Author: Leigh Sparks
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January 2024 – Roll over of some areas for new year, plus The Economics Observatory piece on Christmas trading (see commentaries tab)
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Tag Archives: History
Celebrating 40 years of the Institute for Retail Studies at the University of Stirling
Anyone entering the library at the heart of the University of Stirling in recent weeks can not help but notice the latest use of the exhibition space. It’s been taken over by us retailers, to celebrate 40 years of retail … Continue reading
Posted in Academics, Alumni, archives, Branding, Brands, Exhibitions, Food Retailing, Institute for Retail Studies, Private brands, Products, Retail brands, Retail Change, Retail Degrees, Retail History, Retail Research, Retailer Branding, Shopping, Stirling, Uncategorized, University of Stirling
Tagged Alumni, Archive, Exhibition, History, Institute for Retail Studies, Library, MBA in Retailing, Packaging, Professor John Dawson, Retail Branding, Retail History, Retail Research, Retailing, University of Stirling
4 Comments
Brittle with Relics and Other Books about Wales
At this time of year, I often post about my recent reading, generally on the theme of retail books. This year though there is a different theme. Normal service will be renewed in due course. I grew up in South … Continue reading
Posted in Books, Campaigns, Culture, Folk Museums, Government, History, Rugby Union, St Fagans, Tryweryn, UK Government, Wales
Tagged Aberfan, Bilingualism, Books, Colonialism, Devolution, Folk Museums, History, Independence, Investiture, National Identity, Rugby, S4C, St Fagans, Tryweryn, Wales
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Singapore Shophouses and Tiles
It was a pleasure to be back in Singapore at the end of September for our latest graduation of students from our partnership with SIM (Singapore Institute of Management). I am no great fan of monolithic corporate hotels, so arranged … Continue reading
Posted in Architecture, Azulejo, Design, Heritage, Historic Shops, Singapore, Streetscapes, Tiles, Uncategorized, Urban History
Tagged Architecture, Conservation, Design, Heritage, History, Restoration, Retail History, Shophouses, Singapore, Tiles
1 Comment
Re-store, Re-use, Re-generate Historic Buildings
Last week I presented at a Heritage Trust Network event in Stirling. The event focused on restoring, reusing and regenerating historic buildings in town centres and their scope to aid recovery of the high street. The event, highly appropriately, … Continue reading
Posted in Arcades, Architecture, Buildings, Heritage, High Streets, Historic Shops, Kirkwall, Local Authorities, Midsteeple Quarter, Places, Public Realm, Regeneration, Retail History, Scotland, Scotland's Town and High Streets, Shopfronts, Stirling, Stirling Council, Streetscapes, Town Centre Living, Town Centres, Towns, Urban History
Tagged Alhambra Theatre Stirling, Architecture, CARS, Heritage, High Streets, History, Kirkwall, Midsteeple Quarter, Old Arcade Stirling, Regeneration, Retail, Stirling, Stirling City Heritage Trust, Town Centres
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Shrewsbury – Welsh or English?
There I was, quietly photographing an old shop and a neat ghostsign in one of the main streets of Shrewsbury (see photo above), when an elderly local man challenged me. He said he thought I was mad as there was … Continue reading
Posted in Architecture, Buildings, Ghost Signs, High Streets, History, Independents, Local Retailers, Pret, Retail Change, Retailers, Shopfronts, Shrewsbury, Streetscapes, Town Centres, Urban History
Tagged Architecture, Buildings, Ghostsigns, Heritage, High Streets, History, Indpendents, Pret, Retail, Shops, Shrewsbury, store design, Town Centres, Urban History
3 Comments
Avenues to the Past: Stirling’s Historic Streets
This post is about an exhibition that has already closed. Sorry about that, but I did not get to see it until its penultimate day. It had only a three-week life, so I hope you forgive me. Avenues to the … Continue reading
Posted in Arcades, Architecture, Buildings, City Centres, Exhibitions, High Streets, Historic Shops, Places, Retailers, Stirling, Streets, Streetscapes, Town Centres, Towns, Urban History
Tagged Arcades, Architecture, Buildings, Exhibition, High Streets, History, Made in Stirling, Stirling, Streetscapes, Town Centres
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Oxford Street, Hull and Beyond
I have never really understood the fascination with Oxford Street as the retail heart of the UK. I get that there are some great buildings, but as a shopping street, though not a great streetscape, it has never worked for … Continue reading
Posted in Architecture, Buildings, Campaigns, Cooperative Group, Cooperatives, Department Stores, Historic Shops, History, Hull, Marks and Spencer, Oxford Street, Places, Regeneration, Retail History, Streetscapes, Town Centres, Towns, Urban History
Tagged Alan Boyson, Architecture, Buildings, Cooperative Group, Department Stores, Heritage, History, Marks and Spencer, Modernism, Murals, Oxford Street, Retail, Ships in the Sky, Streetscapes, Town Centres
3 Comments
Ghostsigns: A London Story
Anyone who follows me on twitter will have seen my fascination with ghostsigns and especially retail ones. They have also featured at various points in this blog (for example Scotland, Montana, Dublin, London). Most notably (for I am undoubtedly in … Continue reading
Posted in Advertising, Books, Buildings, Crowdfunding, Design, Ghost Signs, Heritage, High Streets, History, London, Retail History, Signage, Streetscapes, Town Centres
Tagged Advertising, Book, Crowdfunding, Design, Ghost Signs, Ghostsigns, Heritage, High Streets, History, London, Photography, Signs, Streetscapes, Urban History
2 Comments
The Great Tapestry of Scotland in Galashiels
A good few years ago, Anne Findlay and myself published a paper on the changing retail structure in the Borders using longitudinal data. We titled this ‘Weaving new retail and consumer structures in the Scottish Borders,’ reflecting the weaving history … Continue reading
Posted in Architecture, Buildings, Community Assets, Culture, Cumbernauld, East Kilbride, Exhibitions, Great Tapestry of Scotland, High Streets, New Towns, Places, Regeneration, Scotland's Town and High Streets, Scottish Borders, Scottish Diaspora Tapestry, Streetscapes, Thomas Lipton, Town Centres, Towns
Tagged Cultural Assets, East Kilbride, Galashiels, Great Tapestry of Scotland, History, New Towns, Places, Scottish Borders, Scottish Diaspora Tapestry, Town Centres, Urban Change
3 Comments
The Architecture of England’s Co-operative Movement
Over two and a half years ago I attended a seminar at the Engine Shed in Stirling called ‘Talking Shops’ and my blog discussion of the event can be found here. In that post I noted the presentation by Lynn … Continue reading
Posted in Architecture, Art Deco, Buildings, Community, Cooperative Group, Cooperatives, Corporate branding, Corporate History, Department Stores, Design, Historic Shops, History, Hull, Localisation, Places, Retail Change, Retailers, Town Centres, Towns, Uncategorized, Urban History
Tagged Architecture, Book, Buildings, Co-operatives, Community, Design, Historic England, Historic Shops, History, Retailing, Ships in the Sky, Talking Shops
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