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I might not be a mother, or a child (although I was one, once upon a time - a child, that is), but I was sorry to hear that Mothercare's 79 British stores are to close after the failure of administrators finding a buyer for the company. I believe that they had other stores in other countries which were mentioned in their catalogues, and also going back a couple of decades, they had a lot more stores around Britain's High Streets and shopping centres. I think that Mothercare is a very DYR subject to do on here methinks.
Thankfully, the BBC News headline didn't refer to them as "Mumcare" [sic] as they do with abbreviating words unnecessarily. Quite a few recently rejected online petitions on the UK Parliament website wanting MPs to make Mothercare to change its name to Parentcare [sic] because fathers also care for children has also raised a few laughs.
To be honest, since the Nottingham Victoria Centre one closed in the early 2000s (next door to WHSmith where it had been since the shopping centre opened back in June 1972 - I think it's a JD or a JJB sports shop now), I have never been certain where the nearest Mothercare store was - probably Castle Marina or somewhere. I know that just a few years ago they tried to do a pact with the Early Learning Centre (or was that Boots? - perhaps I am thinking of the short lived Children's World from the early 1990s?)
Yes, the Nottingham Victoria Centre branch - my late mother used to take us there frequently when I was roughly school-starting age, getting us most of our clothes and toys there. I didn't have uniform until Comprehensive School so my parents didn't go there for that. I am almost certain that Mothercare was just like the Early Learning Centre where youngsters could "try before they buy" and play with the toys instore.
How many of you actually had a yellow potty from Mothercare if you had been born in the 1970s and 1980s - and why was it yellow indeed? - it was probably because yellow was the colour of fun and happiness in the 1970s and 1980s? And of course, the non-toxic paints similar to the ones used at Infant School which became solid very easily if one didn't put the lids back on properly after use - being the next van Gough was only a small opportunity when one is under five years of age.
Did anyone have their clothes hung up with the plastic coloured coat hangers with the M logo imprinted in the centre? Confession Time, again: we (or should I say, I) had a toddler trainer seat for so many years right until we had a new toilet seat fitted because I was so used to it growing up - the toilet seat felt too big for some reason.
And the Mothercare catalogues - I have the Autumn and Winter 1978 catalogue which I have made as part of my Date of Birth time capsule (the one with the coloured umbrellas on the front cover) - and in fact, the copy of Radio Times and Woman's Own from the week I was born is also part of that time4 capsule, and they both have that catalogue advertised inside those magazines as well.
So soon after Thomas Cook, another familiar name from the High Street will close - to be fair though, Mothercare's heyday was in the 1970s and 1980s and they have had a low profile since the 1990s, probably because I was outside their age ballpark in any case - I don't remember any recent advertising campaign in any case. Who can not get nostalgic about Mothercare, even if you were already a parent at the time?
Thankfully, the BBC News headline didn't refer to them as "Mumcare" [sic] as they do with abbreviating words unnecessarily. Quite a few recently rejected online petitions on the UK Parliament website wanting MPs to make Mothercare to change its name to Parentcare [sic] because fathers also care for children has also raised a few laughs.
To be honest, since the Nottingham Victoria Centre one closed in the early 2000s (next door to WHSmith where it had been since the shopping centre opened back in June 1972 - I think it's a JD or a JJB sports shop now), I have never been certain where the nearest Mothercare store was - probably Castle Marina or somewhere. I know that just a few years ago they tried to do a pact with the Early Learning Centre (or was that Boots? - perhaps I am thinking of the short lived Children's World from the early 1990s?)
Yes, the Nottingham Victoria Centre branch - my late mother used to take us there frequently when I was roughly school-starting age, getting us most of our clothes and toys there. I didn't have uniform until Comprehensive School so my parents didn't go there for that. I am almost certain that Mothercare was just like the Early Learning Centre where youngsters could "try before they buy" and play with the toys instore.
How many of you actually had a yellow potty from Mothercare if you had been born in the 1970s and 1980s - and why was it yellow indeed? - it was probably because yellow was the colour of fun and happiness in the 1970s and 1980s? And of course, the non-toxic paints similar to the ones used at Infant School which became solid very easily if one didn't put the lids back on properly after use - being the next van Gough was only a small opportunity when one is under five years of age.
Did anyone have their clothes hung up with the plastic coloured coat hangers with the M logo imprinted in the centre? Confession Time, again: we (or should I say, I) had a toddler trainer seat for so many years right until we had a new toilet seat fitted because I was so used to it growing up - the toilet seat felt too big for some reason.
And the Mothercare catalogues - I have the Autumn and Winter 1978 catalogue which I have made as part of my Date of Birth time capsule (the one with the coloured umbrellas on the front cover) - and in fact, the copy of Radio Times and Woman's Own from the week I was born is also part of that time4 capsule, and they both have that catalogue advertised inside those magazines as well.
So soon after Thomas Cook, another familiar name from the High Street will close - to be fair though, Mothercare's heyday was in the 1970s and 1980s and they have had a low profile since the 1990s, probably because I was outside their age ballpark in any case - I don't remember any recent advertising campaign in any case. Who can not get nostalgic about Mothercare, even if you were already a parent at the time?
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