sydenham as a Saturday Boy when I was 16 years old in 1971.
I remember it has being quite an up-market establishment for the area.
When I was taken on the General Manager (whose name I cannot recall) "advised" me to make sure that my hands were clean when at work - I had an old motorcycle at the time and my hands must have been a bit grimy
The people in charge of the departments were known as "Buyers" and were definitely in charge. It was very much like Grace Brothers.
I worked in Menswear. I remember a Haberdashery Dept, Ladies Wear, Furniture and an Electrical Dept just inside the front door where I think they also sold records. The staff canteen was upstairs
Sometimes I would do a stint in the Cash Office, at the top in the dome. The pneumatic pipe system was used to send customers payments up to the office and we sent the change back down the same way. Cash always had to balance at the end of each day.
There was an old style "Doll's Eye" telephone switchboard in there too which worked by plugging in leads to put callers through to departments and to give staff access to outside lines.
I worked there for about a year.
I remember it has being quite an up-market establishment for the area.
When I was taken on the General Manager (whose name I cannot recall) "advised" me to make sure that my hands were clean when at work - I had an old motorcycle at the time and my hands must have been a bit grimy
The people in charge of the departments were known as "Buyers" and were definitely in charge. It was very much like Grace Brothers.
I worked in Menswear. I remember a Haberdashery Dept, Ladies Wear, Furniture and an Electrical Dept just inside the front door where I think they also sold records. The staff canteen was upstairs
Sometimes I would do a stint in the Cash Office, at the top in the dome. The pneumatic pipe system was used to send customers payments up to the office and we sent the change back down the same way. Cash always had to balance at the end of each day.
There was an old style "Doll's Eye" telephone switchboard in there too which worked by plugging in leads to put callers through to departments and to give staff access to outside lines.
I worked there for about a year.
Re: Cobbs Department Store
I recall buying a posh dinner service c.1973/4 - the sort including gravy boat and saucer, a huge oval charger (serving platter) etc, so it was posh and old fashioned, typical of that era, so similar to Gamages in Holborn, even Heal's at the time and just before places like the increasingly popular Habitat changed style and consumer buying preferences forever.