Old Norfolk shops that used to be on our high streets

Do you remember popping into Woolworths or renting your weekly videos from Blockbusters?

If you do, then check out list of the Norfolk shops you miss the most, as chosen by our readers.

1. C & A

Now a huge Next, C&A was a central feature of Norwich's Haymarket square through the years.

C&A, which stands for the names of the shop's founders Clemens and August Brenninkmeijer, was located in Haymarket from 1962 to 2000 and served hundreds of customers every day.

Maxine Peck said: "I used to work in C&A on Saturdays when I was at school, that was long time ago - almost 54 years!"

The Norwich store officially closed in 2001 and the chain left the UK market a year later.

Charity events, treasure hunts, sponsored walks, day trips to London were a regular occurrence, with workers even putting on Christmas shows.

The Woolworths store on St Stephens Street in Norwich. Pictured in 2003. (Image: Archant Library)

2. Woolworths

The former high street giant had sites all over Norfolk, with a huge Woolworths at Norwich Riverside now a Matalan.

The company went bust in late 2008 which resulted in the closure of all 807 Woolworths stores in the UK. 

Originally founded in the USA and sometimes referred to as 'Woolies', the store was a British high street favourite.

Pete Denington reminisced on the "little Woolworths on Magdalen street."

In 2019, the old Beccles Woolworths site held a reunion for previous workers, anyone who worked at Woolworths in Beccles during its 73-year run was welcomed, with visitors encouraged to bring photos of their time at the store.

3. Blockbusters

The national video rental chain filed for bankruptcy in 2010 leaving a hole in Norfolk's shopping streets.

Blockbuster struggled to adapt to the changing market and rivalry from internet retailers including Netflix.

The Dereham franchise, one of the last Blockbuster stores to close in Norfolk, was turned into a community centre run by the Big C charity, providing support for those affected by the disease. 

4. SNOB

At Snob’s peak, it had 28 stores across the UK listed, including a spot on Norwich's main shopping street - Gentleman's Walk.

Snob aimed to bring Soho chic and catwalk glamour to within arms’ reach of the baby boom generation. 

Michaela Harvey said: "I remember the trips to Norwich on the shopper bus to spend ages wandering around Snob, those were the days."

READ MORE: Take a look at Haymarket through the decades

5. Littlewoods

Littlewoods stores disappeared from our high streets in the mid-noughties as the company completely re-branded, instead becoming a powerhouse of home shopping.

Littlewoods stores sold a variety of low-cost clothing and household goods.

It had a large shop on St Stephen's Street in Norwich but it disappeared off our streets in the noughties.

6. Freeman Hardy and Willis

The shoe retailer was established in 1875 and was named after three employees of the company.

For many years, there was a branch in nearly every town in the United Kingdom.

During the early 1960s, the paper bags used to wrap the shoes were imprinted with the FHW letters and the legend "For Happy Walking".

The business collapsed in the early 1990s and left a hole in Norfolk's town's high streets.

7. Robin's Records

Chris Furness said: "It was my Saturday morning go-to for the latest music."

Robin Watson first set up Robin's Records on the Norwich market in 1971, at the time operating just one day a week.

He had been selling records at markets across the country, but, after growing fond of the city, decided to set up a home in Norwich, opening a permanent store on Pottergate two years later.