Welcome to the Original Virtual Museum - celebrating Woolworths' century at the heart of British High Street Shopping
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please click a menu button Original Virtual Museum Home Page please click a menu button The Woolworth value store concept is born in the USA please click a menu button Laying the foundations as the first British Woolworth store opens in Liverpool in November 1909 please click a menu button Woolworths rapidly open forty-four stores in Britain and Ireland before facing a World War please click a menu button Bigger, brighter and bolder Woolworth stores in the Roaring Twenties please click a menu button Woolworths go to amazing lengths to keep all prices under sixpence in the Thirties please click a menu button Bravery and defiance during World War II in Woolworths' finest hour. We pay tribute to the sacrifices made and look behind the scenes please click a menu button Redefining the Woolworth brand for modern times in the 1950s, as prices go up and stores get bigger and bigger please click a menu button Superstores in and out of town, a new own brand and the opening of overseas Commonwealth stores during the 1960s please click a menu button Woolworth struggles to keep up during the rapid inflation and change of the 1970s please click a menu button Woolworth stores in more recent times, covering the period 1980-2008 please click a menu button
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Background to the Original Virtual Museum and copyright information about the contents Origins of the firm's legendary pic'n'mix and a century of chocolate, candy and confectionery in the High Street A century of music and entertainment in the High Street from sheet music and gramophone records to CDs and blu-ray discs A century of toys, games and fun in the High Street stores of F. W. Woolworth A century of fashion in the High Street, from paper patterns and sixpenny knickers to an extensive range of award-winning Ladybird clothing A century of cards, pens, pads and books from the shelves of F. W. Woolworth stores Pots and pans, paint and brushes, bulbs and compost and even toiletries - all in High Street Woolworth stores for much of the twentieth century Woolworths pioneered Christmas decorations in the 19th century and supplied presents for our parents, grandparents and great grandparents from their High Street stores Working conditions and pay rates at Woolworths over a hundred years and some of the people behind the brand-name Our cinema, quiz and picture gallery features Visit the new look 21st century Woolworths on line, on the site operated by Shop Direct Group
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Sixpenny Pops:

"We'll have a Woolworth Wedding"

by R. P. Weston and Bert Lee
"We'll have a Woolworth Wedding" © 1923 Francis, Day and Hunter, No. 16404.
Buying Superintendent John Snow's biggest success during the late 1910s and early 1920s was "sixpenny pops" - sheet music of the hits of the day. He nearly cornered the market, with the British Woolworths enjoying much greater success than the founder himself had found in the United States.  

Of many titles our favourite is "We'll have a Woolworth Wedding". R. P. Weston and Bert Lee's lyrics describe much of the range in the firm's stores in the 1920s with wit and humour. The two men also wrote many other hits, including 'I'm Henery the Eighth I am, I am' which you can hear performed by the one-and-only Sir Henry Cooper MBE in another exhibit here in the Original Virtual Museum. Here's a sample of the Woolworth Wedding song, which is also playing in the background:-
 
   

Johnny said to Mabel, "Guess I shan't be able To marry you this year.
Tho' I love you, honey, I'm so short of money, And furnishing's so dear."
Mabel on his shoulder said, "We're getting older". Tears were in her eyes of blue.
Johnny said  "Don't cry dear", "I've struck an idea. I will tell you what we'll do." 
Sixpenny pops - sale on at Woolworths in the 1920s
When will Woolworths start selling complete pianos for sixpence, a customer asks before World War II

(Chorus)
We will have a Woolworth wedding, Sweetheart, you and I.
Everything except the grand piano Down at Woolworth's we can buy.
We will buy the wedding ring there; It won't be gold it's true,
But our love is eighteen carat, So any ring will do

Mabel said, "Let's hurry!  now we needn't worry.  Our future looks quite bright."
She said, as she kiss'd him, "Hang this Hire System!  We'll buy the house outright."
In the store of Woolworth soon they got their full worth.  Buying every useful thing.
Music demonstration fill'd them with elation, When they heard a young man sing...
Dolls house furniture from Woolworths in the 1920s
Furniture at dolls house prices, only from Woolworths in the 1920s 

We'll get a suite, a sweet little suite of doll's house furniture.
A sixpenny set is all you can get in the houses where we are!
And in about a year or so, If you want  something to nurse,
we'll buy a  sixp'ny ha'p'ny baby doll at Woolworth's bazaar.
         
©Francis, Day and Hunter 1923 - "by agreement with F. W. Woolworth & Co. Ltd".
         
You are listening to the melody for "We'll have a Woolworth Wedding"
played especially for the Virtual Museum by Harry, mastered by Simon
 
 
 
3D and 6D Pictures would like to say a special thank you to Qm Group
who very kindly arranged for Harry to play the song from the sheet music
and presented us with Simon's recording especially for the Virtual Museum.
"Thank you Qm Group"
   
   
 
A special thank you to Q-Media Group for contributing their recording of "We'll have a Woolworth Wedding"
  
         

Shortcuts to other exhibits in the Original Virtual Museum

1920s overview   In praise of the Property Department    Visit a 1920s store   An opening every 17 days

Supplier partnerships and product development   Woolies' first gramophone records   Woolworths in the community

Alice White stars in "The Girl from Woolworths"   Sixpenny pops "We will have a Woolworth Wedding"

50th birthday of the American Woolworth   The sincerest form of flattery   FWW GmbH

Museum Navigation

Home Page    1910s Gallery    1920s Gallery   1930s Gallery   Woolies at War

 
If you have enjoyed our Virtual Museum website, why not check out our complete history of Woolworths in a 194 page, richly illustrated paperback book? A Sixpenny Romance is just £10.99, with free delivery in our on-line shop.
The special DVD, the Wonder of Advertising, is now available in our on-line shop for £7.50 with free delivery. A fully illustrated 194 page history of Woolworths, or a selection of professionally authored DVDs in our on-line shop
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