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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The Pasold family were the brains behind Ladybird. They successfully signed up Woolworths as their first British outlet in the mid 1930s.
 
Ladybird and Woolworths are now brands of Shop Direct Group. All trademarks are acknowledged.
 

Kiddies Wear from Ladybird - original artwork from the early days of the brand when Pasolds first moved the factory to EnglandThis page is one of a number in the Original Virtual Museum celebrating the heritage of the Pasold Family and Ladybird Clothing. Their vision helped establish the brand as a worldwide market leader, famous for its quality and good design.

Pasold opened their first UK factory in Langley, on a green field site on the borders between Buckinghamshire and Berkshire in 1932. F.W. Woolworth was its first major customer, and enjoyed a strong partnership for many years, before buying the brand outright in 1999. Today both Ladybird and Woolworths are brands of Shop Direct Group.
 
The Woolworth Buyer placed a large order within months of Pasold opening their first UK plant in 1932, becoming the first major customer. Pasold always treated Woolworth as 'number one' as a result of the faith that they had shown. The High Street chain was given first refusal on new products, and later was offered to chance to licence and buy out the brand name.
 

You might expect that the first item would have been a children's garment, but actually it was a good line in Ladies' silk directoire knickers - these were a real bargain, selling for sixpence a pair.

Eric W. Pasold's definitive history "Ladybird Ladybird - a story of private enterprise". Published by Manchester University Press. ISBN 0 7190 0682 1. © Copyright Eric. W. Pasold 1977.The F. W. Woolworth store at Hitchin, Hertfordshire, which opened the same year that Woolworths first stocked clothing from the Pasolds' embryonic Ladybird Company
 
Eric W. Pasold, OBE, son of the founder of the Company that became Ladybird, included many references to Woolies in his book "Ladybird Ladybird", which was subtitled "a Story of Private Enterprise" (Manchester University Press, 1977),

His book describes in exquisite detail the occasion when he and Pasold's London agent, A.C. Hurst, made their first sale to the Woolworth Buyer, Herbert Cue.

For some time Pasolds had been watching the Woolworths phenomenon.  They were daunted by the sheer scale of the store chain, and the breadth of its product offering.  They would never consider such a small  supplier, would they?

Pasold and Hurst feature in the picture on the right >

 Eric Pasold and London Agent A. C. Hurst stand in front of Ladybird's first company plane.
 
Galbonz Jewellery, shown here on display in a London Woolworth store in 1932, was supplied by a close friend of the Pasolds, Salo Rand. They were taken aback at how quickly Woolworths ramped up their orders and the sheer profit that Rand made on the deal.
One day a chance encounter with an old friend, Salo Rand, who had just secured an order for £1,000 of Galbonz Jewellery from Woolworths, persuaded Eric Pasold and A.C. Hurst to give Woolworth a try.

He made an appointment to meet Herbert Cue (right), the Woolworth Buyer, at the Company's Executive Office at New Bond Street House, 1-5 New Bond Street, Mayfair, London, W1. Cue's 'textile' portfolio included bedding, towels, hankies and clothes for all ages.

The Woolworth executive was new to Buying; he had just been promoted from the role of Superintendent (Area Manager) for the Central London stores. He freely admitted "fashion is a mystery to me!" Eric Pasold takes up the story:

 Herbert Cue, who started his career like many a Woolworth man sweeping the Stockroom Floor, became the Superintendent for the London Area of Stores before moving to Executive Office as Textile Buyer. It was Cue who first signed up the Pasold Company (later Ladybird) as a Woolies supplier.
 
A few days later Mr. Hurst and I sat in the wood-panelled waiting room of Woolworth's palatial head office building in New Bond Street, watching callers being escorted by a uniformed commissionaire through a number of different doors, until our turn came.  The textile buyer was a Mr. Cue, a well spoken, friendly man, who waved us into comfortable armchairs.  From the way he fingered our samples it was obvious that he knew nothing about Directoire knickers, and he was honest enough to admit it.
New Bond Street House, Mayfair, which served as Headquarters for the British Woolworths store chain from 1930 to 1959.

"What do you make of these, Miss Owen ?  Do you think we could sell them " he asked, tossing the garments to his secretary.

"At 4s (20p) a dozen they seem remarkably good value, Mr. Cue, I'm sure they would sell", replied Miss Owen. 

I could have hugged her!

Directoire Knickers - Herbert Cue the Woolworths buyer had to admit that he didn't know much about them - but he still bought 36,000 dozen pairs !
4/- per Doz. /
         
The following week Mr. Cue appeared unexpectedly at Langley.  Could he look over the factory ?  Proudly I showed him round ... I liked Mr. Cue very much and hoped we would be able to do business together.  But a month passed without me hearing another word from him, and I had almost given up hoping when Miss Owen phoned and asked me to call again.
 
The name plate from the Woolworths headquarters in New Bond Street, which was the store chain's home from 1930 to 1959

"I can pay you 4s 3d  [21.25p] per dozen for assorted sizes and colours ...I've written out a starting order for 8,000 dozen.  The slip [store repeat] orders will add up to another 20,000 dozen during the season, I would guess." 

Mr. Cue said it as if he were ordering a cup of tea. 

"Make sure you deliver on time if you want to do regular business with us."
 

I could hardly believe my ears.  Twenty-eight thousand dozen, and at 3d more than I had asked ! 

Mr. Cue smiled:  "I hope you're pleased, and if you justify the confidence I have in you there'll be plenty more orders coming !"

Pleased ?  He made me the happiest man in the whole of London!  Now our factory would hum.

 
A facsimile of the first ever order raised by F. W. Woolworth from Pasolds, the Ladybird Company in 1932
 
         
The window of Woolworths in Chiswick, West London, adorned with the latest Spring fashions - and not one thing is over sixpence!

Over-paying for the first purchase was Herbert Cue's trademark.  He had found that some suppliers initially set their prices artificially low to secure a Woolworth order, hoping that the firm would order a small quantity. If the company placed a large order it could bankrupt the new partner. He preferred the certainty that plentiful supplies would be available if the item proved to be popular.

The tactic generated a lot of goodwill. For the next fifty years Pasold showed their new products to Woolworths first, consistently favouring the chain over Marks and Spencer.

The initial order was a hit and led to many further purchases. The chain opted for occasional specials rather than carrying a regular range. The garments read like a fashion catalogue. They included boys and girls vests and pants, drawers, children's bodices, cami-knickers, tunic frocks, swimming trunks, women's aprons, gloves, face cloths, pram covers, babies' bonnets, bootees, crawlers, leggings and bedsocks.  Pasold notes that every order was very welcome and that Woolworth was easier to deal with than M&S.

The 1930s best seller was Bravisco artificial silk underwear.

Pasold found that to win Woolworth orders he needed a regular supply of cheap material and sought out "sub-standard artificial silk". He tracked down a supplier who sold their surplus production as 'substandard' and cornered the market. He was proud that each season Woolworth sold over 100,000 pairs of his knickers!
 
The Ladybird Factory at Langley, Buckinghamshire (later redesignated Berkshire), complete with spinning condenser yarn on ring frames from Platt Bros. & Co. of Oldham
 
The Freightliner - one of many posters published by Pasold featuring the working Ladybirds. This one includes wonderful detail like the Lochness Monster in the lake in the distance!
One of the most famous of the Ladybird advertising graphics features two children "checking the label"
 
You can read more of the Ladybird story in our Ladybird fashion gallery, right here in the Original Virtual Museum. Click this link to take a look.
Ladybird Clothing - the tradition lives on, with Ladybird now part of the world class Shop Direct Group
         

Quick Links to other exhibits in the Original Virtual Museum

1930s openings   Stock Market Flotation  Buying ingenuity   Working in a 30s store

Woolies' first character items  Keeping prices under sixpence  Eclipse & Crown Records   

Woolies' first Ladybird items   Royalty and Empire  

"New Bond" staff magazine  First catalogues   Restaurant & Tea Bar

Museum Home Page    1920s Gallery   1940s Gallery

 
 
Ladybird is now a brand of Shop Direct Group. All trademarks are acknowledged.
 
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