Saturday, July 05, 2008

Selfridges and the Ulster-Scots?

selfridgesanimated.gifAnother BBC programme which was broadcast recently was Shopping for England, a documentary presented by the cultural historian Mica Nava about the rise of the retail revolution in the British high streets of the early 20th Century, specifically Selfridges and Woolworths.

Selfridges is perhaps the uber-retailer of this generation, a style mecca that guarantees commercial kudos for any company that manages to have a product listed there. I didn't see the programme, but I'm told that the current generation of the Selfridge family were interviewed, and during the interview they repeatedly referred to Gordon Selfridge's (1858-1947) Ulster-Scots roots and work ethic being what gave him the drive to succeed in business.

They've only got four stores, with a possible fifth to be opened in Dubai. Perhaps (some day) one in Belfast?!

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