Friday 2 September 2016

Badly Handled Situation?

Blatantly Heartless Selfishness? Broken-hearted Hard-done-by Staff  I am not sure what BHS stands for anymore. The final shops closed on Monday after 88 years of being on our high streets
My Mum was fond of BHS - I think she regarded it as "the poor man's M&S". If we couldn't find something in Dereham Woolworth's, then usually it was obtainable from Norwich BHS.
When Bob and I married in 1979, her cream wedding hat came from BHS. So did the one worn by Bob's Mum. In fact, they wore identical hats. We'd checked their outfits were different colours - but omitted to consider their accessories.
I had an orange wedding hat from BHS in the 70s, for the wedding of my friends David and Susan. In fact, most people I know bought wedding hats from the shop.
In later years, I found lots of bargains in their sales - children's schoolwear, nightwear, slippers, towels, sheets...there's still BHS bedlinen in the airing cupboard. Their lighting range was also excellent [in the days before IKEA arrived, they were the home store]
Our best ever discovery was that they had a range of simple stainless steel cutlery which bore a remarkable similarity to our best WMF wedding present stuff. For 30 years we have been using it as our 'everyday' stuff - but if we have lots of dinner guests, it doubles up alongside the 'posh' - the knives are almost identical
BHS left, WMF right.

I am sorry BHS has gone - but it did seem to lose the plot in the last 15 years or so. Looking at the items in the closing down sale in Norwich last month, I couldn't really see why anyone would want to buy them. 

It does seem too that Mr Greed [aka Sir Philip Green - how on earth can this man justify his knighthood for services to retail?] knowingly sold on the company, and the pension scheme problems for just £1 to a guy who was ill-equipped to deal with them.
I do hope the redundant staff find new employment soon - it is always those at the bottom of the business who come off worst. Farewell BHS
Fings ain't wot they used to be, as Max Bygraves used to sing.
While I am having a little rant, I shall mention this item. The Sarson's Vinegar Bottle. For years I have had one of these - the one which moved here from Kirby was purchased in 2001 [don't ask how I know, but it was] Whenever it was empty, I'd unscrew the top, wash it thoroughly and refill cheaper vinegar from a large economy bottle. My bottle was sparkly, clean - and lost its Sarson's label years ago. Last month, I dropped it on the kitchen floor and it smashed. So I purchased another. Now I discover that the design has changed sometime in the last 15 years. The red cap no longer unscrews. So I cannot refill it as I used to. Bother!
I shall have to seek out another small refillable bottle. 
Any suggestions?

1 comment:

  1. I miss Ipswich BHS - not for the clothes etc as I'd not bought anything there for years - but for the loos and cafe which was big and airy with always plenty of room.
    And I remember the hats too. In the old Ipswich shop they used to be on a long counter on the right as you walked in.They must have got quite grubby with so many people trying them on!

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