The black day when 150 workers lost their jobs at a famous Sunderland store

The announcement was made that the Sunderland Store of Blackett and Sons Ltd, was to close in July that year.

And that meant an uncertain future for about 150 sales and clerical staff who were set to lose their jobs within months.

As it was, they had already lasted longer than the workers at three other Blacketts branches.

The stores, previously owned by the Blackett family, were taken over by the Hide Group, a subsidary of English Calico, in 1960. But the Sunderland branch was last to shut its doors on July 29, 1972.

William Blackett began the epic story

William Blackett started the story in 1826 when he set up a linen shop in High Street West.

He was so keen on running it himself, he used to travel from his home in a dog cart and drove the pony himself.

But as time passed, he moved in above the shop and had his family of two sons and four daughters while he was living there.

An Echo story in the 1990s described it as "the store which brought life into the heart of Sunderland’s shopping area."

Times were good and the store expanded

The company expanded between 1860 and 1900. That included taking over shops including Walton’s toy premises, Charlton the butcher, Korfitsen’s boot shop, Leadbitter the chemist and Cobb the seed merchant.

There was more expansion in the 1920s when the firm bought stores on the west side of the building for a furniture department. The lane between the two properties became Blacketts Arcade.

But bleak times followed in the 1940s when Blacketts was bombed during Second World War air raids in 1941 and left badly damaged, as was Binns and the Museum and Winter Gardens.

Bombed on the night-time - open next morning

From the directors to the store staff - they all worked together and hand-in-hand to clear the debris. Thanks to their joint efforts, the store was able to open as normal at 9am.

Sadly, the store was hit once more in another bombing raid in 1942. Every window was shattered, displays were damaged and so were the shop fittings.

Once again, the store soon re-opened.

By the 1950s, there were more than 500 people on the books at a time when Blacketts was celebrating its 125th anniversary.

A decade later, it had a haven for music lovers on the second floor. You could buy the latest records after listening to them in one of the music cubicles. Top 10 singles retailed for just 6/8d.

The end loomed in the 1970s

But the times were a changing and so were people’s shopping habits. They had lots more choice and in Sunderland alone, there were lots of other department stores to choose from such as Joplings, Binns and Liverpool House.

The end came in 1972 and the store was demolished six years later . There were plans for a new building on the site, but this one would house three stores.

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