The former Woolworths in Selby

Spotting a Woolworth ghost sign in Selby, North Yorkshire.

We noticed the remains of a Woolworth sign on the former store on Gowthorpe in Selby while having a wander through the town.

The H of the original WOOLWORTH sign above one of the doors

Before its closure in 2009 the shop had been a Woolworths Local store.

Woolworth became Woolworths in 1984

It's now a Yorkshire Trading Company shop.

Related blog posts:

• Woolworths
• Ghost signs
• Lost shops
• Retail
• Urbex
• Selby

Urban exploration - Riverside Shopping Centre in Evesham, Worcestershire

A look at the Riverside Shopping Centre in Evesham, Worcestershire.

I had a walk through the Riverside Shopping Centre in Evesham while visiting the town last August.

It was such an interesting sight and experience to see an open shopping mall with so few open shops inside it! Really haunting.

As it is no longer viable as a shopping centre there are plans to demolish the shopping centre and regenerate the area.

Photos of the Riverside Shopping Centre in Evesham.

This entrance / exit to the shopping centre looked nice

Video:

• A walk through the Riverside Shopping Centre in Evesham (August 2025)

Urban exploration - Space Invader street art in Gateshead

A look at some Invader street art in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear.

NCL_19 is above ground at Gateshead Interchange

Three of the mosaic tile pieces by the French street artist Invader can be found at Gateshead Interchange Tyne and Wear Metro station.

A close up look at Invader NCL_21

These Invaders were created over the border in Gateshead during the Newcastle Invasion.

Invader NCL_21 downstairs in Gateshead Interchange metro station

Invader NCL_20 is deep underground at Gateshead Interchange

Scotland in Manchester

Spotting an area of Manchester called Scotland.

While having a wander in Manchester I spotted a sign pointing to Scotland - so naturally I had to follow it.

It didn't take me long to find Scotland.

It's a small area off Red Bank in Cheetham Hill.

On our travels we've found 'A.N. Other' versions of a number of towns / islands / states / countries in the UK! These include the Isle of Wight and Ireland (both in Bedfordshire), Egypt (in Buckinghamshire), Oxford (in Northumberland), New England (in Essex), Canada (in the New Forest) and a pair of Lutons (in Kent and Devon).

Related blog posts:

• Scotland
• Manchester
• Ireland in Bedfordshire

Urban exploration - Guildhall Shopping Centre in Stafford

A look at the Guildhall Shopping Centre in Stafford, Staffordshire.

The Guildhall Shopping Centre in Stafford closed its doors in March 2024.

This is how it looked in November 2024.

The shopping centre had started to be closed down in April 2022, with sections and entrances being closed off.

New Art Deco style architecture in Hunstanton

Edgewater Apartments in Hunstanton, Norfolk have been created in a nice Art Deco style.

We're big fans of Art Deco style, design and architecture, so it was nice to see the new building on the seafront while visiting Sunny Hunny.

Lost shops - C&A in Shrewsbury

C&A closed its UK stores during 2000 and 2001.

I spotted this remnant of the C&A store in Shrewsbury, Shropshire.

C&A announced the closure of its UK stores in June 2000, with the last of the 100+ stores closing in 2001.

The C&A on Pride Hill in Shrewsbury closed in 1998.

Related blog posts:

• Lost shops
• Retail
• Urbex

Urban exploration - Blockbuster Video Express in Colne, Lancashire

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

We checked out the former Blockbuster Video Express store in Colne, Lancashire during the pandemic.

Blockbuster ceased operations in the UK in December 2013 and so it was interesting to see there were still signs of the brand at the old shop.

The inside of the abandoned store had a haunting look to it.

The shop unit is currently used as a sandwich shop, but there is still one of the old Blockbuster Video Express signs hanging outside.

Urban exploration - Anglia Square shopping centre in Norwich

A look at a lost shopping centre in Norwich, Norfolk.

Anglia Square shopping centre in Norwich opened in 1970.

Anglia Square shopping centre has now closed and been partly demolished, with plans to build new housing, offices and retail space on the site.

The Hollywood Cinema closed in 2019

Photos of Anglia Square shopping centre in Norwich (May 2022).

The Hollywood Cinema was previously an ODEON

We visited Anglia Square shopping centre several times when in the city. Mostly to go to Sutton Toys, an excellent retro and vintage toy and videogame shop - which has now relocated to Reepham Road in Norwich.

Signs of the coronavirus pandemic times

On this day in 2020 the World Health Organization (WHO) officially declared the coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic.

Six years ago already. Blimey.

Later that month - on the 23rd March 2020 - the UK effectively ceased 'normal operations' as the country was put into lockdown.

Once we were allowed out photographed as much Covid-19 Coronavirus Pandemic and Social Distancing signage and notices as we could to document the times.

A Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council coronavirus sign in Cheadle Hulme, England in April 2020. The first covid sign I photographed and posted on social media

There was certainly a real variety of warnings, instructions and directional signage to do with social distancing.

Covid-19 signs at The Happy Shopper on Page Hall Road in Sheffield, England in October 2020

I documented a number of aspects of the coronavirus pandemic on my blog and social media while it was taking place.

A 'Social Distancing World Champion' floor decal in Chesterfield, England in August 2020

As a marketing and communications professional, one of my areas of interest was the huge variety of official & unofficial warnings, instructions and directional signage there was around covid and social distancing.

Escalator Social Distancing stickers at an M&S in Chesterfield, England in August 2020

You can view over 1,800 of the signs at the links below:

• Covid-19 signs 1
• Covid-19 signs 2
• Covid-19 signs 3
• Covid-19 signs 4
• Covid-19 signs 5
• Covid-19 signs 6
• Covid-19 signs 7
• Covid-19 signs 8
• Covid-19 signs 9
• Covid-19 signs 10
• Covid-19 signs 11
• Covid-19 signs 12
• Covid-19 signs 13
• Covid-19 signs 14
• Covid-19 signs 15
• Covid-19 signs 16
• Covid-19 signs 17
• Covid-19 signs 18

It's still possible to see Covid-19 Coronavirus signage as 'ghost signs' today and I reckon the remnants of the pandemic will be visible for many years to come.

Social distancing at an abandoned Blockbuster Video store (itself a remnant of another era) in Manchester, England in June 2020

Related blog posts:

• Signs of the coronavirus pandemic times
• Minigolf in the time of Coronavirus

Urban exploration - a former Kodak express camera shop in Stafford

A look at a former Kodak express camera shop in Stafford, Staffordshire.

Related blog posts:

• Liminal Space
• Stafford
• Retail

Stafford Cinema on Newport Road

A look at Stafford Cinema.

Stafford Cinema on Newport Road in Stafford, Staffordshire opened as an Odeon in 1936 and closed in 2021.

This is how the Art Deco building looked in November 2024.