Walton-on-the-Naze programme available here in 3 parts: czcams.com/video/Ro5Q_8ZHS-Q/video.html czcams.com/video/oBCWD3sxDKs/video.html czcams.com/video/uhwGQ6XPS6E/video.html
OMG, just seen this for the first time the lady addressing the perfumery ladies is Miss Audrey Hawker, head of perfumery. She was my old boss as I dealt with the cash taken in that department, which was the biggest money making dept in the store. She would be 90 now as retired in 1993, apparently she was an ex ballerina in her day. She was strict, firm but fair and was approachable about any problem you had. The other lady Miss Mary Brogan was the Head buyer for perfumery if I remember rightly. She was a character as well. I enjoyed my days in Selfridges, the stories I could tell 😅😊😅 The date shown 29th March 1983, I was 26 that day. Cheers all .🥂
Thanks for such a wonderful and interesting comment Peter. I think the show must have recorded around April 1982 and wasn't broadcast for about a year.
@@ajs41 Thank you, there were ghostie rumours of the perfumery ladies being touched by unseen hands, they say it was old Gordon Selfridge. I would use his old private lift to return to my cash office, which had wood panelling and a painting inside on the lift wall. I found that a bit chilling at times. Sorry I'm gabbling on, thanks for taking me down memory lane. Happy days they were.
Thanks so much for the information! I'm from New York City, but I lived in London for 13 years from 1969-1982, and I spent many happy lunch hours just wandering through Selfridge's!Lynn in NYC
‘Miss’ Mary Brogan, aptly named the ‘Queen Mother’ led a very long life - she died in 2023, aged 94. She joined Selfridges in 1956 and stayed there for 33 years.
Oh please! I did my health visitor alternative placement in Dulwich in 1991, and the flats were slums, with green mould growing indoors. It was probably stylish for the minority, but definitely not the majority!
I worked at Selfridges in the 90’s part-time whilst a student at the London College Of Fashion for nearly two years. One of the best times in my life. I still have my technics stereo and designer wall clock I purchased from there during the sales and with my added Sears Staff discount card I got them for a steal price. The wonderful staff canteen with a La carte discount food. I had wonderful friends from all walks of life and had a blast. So many stories. I absolutely loved that company, building and area. It taught me about style, how to hold myself, how to talk to people and the finer things in life. It was a fabulous life. After work we’d go to the Spirit cafe, Bond Street, then off to Soho and Covent Garden. I remember it all like yesterday but at the same time it’s like a totally different life time ago. Oh where have the years gone and my how life has changed since then.
I worked there in the 90s too, used to drink in the Henry Holland and other pubs around Duke Street, I'd forgotten about the Sears Card which had our photo imbedded in it. I loved the canteen with Glady's on the till. I had so many friends in Selfridges. Loved my time there. In this video I remember Norman (Maurice) bless him
People not only had to work, but they were grateful for the jobs that they had in most circumstances. Today we have a lot of entitled people who do not want to do a good job in any work environment. I believe the reason for that is because now there's the option to be unemployed. People aren't starving in the Western World.
I can see where the late victoria wood got some of her characters from, especially miss brogan, crikey how i wish i could go back in time, just for a while 😊
@user-my8bb6nc1x that's just how people spoke on TV back then. It wasn't about trying to look rich but trying to fit in with how you heard other people speak in the media.
I worked in Harrods and the Army and Navy department store in the 80s and then the 90s and I loved every minute of my job! There were so many wonderful characters who had loyally worked in the same job in both stores for many years and only left when they retired. Now Oxford street is a sad skeleton of what it used to be.
Everybody seemed to have such wonderful different personalities back in those days. Norman the postman must have been a delight to work with. Such a good documentary.
This would have been filmed about 9 to 10 months before I was conceived. I'm 40 as I'm watching this now in April 2024. Wow! I love all the older soaps and documentaries.
I was an air hostess in 1982 and my second port of call, after Harrods, on my return to the UK, was always Selfridges. It doesn’t seem that long ago but watching this, I realise how long ago it was, 42 years!
I was a kid that era. Born 75. I remember do many faces from the store. My dad would buy his white shirts there and hanky. And mum all round the store. I got lost so many times. I would get bored. Go to cosmetics where the perfumes are. The women were so nice to me, always left with tester spray perfumes. Mum knew many working there over time. And the lady manager of cosmetics department. I too she was really nice to me!! Unless certain holiday's or weekends they would say not many young like i go. Miss my parents and sister RIP. Miss London 🥺💕🇬🇧 miss old days!!
Thanks for uploading this programme. It brings back memories of walking around department stores with my mum when my little brother and I were five and eight years old.
Thanks for your comment. It seem to have become very popular in just the last few days because I'm getting more comments than ever before! Not sure why. Maybe it was linked to on a discussion board or something like that.
My Mother loved Selfriges more than any other department store. One year from the date of her death, in May 2007, I scattered some of her ashes in the central escalator to ladies fashions on the second floor. Afterwards we had a private party in what was the White restaurant on the first floor.
One of my all-time favourite department stores along Oxford Street. In all its forms it's been the place to go. It went through a complete refurb and upgrade 1996/97 and became a high fashion emporium. I guess it's just hanging on as so many department stores have gone along the shopping mile. "More front than Selfridges" was always an amusing quip when referring to someone audacious and loud, because the store's window displays were famously the stuff of creative genius. And audacity.
I had the best time of my life when I worked at Selfridges during the mid to late 80's. Only those that have worked there will know exactly what I mean. Selfridges was a very magical place to work back then.
Thoroughly enjoyed watching this 😄 I didn't discover Oxford Street for myself until a few years later - 1986 - but I was hooked straight away. Sadly it's lost all its charm nowadays, and Tottenham Court Road is literally a ghost town. Sad.
My ex wife and I used to regularly shuttle between Selfridge's and Harrods. We used to love both stores, especially at Christmas. The windows at Selfridge's, and the interior of Harrods was fantastic over the Christmas period. Oh, and the loo's in Harrods were something else :0) Try as I might, I can't remember what Selfridge's was like before the big refurb. I do remember that back in the 80's, both stores had some rather peculiar staff. I now live in Monaco, so I don't get to either store very often any more. There's nothing like either Harrods or Selfridge's over here in Europe.
@@misst.e.a.187 I really do like both stores, but they are hard to compare. I like the atmosphere in Harrods, especially over Christmas, (Selfridge's over Christmas isn't as nice as it used to be) and as I mentioned earlier (only half jokingly) the fantastic loo's and the concierge parking in Harrods. Certainly one will bump into many more eccentric people (staff and customers) in Harrods, than in Selfridge's. Although the food hall in Harrods is much grander than Selfridge's, I prefer the products in the Selfridge's food hall. But the range of products that one can buy in Harrod's is staggering. I really do quite miss going to both stores, as I said, there's nothing in Monaco, or indeed in Europe to compare.
I was attending a local college not long after this was made . On Friday I'd get a free sample of very expensive perfume which was perfect for a poor student on a night out . It was a fantastic store .
Amazing that they were able to film the 29th of March 1983 almost a full year in advance. Who knew time travel was so advanced in the 80s. This is pre Doc Brown.
I worked as a temp in the unloading bay at Selfridges in about 79. The pilfering was unbelievable. Levis were the loot of choice. Workers would find their size and put them on with their usual trousers on top. Not me, I hasten to add.
I remember the Lloyds Bank in Selfridges. I think that's gone now. Selfridges was a lovely unique department store then not now. I would not visit now.
I worked one Xmas break from college in the toiletries department in the mid 80s and had to bring up stock twice a day from the huge underground warehouse. This film is exactly how I remember it. I also remember seeing the first IBM desktop computer that was being used in our warehouse for stock control. The next Xmas break I worked in Harrods and it was great fun seeing so many famous people shopping there.
My ex husband worked at Selfridges in the late 70's in the Menswear Department. He said they often had famous people in their department and one day sold a raincoat to Harry H Corbett the actor who played Harold in Steptoe and Son. He said the older members of staff always made a bee line to the famous customers so for a younger salesman to achieve a sale was very rare and frowned upon. He also talked about the shoplifters that frequented the store and chased one down the escalator who tried to steal a coat. Perks of working for Selfridges was the big staff discounts. My ex acquired lots of suits, shirts and ties that without the discount he would never have afforded them. When he left there he left retail for ever and became a HGV driver 😊
Looks so different now. I have only visited since the major refurbishment at the end of the 1990s which did away with all the 1960s fixtures and escalators.
Having worked in Harrods for many many years, it’s so interesting to see how some things just never change: The sort of characters that work in retail, the chatters, the managers, the briefings, the customers, the vibe, the lingo, the departments, the brands… There were moments while I was watching this and I thought “I can’t believe they were talking about the same things 40 years ago!!!”, and there were other moments when I thought the world has changed so much since then. Great documentary. Thanks for uploading! Also, if I may add, a little reminder to ALL customers: When you treat staff nicely and politely it goes A LONG way. Be polite! ;)
I agree . I worked for BHS in the '90s and it was exactly like this. I'm not sure stores are like this anymore though. I don't think stuff have to put on quite so much of an act anymore.
Brings back happy memories of my short experience of retail. It's the fellow junior members of staff who kept me sane. There were all sorts, the good, the bad, the ugly. Management were a distant and completely different species. Strutting seemed to be their default demeanour.
This was very interesting. Brought back many memories. Shopped at Selfridges many times (particularly the food court) when stationed in London (1989-1991). It was a short walk from the headquarters building at Grov. Square. Their Christmas displays were just awesome.
Strange. I have a vivid memory of seeing the store detectives on the down escalator. Probably because I saw this when it was first broadcast (I would have been 13) and they are unlikely and incongruous! But I recall nothing else of the programme! Funny how certain images imprint themselves on us whilst others, seemingly, make no impression whatsoever. Very good series, all told. Thanks for uploading.
@@jamesbomd3503 especially with a stiffy in a public place ( not the first time and definitely not as embarrassing as waking up in Alicante airport after some one slipped a load of viagra in a bottle of whisky , fortunately before everyone had smart phones ....)
I spent 1981 to 1986 working in Selfdrges shirt Dept and I as some good times and some bad times but Im glad I left but went back there in 2012and worked in their Xmas grottoand thank God it only lasted 2 weeks.
Loved Selfridges. I remember it like this as a young teen, but it became my local shop when I worked nearby in the late 90s and early 00s - it was fab after that first big refurb. It’s gone far too upmarket now. The spirit section was so cool - so sad when that went.
Having worked in Harrods and Selfridges ... in the 2000s & 2010s ... 20 years ..i wish i was working there in the good old days it seems so much more fun .. but yeah i enjoyed myself immensley and wont change anything about the experience !!!
The stock guy carrying the mannequin made me laugh considering where he was holding it. Surprised he wasn't told not to hold it like that, i worked in an old fashioned store in Oxford called Boswells in the 90's very similar
reminded me of are you being served, and Mr Nash and Capt Peacock's exchanges about the nude dummies being brought onto the sales floor during shop hours . 🤣
They had some characters then. 2024's Selfridges really is not the same and the brand was diluted with branches in Birmingham and Manchester Trafford and Manchester City Centre like Harvey Nichols too it's not the same now.
I worked for House Of Fraser in the late 90s and there were still throwbacks to this kind of staff/customer even as late as that. Department stores really are a different world.
Thanks for your comment. Can I ask a question? I'm suddenly getting a large number of comments on this video which I've never had before. I'm just wondering whether this video has appeared on some type of discussion or chat group which has caused a lot more people to watch the video? Regards, Andew
@@ajs41 think the algorithm is favouring this video ! it showed up randomly in my suggested and so i thought i'd have a look. Enjoyed it very much cheers 🤗🛍
The staff of Selfridges used to call House of Fraser House of Failure and Dickens and Jones, Chicken and Bones. We always used to say if you got sacked from Selfridges you would end up in HoF or D&J
What an AMAZING GLIMPSE of Selfridges A great time to be ‘care free and fancy free’ I was 19, living with my parents so not married and no children I was working full time around 12 months so I was earning money I remember every big high street department store like Rackhams in Birmingham Peter Jones, Dickins & Jones, Lewis’s had a catwalk showing off their new Spring/Summer or Autumn/Winter fashion But look then, only one generation ago nobody obese. You also had many ‘characters’ like that chap who carried and distributed the post. Also these people spoke BBC posh And 40+ years on still Shoplifting going on BUT DID THE 👮 TURN UP THEN 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🏴🏴🏴
I really thought this was going to be a mockumentary when I saw that woman with the Thatcher haircut, speaking to the cosmetics sales staff in the beginning. It had a very Come Fly With Me sort of vibe.
I enjoyed working in retail (soft furnishings) for the first few years and I preferred it to working as a secretary in a bank in London. But later on customers became so bad (violent and abusive) I couldn't cope with it so I left. The shop had to close down due to so much shoplifting so my former colleagues list their jobs. I would NEVER work in retail again but I do miss those earlier years when I was the most happiest.
The cleaners never get much of a mention, do they ? Being on the job myself, I can tell you that for a store that size, a team of cleaners would have to start work at least three hours before opening time.
This reminds me of my time in Lewis's Department Store's in Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham and Manchester. This doesn't surprise me as Lewis's and Selfridges were both part of the same company at the time (Sears). Even some of the fixtures and fittings look the same. If you worked in some of the Lewis's stores you could get sent to Selfridges London for training. Some of the characters were the same in Lewis's. Sad to think Lewis's is now just a TJ Hughes brand name while Selfridges is still successful. It shows the state of department stores in this country.
Loved Lewis's in Liverpool. I was born in 1976 but I remember the 5th floor, the lift operator and most of all the legendary grottos at Xmas. I've still got a tote bag which says I ❤ shopping at Lewis's.
@@zetametallic Lewis's in Liverpool was great wasn't it. I remember the 5th floor with the red rose room - it was very posh! And the self service cafeteria with the big mural. Lewis's had some really amazing grottos over the years with all types of animatronics. I remember the Manchester store had a beautiful sprung ballroom on the 5th floor.
This is amazing. I worked in Selfridges on the ground floor which was Ladies active wear in the back near the entrance to the cinema. First floor was Menswear I think it still is now so the Mens hats are on the 1st floor. Working in Selfridges was an honour, I pop in still and reminisce of my days working at Giant (that was the name of the concession). These staff in this documentary I hope they all lead a great life.
An amazing documentary. I had the misfortune of working in a store like this for many years & you can see the personalities are all still the same - just in various incarnations/decades. Absolutely demented people - many unlikeable.
@Leonard Ssenkindu That was when it was broadcast, but a film like this would take time to put together, especially in those days. And they often waited a long time to broadcast it even after it was ready because of course there were only 3 or 4 TV channels in the UK at the time. Most documentaries would be shown at least a year after they were filmed. This was probably filmed in the first half of 1982.
Ground floor: perfumery Stationery and leather goods Wigs and haberdashery Kitchenware and food Going up First floor: telephones Gents' ready-made suits Shirts, socks, ties, hats Underwear and shoes Going up Second floor: carpets Travel goods and beddings Materials and soft furnishing Restaurant and teas Going down Are you Free Mr Humphreys? I'm Freeee! 😀 10:53 Mr Nash, How many time have I told you to stay off the sales floor during shop hours. and cover up that dummy! there are customers present!
The selfridges carrier bags then were thick plastic and cream with brown writing. Brown was the theme throughout the store and selfridges hotel as well.
omg this is so cool. there was a tv series made in the 90s of behind the scenes Selfridges. I never saw it as in those days no catch up Tv. But i did the body painting one time for one of the events they had. Naked human statues (normally men of course )on the escalators covered in body paint. was all the rage back then! I may have photos somewhere , before refurb.
![tattoo printer tutorial[제품단순선물]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/g40_GwEJak0/mqdefault.jpg)
Walton-on-the-Naze programme available here in 3 parts:
czcams.com/video/Ro5Q_8ZHS-Q/video.html
czcams.com/video/oBCWD3sxDKs/video.html
czcams.com/video/uhwGQ6XPS6E/video.html
I thought Are You Being Served was a sitcom, now I realise it was a documentary!.
😅 Mrs Slocom. Are you being served?
lol yes 😂
It was based on careful observation of some of the characters who worked in British department stores.
OMG, just seen this for the first time the lady addressing the perfumery ladies is Miss Audrey Hawker, head of perfumery. She was my old boss as I dealt with the cash taken in that department, which was the biggest money making dept in the store.
She would be 90 now as retired in 1993, apparently she was an ex ballerina in her day. She was strict, firm but fair and was approachable about any problem you had.
The other lady Miss Mary Brogan was the Head buyer for perfumery if I remember rightly. She was a character as well.
I enjoyed my days in Selfridges, the stories I could tell 😅😊😅
The date shown 29th March 1983, I was 26 that day. Cheers all .🥂
Thanks for such a wonderful and interesting comment Peter. I think the show must have recorded around April 1982 and wasn't broadcast for about a year.
@@ajs41 Thank you, there were ghostie rumours of the perfumery ladies being touched by unseen hands, they say it was old Gordon Selfridge. I would use his old private lift to return to my cash office, which had wood panelling and a painting inside on the lift wall. I found that a bit chilling at times. Sorry I'm gabbling on, thanks for taking me down memory lane. Happy days they were.
@@peterward3965
No apologies necessary!
Please go on!
This is the best part of CZcams!
Comments from people like yourself, who were actually there!
Its a good sign that they kept so many staff for many years.
Thanks so much for the information! I'm from New York City, but I lived in London for 13 years from 1969-1982, and I spent many happy lunch hours just wandering through Selfridge's!Lynn in NYC
‘Miss’ Mary Brogan, aptly named the ‘Queen Mother’ led a very long life - she died in 2023, aged 94. She joined Selfridges in 1956 and stayed there for 33 years.
Wow---thanks for updating us. Those subtitles had nothing to do with what the people were saying!!
Yes James you're so right, she was known as the Queen Mother 😂 cheers 🥂
Good for her. This is 1982? It looks like 1942.
I bet miss Mary brogan sacked a few girls in her time.
@@gabriellaj.o.6180 That would have been down to Audrey Hawker. Cheers 🥂
God this country used to be civilised. And Oxford street a lovely place to shop. This is the Great Britain I grew up in. Sadly missed.
I wonder if the Krays, and all the other London mobsters used to shop there when London was civilised, pre 1990’s?
Agree. Sadly no more.
Your comment sums it up perfectly. Me too.
YES, this is very similar to a department store here in Australia called “David Jones” and bs I then, they served and life was great! ❤😢
@@gabriellaj.o.6180
Yes you are right very sad ... People hated Margret Thatcher ... But she is very needed now in England...
When London was still a stylish, classy city.
Oh please! I did my health visitor alternative placement in Dulwich in 1991, and the flats were slums, with green mould growing indoors.
It was probably stylish for the minority, but definitely not the majority!
Erm, maybe in Selfridges it was !
you can always find comments like this on youtube, nostalgia is a powerful thing
Agree. Miss that london. Stick the world city dump it's become.
Happened in Croydon, they shut classy shops like Allders and Debenhams and the whole place is a deserted shit hole now
The England I remember and loved.
Yes you are right very sad ... People hated Margret Thatcher ... But she is very needed now in England...
@@dodgeboy9052 She absolutely is not!
I worked at Selfridges in the 90’s part-time whilst a student at the London College Of Fashion for nearly two years. One of the best times in my life. I still have my technics stereo and designer wall clock I purchased from there during the sales and with my added Sears Staff discount card I got them for a steal price. The wonderful staff canteen with a La carte discount food. I had wonderful friends from all walks of life and had a blast. So many stories. I absolutely loved that company, building and area. It taught me about style, how to hold myself, how to talk to people and the finer things in life. It was a fabulous life. After work we’d go to the Spirit cafe, Bond Street, then off to Soho and Covent Garden. I remember it all like yesterday but at the same time it’s like a totally different life time ago. Oh where have the years gone and my how life has changed since then.
Have you bee back to Selfridges in the following decades and if so, what changes did you notice?
I worked there in the 90s too, used to drink in the Henry Holland and other pubs around Duke Street, I'd forgotten about the Sears Card which had our photo imbedded in it. I loved the canteen with Glady's on the till. I had so many friends in Selfridges. Loved my time there. In this video I remember Norman (Maurice) bless him
Are you gay, per chance? I swear all the men in this documentary are gay, bar a couple. I have pretty good gaydar.
I always enjoy when people share personal anecdotes, thank you for sharing.
Thank you for writing about it! Like you, I am nostalgic in my old age.
England was so English in the 80s, I loved it
You're absolutely right. I m miss it terribly.
What does that mean?
@@tiapina7048 it means we didnt have the keffiya crowd ruining life for everyone with their poison
Political change was forced on us including migration without the electorate being asked.
@@gabriellaj.o.6180 when was "political change" forced on you? What would you like to be asked about migration?
It strikes me that folk in this film just seem a lot more content than folk are these days yet in many ways life was 'tougher' ...
Life was simple but better. You got on with life and the hand you were dealt with.
People not only had to work, but they were grateful for the jobs that they had in most circumstances. Today we have a lot of entitled people who do not want to do a good job in any work environment. I believe the reason for that is because now there's the option to be unemployed. People aren't starving in the Western World.
I can see where the late victoria wood got some of her characters from, especially miss brogan, crikey how i wish i could go back in time, just for a while 😊
My thoughts EXACTLY! 😂❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
Some of the people have lovely speaking voices, especially the beautician.
That's because they're all rich wanna bees. Closest they ever got to being rich was being allowed to try on some expensive jewelry for two minutes
@@user-my8bb6nc1x Oh do shut up.
@user-my8bb6nc1x that's just how people spoke on TV back then. It wasn't about trying to look rich but trying to fit in with how you heard other people speak in the media.
That period nailed the nicest accents for telly. It wasn't as posh as the old days, and wasn't as 'reality TV' as today... a nice middle ground.
I can't help but to think of Grace Brothers Department Store....
except everyone is john inman
The department store that was actually based on is now the big Waterstones at Piccadilly. It used to be called Simpson's of Piccadilly
I just had the same thought !
lol
That might be one of the department stores alluded to at the start of this documentary .
"Don't sing to the woman!...He clenched his teeth at me...nasty man!!" 🤣😂🤣 What a great character!
I worked in Harrods and the Army and Navy department store in the 80s and then the 90s and I loved every minute of my job! There were so many wonderful characters who had loyally worked in the same job in both stores for many years and only left when they retired. Now Oxford street is a sad skeleton of what it used to be.
Indeed it is. I used to love all the department stores along that stretch and on Regent Street. Times have drastically changed.
@Le7Dauphin it was Peter Robinson.
Absolutely love - “my face is like farmer’s arse on a frosty night” 😂
The "sprayers", the department store scourge of the 80s.
The way that guy carries the mannequins 😂
Everybody seemed to have such wonderful different personalities back in those days. Norman the postman must have been a delight to work with. Such a good documentary.
How would you describe your life? Stan: "Lots of ups n downs!" what a character
What about Mr Misery on Hats?
Sad to think many of these Characters have now passed away .
That's life!
Some of the young employees would be in their 60s now
@@christopherhulse8385
With Esther Rantzen!
Always the way, can’t believe how long ago this was
This would have been filmed about 9 to 10 months before I was conceived. I'm 40 as I'm watching this now in April 2024. Wow! I love all the older soaps and documentaries.
I was an air hostess in 1982 and my second port of call, after Harrods, on my return to the UK, was always Selfridges. It doesn’t seem that long ago but watching this, I realise how long ago it was, 42 years!
I was a kid that era. Born 75. I remember do many faces from the store. My dad would buy his white shirts there and hanky. And mum all round the store. I got lost so many times. I would get bored. Go to cosmetics where the perfumes are. The women were so nice to me, always left with tester spray perfumes. Mum knew many working there over time. And the lady manager of cosmetics department. I too she was really nice to me!! Unless certain holiday's or weekends they would say not many young like i go. Miss my parents and sister RIP. Miss London 🥺💕🇬🇧 miss old days!!
The Beautician is an absolutely wonderful lady
In the days when interviewing was subtle. John was a class act
Wow, 3000 staff at once! I love seeing old footage of how we used to shop pre 2000s
I love the store detective she could catch them. Love her. RIP
This was excellent. I kept expecting to see Captain Peacock, Mrs Slocombe and Miss Brahms. A great doco. Thank you!
Same! I believe I heard that "Are you being served" was based on Selfridges .but I might be wrong, it was a while back.
Basic rules ,never push a customer you will alienate them they will decide for themselves 😊
That woman flogging the perfume promotion was awful. No wonder nobody ever bought from her. How annoying can you get.
Also, when they're too close I always feel like I'm being watched in case I shoplift, which puts me off trying stuff.
Thanks for uploading this programme. It brings back memories of walking around department stores with my mum when my little brother and I were five and eight years old.
Thanks for your comment. It seem to have become very popular in just the last few days because I'm getting more comments than ever before! Not sure why. Maybe it was linked to on a discussion board or something like that.
There were always some very strange and interesting people wandering around Selfridge' and Harrod's.
My Mother loved Selfriges more than any other department store. One year from the date of her death, in May 2007, I scattered some of her ashes in the central escalator to ladies fashions on the second floor. Afterwards we had a private party in what was the White restaurant on the first floor.
Unusual but lovely.
One of my all-time favourite department stores along Oxford Street. In all its forms it's been the place to go. It went through a complete refurb and upgrade 1996/97 and became a high fashion emporium. I guess it's just hanging on as so many department stores have gone along the shopping mile.
"More front than Selfridges" was always an amusing quip when referring to someone audacious and loud, because the store's window displays were famously the stuff of creative genius. And audacity.
I had the best time of my life when I worked at Selfridges during the mid to late 80's. Only those that have worked there will know exactly what I mean. Selfridges was a very magical place to work back then.
I loved working there in the 80s.
Absolutely I was the 90’s era
I worked there end of the 80s into the 90s best time of my life.
Thoroughly enjoyed watching this 😄 I didn't discover Oxford Street for myself until a few years later - 1986 - but I was hooked straight away. Sadly it's lost all its charm nowadays, and Tottenham Court Road is literally a ghost town. Sad.
It was still a good shopping hub in 86
@@misst.e.a.187 it was indeed! 🙂
My ex wife and I used to regularly shuttle between Selfridge's and Harrods. We used to love both stores, especially at Christmas. The windows at Selfridge's, and the interior of Harrods was fantastic over the Christmas period. Oh, and the loo's in Harrods were something else :0)
Try as I might, I can't remember what Selfridge's was like before the big refurb. I do remember that back in the 80's, both stores had some rather peculiar staff.
I now live in Monaco, so I don't get to either store very often any more. There's nothing like either Harrods or Selfridge's over here in Europe.
@monacophotographyevents2384 alot of men jaggin' off?
Selfridges was far better, imo
@@misst.e.a.187 I really do like both stores, but they are hard to compare.
I like the atmosphere in Harrods, especially over Christmas, (Selfridge's over Christmas isn't as nice as it used to be) and as I mentioned earlier (only half jokingly) the fantastic loo's and the concierge parking in Harrods.
Certainly one will bump into many more eccentric people (staff and customers) in Harrods, than in Selfridge's.
Although the food hall in Harrods is much grander than Selfridge's, I prefer the products in the Selfridge's food hall. But the range of products that one can buy in Harrod's is staggering.
I really do quite miss going to both stores, as I said, there's nothing in Monaco, or indeed in Europe to compare.
I was attending a local college not long after this was made . On Friday I'd get a free sample of very expensive perfume which was perfect for a poor student on a night out . It was a fantastic store .
The good old days
Amazing that they were able to film the 29th of March 1983 almost a full year in advance. Who knew time travel was so advanced in the 80s. This is pre Doc Brown.
That's why it says filmed in April 1982 in the title.
I worked as a temp in the unloading bay at Selfridges in about 79. The pilfering was unbelievable. Levis were the loot of choice. Workers would find their size and put them on with their usual trousers on top. Not me, I hasten to add.
I remember the Lloyds Bank in Selfridges. I think that's gone now. Selfridges was a lovely unique department store then not now. I would not visit now.
why not muffin?
@@cleornroll254 Because people change. I don't like London these days and I have more sense with my money as well.
4:15 "You don't have time? Why is that?" Mouthy cow. Her hairstyle is hilarious.
She's an early chav.
I worked one Xmas break from college in the toiletries department in the mid 80s and had to bring up stock twice a day from the huge underground warehouse. This film is exactly how I remember it. I also remember seeing the first IBM desktop computer that was being used in our warehouse for stock control. The next Xmas break I worked in Harrods and it was great fun seeing so many famous people shopping there.
Would loved to have gone back then! People just seemed more genuine, no one acted or looked fake. There’s some sort of wholesomeness to it.
By gone era, slightly before I was born. Things are so different now
Stan the goods lift man.....brilliant!
My ex husband worked at Selfridges in the late 70's in the Menswear Department. He said they often had famous people in their department and one day sold a raincoat to Harry H Corbett the actor who played Harold in Steptoe and Son. He said the older members of staff always made a bee line to the famous customers so for a younger salesman to achieve a sale was very rare and frowned upon. He also talked about the shoplifters that frequented the store and chased one down the escalator who tried to steal a coat. Perks of working for Selfridges was the big staff discounts. My ex acquired lots of suits, shirts and ties that without the discount he would never have afforded them. When he left there he left retail for ever and became a HGV driver 😊
did your husband tell him that the raincoat would Ride up with wear?
[ Are you being Served Reference ]
John Inman gets everywhere
Love this.....funny characters.....I worked in retail for many years..but over the road on South Molton street...miss the old days of retail.
South Molton Street? Very nice! I used to shop there in the 80/90's.
Loved Selfidges! I used to shop there every week, and take our daughter to the Christmas village
You could spend the whole day in Selfridges. What a store
Looks so different now. I have only visited since the major refurbishment at the end of the 1990s which did away with all the 1960s fixtures and escalators.
Easy to forget this programme is literally from last century
my parents bought the old lift art deco iron work when it was chucked out during refurbishment
every character from are you being served is in there.
Hasn't been like that in decades. It always had the best quality merchandise but went very high-end and sleek in the late 90s
Selfridges is one of my favourite stores in the world-- it was great to look into this slice of history!
DO THEY SELL FRIDGES ?
Having worked in Harrods for many many years, it’s so interesting to see how some things just never change: The sort of characters that work in retail, the chatters, the managers, the briefings, the customers, the vibe, the lingo, the departments, the brands…
There were moments while I was watching this and I thought “I can’t believe they were talking about the same things 40 years ago!!!”, and there were other moments when I thought the world has changed so much since then.
Great documentary. Thanks for uploading!
Also, if I may add, a little reminder to ALL customers: When you treat staff nicely and politely it goes A LONG way. Be polite! ;)
Thanks so much for your comment! (I had to delete a few comments earlier today because they were abusive, so it's nice to see the positive ones).
I agree .
I worked for BHS in the '90s and it was exactly like this.
I'm not sure stores are like this anymore though.
I don't think stuff have to put on quite so much of an act anymore.
@@mde6006 I'm an ex Harrodian too, and this really resonated with me. Talk about finding your tribe!
Fenwick and John lewis are still around so the Department store is not dead yet. Selfridges face an uncertain future under new ownership.
@@gabriellaj.o.6180 Fenwick in Bond Street is now permanently closed.
This was filmed in the first month of The Falklands War with Argentina.
Brings back happy memories of my short experience of retail. It's the fellow junior members of staff who kept me sane. There were all sorts, the good, the bad, the ugly.
Management were a distant and completely different species. Strutting seemed to be their default demeanour.
Brilliant stuff! I worked there Christmas 1984 and loved the place. Kenny Noye worked there too on Saturdays when he was very young.
Thanks for the comment Nigel. Do you recognise anyone in the video? I think it was filmed in about Easter 1982.
@@ajs41 I'll have a closer look. I worked in the Kitchenware dept. lower ground floor.
@@ajs41 I remember Norman (Maurice) bless him
You didn't fall out with him I hope😮
This was very interesting. Brought back many memories. Shopped at Selfridges many times (particularly the food court) when stationed in London (1989-1991). It was a short walk from the headquarters building at Grov. Square. Their Christmas displays were just awesome.
Strange. I have a vivid memory of seeing the store detectives on the down escalator. Probably because I saw this when it was first broadcast (I would have been 13) and they are unlikely and incongruous! But I recall nothing else of the programme! Funny how certain images imprint themselves on us whilst others, seemingly, make no impression whatsoever. Very good series, all told. Thanks for uploading.
"Who would you say is your worst customer ?" "The grumbling old tw*t over there who's never pleased."
On this film, it would have to be the possessed very high pitch baby in the hairdresser's. Wow!
I WORKED IN DEBENHAMS CLEANING THE BEDDING DEPARTMENT STARTING AT 6A.M ONE MORNING THE MANAGER WOKE ME UP AT 9A.M ASLEEP ON A BED!! BYE BYE JOB!!
trauma being woken up
I miss Debenhams 😢
@@jamesbomd3503 especially with a stiffy in a public place ( not the first time and definitely not as embarrassing as waking up in Alicante airport after some one slipped a load of viagra in a bottle of whisky , fortunately before everyone had smart phones ....)
I spent 1981 to 1986 working in Selfdrges shirt Dept and I as some good times and some bad times but Im glad I left but went back there in 2012and worked in their Xmas grottoand thank God it only lasted 2 weeks.
Loved Selfridges. I remember it like this as a young teen, but it became my local shop when I worked nearby in the late 90s and early 00s - it was fab after that first big refurb. It’s gone far too upmarket now. The spirit section was so cool - so sad when that went.
In the 80s I worked in a lawyers' office in the West End and I used to wander around Selfridges most lunchtimes.
I was there. In the stationery department. Remember Mr Yates, the man in Lost Property and the peculiar 'Norman' the postman.
Having worked in Harrods and Selfridges ... in the 2000s & 2010s ... 20 years ..i wish i was working there in the good old days it seems so much more fun .. but yeah i enjoyed myself immensley and wont change anything about the experience !!!
Wonderful documentary. So many characters.
The stock guy carrying the mannequin made me laugh considering where he was holding it. Surprised he wasn't told not to hold it like that, i worked in an old fashioned store in Oxford called Boswells in the 90's very similar
reminded me of are you being served, and Mr Nash and Capt Peacock's exchanges about the nude dummies being brought onto the sales floor during shop hours . 🤣
@@GothGuy885 Very true
Enjoyed watching this. The guy carrying the mannequin around made me chuckle
They had some characters then. 2024's Selfridges really is not the same and the brand was diluted with branches in Birmingham and Manchester Trafford and Manchester City Centre like Harvey Nichols too it's not the same now.
I used to work at Selfridges on Saturdays and in the Summer holidays. They really paid well.
I worked in Selfridges in early 2000 , Jo Malone counter .
Loved it .
By then, it had gone almost entirely designer, following a very expensive makeover in 96
@@misst.e.a.187 very true ,
I lived very nearby trying to get by on minimum wage . It was a stark contrast from the designer prices 😊👍
I worked for House Of Fraser in the late 90s and there were still throwbacks to this kind of staff/customer even as late as that. Department stores really are a different world.
Thanks for your comment. Can I ask a question? I'm suddenly getting a large number of comments on this video which I've never had before. I'm just wondering whether this video has appeared on some type of discussion or chat group which has caused a lot more people to watch the video? Regards, Andew
@@ajs41 think the algorithm is favouring this video ! it showed up randomly in my suggested and so i thought i'd have a look. Enjoyed it very much cheers 🤗🛍
@@ajs41 it just suddenly appeared in my suggested videos, so thought I’d take a look. The algorithm is algorithming!
The staff of Selfridges used to call House of Fraser House of Failure and Dickens and Jones, Chicken and Bones. We always used to say if you got sacked from Selfridges you would end up in HoF or D&J
@@discogareth Thanks. I didn't realise it might just be an algorithm.
Fabulous, brought back memories
The London I used to love, not anymore.☹😩
Pet Coffin! Biggest laugh I have had for some time. :D
Haha people spend around 5 pounds,how times have changed on the high street,I do miss those shopping days,I was around 8 then and shops were magical.
This is fabulous. Thank you for sharing
What an AMAZING GLIMPSE of Selfridges
A great time to be ‘care free and fancy free’
I was 19, living with my parents so not married and no children
I was working full time around 12 months so I was earning money
I remember every big high street department store like Rackhams in Birmingham
Peter Jones, Dickins & Jones, Lewis’s had a catwalk showing off their new Spring/Summer or Autumn/Winter fashion
But look then, only one generation ago nobody obese.
You also had many ‘characters’ like that chap who carried and distributed the post.
Also these people spoke BBC posh
And 40+ years on still Shoplifting going on BUT DID THE 👮 TURN UP THEN
🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🏴🏴🏴
I worked there around this time and remember most of these people I used to cover lost property and the service lift during their breaks
Thanks for the comment. Were any of the people in the video still in the same jobs into the 1990s?
I worked at selfridges too at the trafford centre in the early 2000's full time. So many memories.. Made some interesting sales
I really thought this was going to be a mockumentary when I saw that woman with the Thatcher haircut, speaking to the cosmetics sales staff in the beginning. It had a very Come Fly With Me sort of vibe.
Thank you for posting it!Just great
I enjoyed working in retail (soft furnishings)
for the first few years and
I preferred it to working as a secretary
in a bank in London. But later on
customers became so bad (violent and
abusive) I couldn't cope with it so I
left. The shop had to close down due to
so much shoplifting so my former
colleagues list their jobs. I would
NEVER work in retail again but I do
miss those earlier years when I was
the most happiest.
The cleaners never get much of a mention, do they ? Being on the job myself, I can tell you that for a store that size, a team of cleaners would have to start work at least three hours before opening time.
Cleaners are the real hard workers
I worked as cleaner 10 till 2 pm great I worked shopfloor and behind scenes not tethered to one department knew everyone. Loved it.
it's a small world unless you have to clean it.
The store was always sparkling.
@@Dragonrdh Well thank you for the acknowledgement : )
This reminds me of my time in Lewis's Department Store's in Liverpool, Leeds, Birmingham and Manchester. This doesn't surprise me as Lewis's and Selfridges were both part of the same company at the time (Sears). Even some of the fixtures and fittings look the same. If you worked in some of the Lewis's stores you could get sent to Selfridges London for training.
Some of the characters were the same in Lewis's.
Sad to think Lewis's is now just a TJ Hughes brand name while Selfridges is still successful. It shows the state of department stores in this country.
Loved Lewis's in Liverpool. I was born in 1976 but I remember the 5th floor, the lift operator and most of all the legendary grottos at Xmas.
I've still got a tote bag which says I ❤ shopping at Lewis's.
@@zetametallic Lewis's in Liverpool was great wasn't it. I remember the 5th floor with the red rose room - it was very posh! And the self service cafeteria with the big mural.
Lewis's had some really amazing grottos over the years with all types of animatronics. I remember the Manchester store had a beautiful sprung ballroom on the 5th floor.
This is amazing. I worked in Selfridges on the ground floor which was Ladies active wear in the back near the entrance to the cinema. First floor was Menswear I think it still is now so the Mens hats are on the 1st floor. Working in Selfridges was an honour, I pop in still and reminisce of my days working at Giant (that was the name of the concession). These staff in this documentary I hope they all lead a great life.
Thanks for your comment Greenz1100. I just wish the picture quality was better. The BBC must have a HQ version in their archives.
13:47 I have the exact same Teddy. From 1978 ish.
I used to have one too
An amazing documentary.
I had the misfortune of working in a store like this for many years & you can see the personalities are all still the same - just in various incarnations/decades.
Absolutely demented people - many unlikeable.
Was it that bad?
Oh no no no...... delightful characters....... 😂
Oh this makes me want to binge a few seasons of Are You Being Served?
You can tell from the sign on the front doors that this film was made before May 1982 (when Mayday Monday fell on May 3rd)
Thanks, I was trying to identify the date it was filmed.
@Leonard Ssenkindu That was when it was broadcast, but a film like this would take time to put together, especially in those days. And they often waited a long time to broadcast it even after it was ready because of course there were only 3 or 4 TV channels in the UK at the time. Most documentaries would be shown at least a year after they were filmed. This was probably filmed in the first half of 1982.
@Leonard Ssenkindu No it wasn't. Read the sign on the door.
@@ajs41 This was definitively - not "probably" - filmed before May 1982.
@Leonard Ssenkindu You need to examine the facts, not accept what people tell you.
Brilliant video....trip down memory lane 👍
Ground floor: perfumery
Stationery and leather goods
Wigs and haberdashery
Kitchenware and food
Going up
First floor: telephones
Gents' ready-made suits
Shirts, socks, ties, hats
Underwear and shoes
Going up
Second floor: carpets
Travel goods and beddings
Materials and soft furnishing
Restaurant and teas
Going down
Are you Free Mr Humphreys?
I'm Freeee! 😀
10:53 Mr Nash, How many time have I told you to stay off the sales floor during shop hours.
and cover up that dummy! there are customers present!
Must have been annoying walking through the cosmetics deparment with that girl spraying you like you were a bloody fly !
We weren't allowed to do that in Debenhams
She certainly 'left' her mark'...whether verbally or/and physically.
The selfridges carrier bags then were thick plastic and cream with brown writing. Brown was the theme throughout the store and selfridges hotel as well.
omg this is so cool. there was a tv series made in the 90s of behind the scenes Selfridges. I never saw it as in those days no catch up Tv. But i did the body painting one time for one of the events they had. Naked human statues (normally men of course )on the escalators covered in body paint. was all the rage back then! I may have photos somewhere , before refurb.
Thanks for uploading this, I really enjoyed it. :)
Thanks Faith, I appreciate your comment.
9:27 - "How do you describe your life?"... 😂😂
Lot of Lady Di lookalikes back then 😂