Blast from the past with ghostly reminder of former town treasure
WOOLWORTHS was once a treasure of the high street in Penarth. Opening its doors to customers in 1930, the shop situated at 28-30 Windsor Road was the 421st of the ‘Woollies’ chain in the UK and Ireland.
The building itself was distinct – constructed over what were once front gardens of terraced houses, giving it a unique façade and upper-floor architecture that many fondly recall.
For nearly 80 years, Woolworths Penarth, with its long, tight shopping aisles stretching back from the main road, was a bustling hub of everyday delights – from pick ’n’ mix sweets and children’s toys like Ladybird and Chad Valley, to homewares and stationery. Generations visited the friendly staff and browsed its colourful shelves.
Its closure in January 2009 marked the end of an era for Penarth’s high street. The building lives on – today, a Sainsbury’s stands in its place, preserving the structure even as the identity of the shop has changed.
And those customers with long memories were treated to a ghostly reminder of the store’s previous identity in 2004 when a damaged Sainsbury’s fascia was removed to reveal the feint lettering of the old Woolworths below.
It was a blast from the past which did not go unnoticed by Penarth shoppers with fond memories of the former store occupants. Do ewe have any memories of Woollies in Penarth? Send us a comment if you’d like to share.