Author Topic: What's Llandudno Like Right Now?  (Read 2613564 times)

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Offline DaveR

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Re: What's Llandudno Like Right Now?
« Reply #735 on: March 04, 2011, 09:02:57 am »
Looking at the Alworths page for Llandudno:
http://www.alworths.com/llandudno.html

Judging by the bottom photo, there seems to be a bad case of subsidence in the store!  :laugh:

Shame it didnt even last a year:

News Release
22.07.2010

alworths to open its first Welsh store

IT WAS confirmed today that the variety retailer alworths will be launching its first Welsh store next month.

The first store will open in the former Woolworths premises in Llandudno on 13th August, creating 12 jobs for the town, with plans to open a further five stores across North and South Wales.

Alworths is a general retailer stocking a mix of branded toys, sweets, homeware, stationery, entertainment products, seasonal goods and garden items. The new stores will offer a large selection of pic ‘n’ mix along with party accessories, cards and wrap. In addition alworths will stock haberdashery and household convenience purchases and there will be a range of branded goods at competitive prices which will run on weekly promotions.

Llandudno will be the 11th store in the chain. Other stores can be found in Didcot, Amersham, Evesham, Warminster, Wokingham, Cosham, and New Milton. Two further stores opened in Scotland (Cupar and Forfar) last month closely followed by Alloa which opened on 21st July. The first store in Didcot opened on 5th November, 2009.

Alworths Ltd has been created by Andy Latham, ex-Head of Store and Concessions Development at Woolworths, along with a team of 15, nine of whom are former-Woolworths colleagues working alongside him at alworths’ Head Office in Redhill, Surrey.

Andy Latham, Managing Director of alworths says: “We’re delighted to be launching alworths in Wales and we hope the store in Llandudno will be well received by the local community. We’re looking forward to opening a further five stores across Wales, as we strongly believe that there is still a desire for traditional high street shopping.

Alworths is predominately aimed at families and our customers love the fact that they can just ‘pop in’ and pick up a few home essentials, CDs and pic ‘n’ mix in one shop instead of having to drive to out-of-town shopping locations. As this is our first seaside store, we will also be selling holiday essentials and beach toys too.”

Offline Nemesis

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Re: What's Llandudno Like Right Now?
« Reply #736 on: March 04, 2011, 09:04:34 am »
OOps ))*
Mad, Bad and Dangerous to know.


Offline Merddin Emrys

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Re: What's Llandudno Like Right Now?
« Reply #737 on: March 04, 2011, 09:10:54 am »
We looked round Alworths when it first opened and we thought it was all too expensive  :o
we hoped it would do well but I could not see how with those prices   :o
We stocked up on things like xmas cards when the old Woolworths stores closed down, we have xmas cards that will last for decades!  D)
A pigeon is for life not just Christmas

Offline DaveR

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Re: What's Llandudno Like Right Now?
« Reply #738 on: March 04, 2011, 11:25:08 am »
Speculation in Retail Week that the entire Alworths chain is headed for bankruptcy, as the Founder of the company resigns.
http://www.toynews-online.biz/news/33591/Future-uncertain-for-Alworths

brumbob

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Re: What's Llandudno Like Right Now?
« Reply #739 on: March 04, 2011, 12:23:13 pm »
If Woolworths couldn't survive the High street any clone of it will also go.

Offline DaveR

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Re: What's Llandudno Like Right Now?
« Reply #740 on: March 04, 2011, 05:05:09 pm »
The former Diskos store on Mostyn Street has been sold

Offline Fester

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Re: What's Llandudno Like Right Now?
« Reply #741 on: March 04, 2011, 08:01:26 pm »
If Woolworths couldn't survive the High street any clone of it will also go.

That hits the nail on the head... Woolworths (with its good name) failed,  so what chance did a shop offering EXACTLY the same mish-mash range have of being successful.

Hmm, I wonder what Diskos is going to be?  Its been closed for a long time, and it will have to be a good venture to cover the high rental demanded there.
Fester...
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Offline DaveR

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Re: What's Llandudno Like Right Now?
« Reply #742 on: March 05, 2011, 11:25:51 am »
The final days of Alworths:

Offline Blongb

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Re: What's Llandudno Like Right Now?
« Reply #743 on: March 05, 2011, 11:11:30 pm »
I popped in with the Misses to see if there were any bargains worth having and came out after ½ an hour with a washing basket which cost £2.80p. So I can't see them making a come back on the strength of that.
Quot homines tot sententiae: suus cuique mos.
(There are as many opinions as there are people: each has his own view.)

Offline DaveR

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Re: What's Llandudno Like Right Now?
« Reply #744 on: March 06, 2011, 07:30:50 pm »
The Old Abbey at West Shore intrigues me...I've been past it many times and it always looks closed up and empty but I've seen the odd person wandering around in the past (possibly security or maintenance). Was it not supposed to be a Jewish Mother/Baby home?

brumbob

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Re: What's Llandudno Like Right Now?
« Reply #745 on: March 06, 2011, 07:46:10 pm »
Owned by 'A W Charitable Trust'
Aims & Objectives:
General charitable purposes at the discretion of the trustees with emphasis on the furthering of Jewish education and religion in the UK and abroad.
Some more piccies here
http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=19652073

Offline DaveR

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Re: What's Llandudno Like Right Now?
« Reply #746 on: March 06, 2011, 08:02:01 pm »
Owned by 'A W Charitable Trust'
Aims & Objectives:
General charitable purposes at the discretion of the trustees with emphasis on the furthering of Jewish education and religion in the UK and abroad.
Some more piccies here
http://www.geograph.org.uk/search.php?i=19652073
Here they are:
http://www.charitycommission.gov.uk/SHOWCHARITY/RegisterOfCharities/CharityWithPartB.aspx?RegisteredCharityNumber=283322&SubsidiaryNumber=0

They don't seem to be doing too bad:
"The Charity's property investment portfolio is worth £97,761,659. After mortgages etc. totalling £51,767,755 the net worth of the properties is in excess of £45million."

The Old Abbey is described as a 'Beis Chana, Mother and Baby Home'. I believe the correct spelling is actually 'Bais Chana'.

"The properties include a building which is used as a "Mother & Baby" convalescent home, the cost of
which is £3,036,604."

Offline DaveR

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Re: What's Llandudno Like Right Now?
« Reply #747 on: March 07, 2011, 03:08:56 pm »
Alworths store has been seized by their Landlord for non payment of rent and the locks have been changed.

brumbob

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Re: What's Llandudno Like Right Now?
« Reply #748 on: March 07, 2011, 03:41:39 pm »
Alworths heading for change of ownership

Alworths is reportedly undergoing a restructuring less than 18 months after opening its first shop.
Founded by Andy Latham, a former senior manager at Woolworths, Alworths was among a number of ventures launched after the chain collapsed into administration in 2008.
Documents filed at Companies House show that Mr Latham last week resigned as director, while the company’s registered office address had been changed to “care of” a solicitor in Redhill, the Surrey town where Alworths is headquartered.

Offline DaveR

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Re: What's Llandudno Like Right Now?
« Reply #749 on: March 07, 2011, 06:00:46 pm »
Alworths store has been seized by their Landlord for non payment of rent and the locks have been changed.

The Eviction Notice. All of the stock, fittings etc are still inside but Alworths cannot get to them - must be a few quids worth there.