Author: Leigh Sparks
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April 2022 -new journal article published (Journal Articles page) on Twenty-One Years of Going Shopping and Marketing History
January 2022 – removal of some redundant pages, reordering of some material, the addition of some new pages (under Commentaries), and some changes to some of the text throughout
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Tag Archives: Streetscapes
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
1 Comment
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
Talking Shops at The Engine Shed
On a number of occasions this blog has covered aspects of the past and in particular ghostsigns and historic shops and shopfronts. Across Scotland (and beyond) there is an enduring fascination for, and concern with, our retail history. I was … Continue reading
Posted in Architecture, BHS, Buildings, Falkirk, Ghost Signs, High Streets, Historic Shops, History, Retail History, Scotland's Town and High Streets, Shopfronts, Signage, Stirling, Streets, Streetscapes, Urban History, Woolworths
Tagged Architecture, BHS Mural Hull, Co-operatives, Conservation, Engine Shed, History, Murals, Retail History, Shopfronts, Shops, Stirling, Streets, Streetscapes, Woolworths
1 Comment
Perth – Past, Present, Future
Last week I ventured north to the ‘Fair City’ of Perth for a presentation at a Scottish Civic Trust and Perth Civic Trust evening event on the theme of Perth: Past, Present and Future. I had been given the task … Continue reading
Posted in Architecture, Buildings, Closure, Consumer Change, Consumers, High Streets, Historic Shops, History, Independents, Online Retailing, Perth, Places, Public Realm, Reinvention, Retail Planning, Scotland's Town and High Streets, Shopfronts, Store Closures, Streets, Streetscapes, Town Centre Living, Town Centres, Understanding Scottish Places, Urban History
Tagged Architecture, Assets, Civic Trust, Future, High Streets, History, Perth, Retailing, Streetscapes, Town Planning, Urban History
2 Comments
Time Out in Lisbon: Part Two
Following on from my personal wander around Lisbon and the Mercado da Ribeira (Part One), and on the day after my keynote presentation on retail, consumption and urban governance (the overheads are here), the conference had its own ambulation around … Continue reading
Posted in Academics, Architecture, Brands, Buildings, Consumer Lifestyle, High Streets, Historic Shops, History, Lisbon, Localisation, Places, Public Realm, Regeneration, Reinvention, Resilience, Retail Change, Retail History, Retailing, Shopfronts, Streets, Streetscapes, Tourism, Town Centres, Urban History
Tagged Boulevards, Flagships, Historical shops, Lisbon, Places, Retailing, Streets, Streetscapes, Town Centres
2 Comments
The Wonder of Woolies – continued
Just before Christmas I found myself in Brixton – as one does – and in wandering the streets passed by the H&M. As you might see from my photograph below, it is housed in a fine building. My immediate reaction … Continue reading
Posted in Architecture, Books, Buildings, High Streets, Historic Shops, Property, Public Realm, Retail History, Shopfronts, Streetscapes, Urban History, Woolworths
Tagged Architecture, Buildings, Design, History, Streets, Streetscapes, Woolworths
5 Comments
Painting the Town: Scottish Urban History in Art
One of the joys of working at a University is that (on the whole!) colleagues are interesting and interested and you can have conversations that take very different turns. One recently with my frequent co-author Anne Findlay ended with “oh … Continue reading
Posted in Academics, Art, Heritage, Scotland's Town and High Streets, Town Centres, Towns, Urban History
Tagged Art, Books, Scotland, Streetscapes, Town Plans, towns, Urban History
1 Comment
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