We all know our beloved high streets are in peril, with the rise of online shopping, free returns and next day delivery - shopping from the comfort of your sofa has never been easier. 

But what about those afternoons and weekends we used to spend walking up and down the high street trying to find the best bargain or perfect pair of shoes... 

From rummaging through the shelves at Beatties to getting pick n mix after school from Woolies, which stores and memories do you miss the most? 

Timothy Whites 

Timothy Whites was a chemist and houseware store that first opened in Portsmouth in 1848. 

From then, it went on to have over 600 stores up, including one on Above Bar, until the chain was bought by Boots in 1968. 

Woolworths

Daily Echo:

Woolworths in the 1950s. 

One of Britain’s most quintessential high street stores has got to be Woolworths. 

As kids we used to run in after school to grab a bag of pick n mix whilst tasting the odd one as we went. 

Mum’s always referred to it as ‘Woolies’ and no back-to-school shop was complete without stopping into the store.  

The original Woolworths in Southampton was opened in 1913 and was located in East Street. 

It wasn’t until 1923 when the store in Above Bar Street opened its doors, providing the public with an additional, larger outlet in which to shop.

The Woolies on Above Bar Street closed its doors 11 years ago. 

Radio Rentals

Founded in Brighton in 1930, Radio Rentals was iconic in it’s day as the shop to rent your radio, television or video recorders. 

The company boomed at the turn of the 1980’s when we all wanted the latest TV sets and material gadgets in our homes at affordable prices. 

In the 90’s Radio Rentals brought the iconic Rumbelows stores that once rivalled the likes of Currys, Dixons and Comet.

The Radio Rentals shop was also on Above Bar Street. 

However, the company became defunct in 2000 as electronics became cheaper to buy and the need to rent became less. 

The Fifty Shilling Tailors 

Daily Echo:

The fifty shilling tailors did exactly what it said on the tin.

The shopfront was right on the corner next door to the old Forum on Above Bar Street.

Freeman Hardy and Willis

Daily Echo:

Known as the shop to buy shoes for ‘all the family’, there was a branch of Freeman Hardy and Willis in nearly every town across the country, including Above Bar Street on the high street.

The shop used to wrap their shoes in iconic brown paper bags, imprinted with the letters FHW which became known as the legend ‘for happy walking’. 

During the 90’s many Freeman Hardy and Willis stores were turned into Hush Puppies stores and the empire closed in 1996. 

Blockbuster

Daily Echo:

Our grandchildren will never know the excitement of a Friday night trip to Blockbuster in Portswood to rent a few movies for the weekend. 

Before the likes of Netflix and TV on-demand, Blockbuster was the place to go to choose what to watch and get some perfect movie snacks. 

The film, TV and games rental company went into administration in 2013.  

Toys R Us

Daily Echo:

Not quite on the high street but this iconic toy store couldn’t be missed off the list. 

The old Toys R Us site near the White Hart roundabout was sold last year. 

The toy giant announced in March 2018 that all UK stores would begin liquidation and be closed within six weeks. 

The shop's rival, Smyths, purchased Toys R Us stores in Germany, Austria and Switzerland as well as their head office in Cologne.  

A new multi-million-pound plan has recently been revealed to turn the old Toys R Us into a modern block of offices. 

If we have missed your favourite shop, let us know in the comments!