Oh howe are the myghtie ouerthrowen

[Bryn]

Remember when, for House of Fraser, serving all sections of the community meant owning Barkers, Derry & Toms and Pontings, all in a row, in Kensington High Street?

[greenilex]

Wasn’t there a roof garden?

[Serial_Apologist]

Wasn’t there a roof garden?

Indeed - now sadly inaccessible to the hoi-polloi, I understand, along with the amazing art deco Rainbow Restaurant on the floor below, to which my mum and I were treated by her rich sister (who went everywhere in London by taxi, claiming she couldn't "manage" buses or tube) on her rare incursions from the better Surrey suburbs, ahem. From what I recall the Rainbow Room later became part of a famous fashion retailing emporium in the 1970s. The exotic Spanish and Tudor gardens above - with trees! - afforded what was then still one of the best views of London, and always astonished me as a child.

[french frank]

Wasn’t there a roof garden?

My brother sent me a postcard of 'The Spanish Garden' and kidded me that he was in Spain on holiday (I was younger than him).

Still: Sports Direct? Yes, that's a bit of a come-down for the once Myghtie.

[Zucchini]

... were treated by her rich sister (who went everywhere in London by taxi, claiming she couldn't "manage" buses or tube) on her rare escursions from the better Surrey suburbs, ahem.

Years ago I had lunch with my Chairman and a Director who played rugby for Ireland. The latter said let's go back by bus, jumped on, Chairman gingerly followed saying "What the f*** do I do now?"

[Stanfordian]

Remember when, for House of Fraser, serving all sections of the community meant owning Barkers, Derry & Toms and Pontings, all in a row, in Kensington High Street?

God help the House of Fraser employees now Mike Ashley has bought it! But there again, its better than ending up at Jobcentre Plus.

[oddoneout]

God help the House of Fraser employees now Mike Ashley has bought it! But there again, its better than ending up at Jobcentre Plus.

Those on Mike Ashley's version of zero-hours contracts might consider there to be not much difference....I wonder about the status of the 11,500 concession staff in terms of employment rights in such a situation.

[Stanfordian]

Those on Mike Ashley's version of zero-hours contracts might consider there to be not much difference....I wonder about the status of the 11,500 concession staff in terms of employment rights in such a situation.

I was damning with faint praise!

[Lat-Literal]

There is a parallel here with music and broadcasting which is to say a potential dumbing down. Back in the late 1980s, sports fashion was cutting edge. It would only have upset the likes of the great Vivienne Westwood. But Sports Direct jumped into that sphere by making it chav central. Ashley had presumably seen the way that jeans had gone from a buying in to a dream towards bland uniform. Prices were upheld but everything else was taken down. One could say that he knows his consumer tendencies which will easily be dragged low under persuasion. It also taps into the survival of the fittest ethics which heavily imply that clothing as fashion is sickly which annoyingly is mainly true. I sense he'll seek to maintain the HoF brand when once it wasn't a brand in the modern sense while simultaneously setting the bar lower if broader. Obviously the incontinent need not apply for jobs or expect to keep work.

What the news may do is explain to Newcastle Utd supporters why he is willing via the lack of meaningful "recruitment" to lose an internationally renowned manager and arguably risk the very future of one of our best clubs. But at least it is likely to remain close to Tynesiders and their own charming leaning towards stripping down to defy the climate in the name of having a party. Kroenke's takeover of Arsenal seems innocuous but I hear on the grapevine he may ultimately want to move it to America. In that case, I'll have to go full on Millwall.