House of Fraser

I admire the decision by House of Fraser to commemorate the store's 175th anniversary but its a bit like too little too late after they dropped the Kendals name in 2005.

During the golden age of the departnent stores (1900- 1960) Kendal Milne & Co really was the Harrods of the North. With moorish tea rooms, an art nouveau tiled food hall, an Elizabeth Arden beauty salon, travel agents, cabinet makers, music department and the finest selection of fashion and homewares housed in buildings on both sides of Deansgate ( linked by a tunnel), the store really was something special.

In the 1970s & 80s the store scaled down to one building and the merchandise became less luxurious, perhaps in response to the economic climate. With the arrival of Selfridges and Harvey Nichols in Manchester the store lost its pole position and it was possibly this that made House of Fraser panic and rebrand the store.

The interiors are tatty bur here and there ( the parquet floor, marble panelling round the lifts) you see traces of the luxury palace of yesteryear. The store needs a proper refit and to provide something different to survive in a competitive market. On a more positive note, the new San Carlo restaurant on the ground floor is fantastic - you must go.

Happy Birthday Kendal Milne - the worlds original department store - another great Mancunian invention ( and dont let Bon Marche in Paris tell you otherwise - they opened after 1835!)