Showing posts with label retro. Show all posts
Showing posts with label retro. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

A Back to the Future DeLorean - in 2020

I saw a Back to the Future DeLorean time machine four years ago today.


This was the last event we went to, as the world went into shutdown with the coronavirus pandemic shortly afterwards.

Back to the Future DeLorean in Salford

In 2019 I ticked 'See a real life DeLorean' off of my bucket list.

On Friday the 13th 2020 I managed to see another one at MediaCityUK in Salford and that one was this Back to the Future version!

Back to the Future DeLorean in Salford

Back to the Future DeLorean in Salford

Back to the Future DeLorean in Salford

Four years later and I still need to drive one...

Back to the Future DeLorean in Salford
What time would you go to?

Check out the Back to the Future car's website for more information.


Back to the Future DeLorean in Salford

Saturday, February 24, 2024

A Happy Shopper shop in Ilkeston, Derbyshire

Finding a Happy Shopper shop in Ilkeston.


The Wayfairer Discount Store Happy Shopper shop in Ilkeston, Derbyshire

On our way back home from a trip south we visited the abandoned Toys R Us in Derby as well as the still open Happy Shopper shop in Ilkeston.

The Wayfairer Discount Store Happy Shopper shop in Ilkeston, Derbyshire

One of the retro brands I remember clearly from growing up in the 80s and 90s was Happy Shopper. The colourful sign with the happy chappy face is a lovely throwback. Happy Shopper received a rebrand in 2000, but if you are lucky you can still find the original branding and signage on some shops.

The Wayfairer Discount Store Happy Shopper shop in Ilkeston, Derbyshire

The Wayfairer Discount Store Happy Shopper shop in Ilkeston, Derbyshire

The Wayfairer Discount Store Happy Shopper shop in Ilkeston, Derbyshire

The Wayfairer Discount Store Happy Shopper shop in Ilkeston, Derbyshire


Video Box Office at The Wayfairer Discount Store Happy Shopper shop in Ilkeston, Derbyshire

Other Happy Shopper shops


We didn't think there would be many - or any - of the original orange and yellow branded shops still around, but we were proven wrong when we saw one in Preston in September 2020.

Since then we've been lucky enough to spot and snap a few more.

Take a look at my posts about other Happy Shopper shops in:

Remains of a Happy Shopper shop in Ormesby St Margaret, Norfolk

A ghost sign at the old Happy Shopper shop in Ormesby St Margaret, Norfolk.


We were surprised and amazed to see an old Happy Shopper sign while en route to Hemsby during an East Anglian Road-Trip.

We had taken a couple of detours because of traffic and ended up on a different road towards the seaside that took us through the village of Ormesby St Margaret. We're always looking for points of interest and new things to spot when on our travels and as we drove past the village shop we both said to each other jokingly "I wonder if that used to be a Happy Shopper?"

A ghost sign at the old Happy Shopper shop in Ormesby St Margaret, Norfolk

Imagine our shock when we saw a really old, classic Happy Shopper sign in one of the shop windows!


Other Happy Shopper shops


We didn't think there would be many - or any - of the original orange and yellow branded shops still around, but we were proven wrong when we saw one in Preston in September 2020.

Since then we've been lucky enough to spot and snap a few more.

Take a look at my posts about other Happy Shopper shops in:

Saturday, February 17, 2024

The old Blockbuster Video store in Nuneaton


The old Blockbuster Video store in Nuneaton

The old Blockbuster Video store in Nuneaton

The old Blockbuster Video store in Nuneaton
A ghost sign of the torn ticket logo at the back of the store

Finding other old Blockbuster Video shops.

It's always fun to see ghost signs, remnants of old & dead brands and interesting signage while out and about on our travels. Since I found the remains of the Blockbuster Video store in Fallowfield, Manchester in October 2019 I've been intrigued to see the brand still has a lingering presence on the high street. The last Blockbuster Video shop ceased trading in the UK in December 2013!

Our travels have taken us to several former Blockbuster stores:

Friday, February 16, 2024

Minigolf at Retrodome in Barnsley

The Retrodome arcade in Barnsley, South Yorkshire is adding a minigolf course.


The Retrodome arcade in Barnsley, South Yorkshire is adding a minigolf course

Retrodome - a retro arcade in Barnsley - will soon be home to a new indoor minigolf course.

Check out the Retrodome website for more information.

As fans of minigolf AND retrogaming this sounds like a superb mix!

It'll be nice to visit Barnsley on our Crazy World of Minigolf Tour.

Thursday, February 15, 2024

Woolworths in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent

The last Woolworths shop in the UK closed in January 2009 so it was brilliant to see this frontage looking fairly unchanged!


Woolworths in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent
Woolworths in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent

We first spotted the store in Longton while driving through the town in 2019 and returned in 2020 for a closer look. We were very surprised to see the branding still in place.

Woolworths in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent
Woolworths in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent

Woolworths in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent
Woolworths in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent

Woolworths in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent
Woolworths in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent

Woolworths in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent
Woolworths in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent

Woolworths in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent
Woolworths in Longton, Stoke-on-Trent

Thursday, February 08, 2024

The old Blockbuster Video Express store in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex (April 2023)

A look at the former Blockbuster Video Express store in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex.


Blockbuster Video Express store in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex (April 2023)

We visited the old Blockbuster Video Express store in Westcliff-on-Sea in April. It was nice to see some of the signage was still in place, even though there was a lot of scaffolding up around it.

Blockbuster Video Express store in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex (April 2023)

I've since heard that all of the Blockbuster signage has now been removed.

Blockbuster Video Express store in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex (April 2023)

Blockbuster Video Express store in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex (April 2023)

Blockbuster Video Express store in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex (April 2023)

Blockbuster Video Express store in Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex (April 2023)


It's always fun to see ghost signs, remnants of old & dead brands and interesting signage while out and about on our travels. Since I found the remains of the Blockbuster Video store in Fallowfield, Manchester in October 2019 I've been intrigued to see the brand still has a lingering presence on the high street. The last Blockbuster Video shop ceased trading in the UK in December 2013!

Our travels have taken us to several former Blockbuster stores:

Saturday, February 03, 2024

The old Blockbuster Video store in Southampton

A look at the former Blockbuster Video store in Southampton.


Blockbuster Video in Southampton

We visited the old Blockbuster Video store on Portswood Road in Southampton, Hampshire back in May 2021.

Blockbuster Video in Southampton

Blockbuster Video in Southampton

Work was underway to open the location as a new business. Luckily there were still some traces of the Blockbuster brand.

Blockbuster Video in Southampton

Blockbuster Video in Southampton

Blockbuster Video in Southampton

Finding other old Blockbuster Video shops.


It's always fun to see ghost signs, remnants of old & dead brands and interesting signage while out and about on our travels. Since I found the remains of the Blockbuster Video store in Fallowfield, Manchester in October 2019 I've been intrigued to see the brand still has a lingering presence on the high street. The last Blockbuster Video shop ceased trading in the UK in December 2013!

Our travels have taken us to several former Blockbuster stores:

Thursday, February 01, 2024

Toys R Us shopping trolleys in Stockport

We're always interested in spotting remains of retailers of yesteryear and saw this pair of Toys R Us shopping trolleys at the Renewal North West charity shop in Stockport.


Toys R Us shopping trolley in Stockport

Toys R Us shopping trolley in Stockport


I worked in the Gipsy Lane Toys R Us store in Luton, Bedfordshire back in the year 2000.

Toys R Us closed in the UK in April 2018. It's interesting to see that there are still remnants of the original brand in the UK. 

Toys R Us returned to the UK in 2023, as the brand can now be found in some branches of WH Smith. We haven't been near to any of the new version stores yet. It'll be interesting to see what they're like.

Saturday, December 16, 2023

The end of Blockbuster Video in the UK

The last Blockbuster Video shop ceased trading in the UK on this day in 2013.


Blockbuster Video in Fallowfield, Manchester

Blockbuster Video entered the UK video rental market in 1989 following the purchase of Ritz Video.

In 2013 there were over 500 Blockbuster locations in the UK. Throughout that year the number dwindled until October when only 264 shops remained. On the 16th December 2013 all stores ceased operations.

It's amazing that there are still clearly visible remnants of the brand on the high street and on retail parks ten years later.

Lost Blockbuster Video store in Prescot, Merseyside
If you're lucky, and know where to look, you might find a QuikDrop box hiding in plain sight

The first Blockbuster Video store had opened in Dallas, Texas, USA on the 19th October 1985.

The very last Blockbuster Video store in operation is in Bend, Oregon, USA.

We live near an abandoned Blockbuster Video store here in Manchester. It's always an eerie, interesting and nostalgic thing to drive past the old shop at Fallowfield Retail Park.

Blockbuster Video in Fallowfield, Manchester
Blockbuster Video in Fallowfield, Manchester

The sign about the closure was still visible on the window there before it was boarded up earlier this year.

Blockbuster Video in Fallowfield, Manchester

At its peak in 2004 there were more than 9,000 Blockbuster stores around the world. 500+ of which were in England, Scotland and Wales. Interestingly in Northern Ireland the Xtra-Vision brand was used by the owners in-line with the Republic of Ireland.


Blockbuster certainly wasn't the first video rental shop brand, but it was at one time the market leader.

Blockbuster Video store locations we've visited on our travels


Tuesday, October 03, 2023

Old Iceland in Coventry

Spotting some old Iceland signage on a modern Iceland store.


Emily spotted this old branding on the signage at the Iceland store in Coventry city centre.

Old Iceland in Coventry

Wednesday, August 09, 2023

Blockbuster Video Express in Colne

A look at the Blockbuster Video Express store in Colne, Lancashire.


We visited the former Blockbuster Video Express shop in Colne on this day in 2020.

Blockbuster Video Express in Colne. August 2020
Blockbuster Video Express in Colne, Lancashire

Exploring during the coronavirus pandemic


As our out-of-home minigolfing adventures were curtailed by the coronavirus pandemic I needed to scratch my exploring itch somehow. During the first nationwide lockdown Emily and I spent our daily outside exercise time walking around the Metropolitan Borough of Stockport where we managed to visit and photograph every one of the 265 pubs, bars and clubs in the area!

On our limited travels we also photographed as many pieces of Covid-19-related signage as we could.

The next mini 'tickable list' urban exploration challenge tapped into my interest in ghost signs, shops, retail marketing and old brands. Ever since I found the remnants of the Blockbuster Video store in Fallowfield, Manchester in October 2019 I've been amazed to see the brand still has a lingering presence in other places too.

Here's the former Blockbuster Video Express store in Colne and how it looked in August 2020.


Blockbuster Video Express in Colne
Some of the exterior signage

Blockbuster Video Express in Colne
Blockbuster Video Express

Blockbuster Video Express in Colne
A notice of Administration taped on the inside of the shop window. Note the tape used is Blockbuster branded

Blockbuster Video Express in Colne
The old QuikDrop box

Blockbuster Video Express in Colne
The sign on the front of the shop was long gone

Blockbuster Video Express in Colne
A look inside the former Blockbuster Video Express store. Still recognisable as a video shop

Blockbuster Video Express in Colne






Blockbuster Video in the UK


Blockbuster Video entered the UK video rental market in 1989 following the purchase of Ritz Video.

I remember going to the Ritz Video shop on the Peachcroft Estate in my home town of Abingdon, Oxfordshire in the late 80's and early 90's. That store became a Blockbuster and I rented some classics from there back in the day. Check out this post from the excellent Abingdon Blog to see a photo of the shuttered shop in 2014.

Most Blockbuster Video Express stores were somewhat smaller than regular Blockbuster shops. Although all of the stores expanded to include video game rentals. Old signage for the games area has been clearly visible on both the Fallowfield and Colne stores I've been to.

In 2013 there were over 500 Blockbuster locations in the UK. Throughout that year the number dwindled until October when only 264 shops remained. On the 16th December 2013 all stores ceased operations.

Blockbuster Video store locations we've visited