10 poignant retro scenes of retail landmark in Fleetwood now ravaged by fire - including Marks and Spencer

‘It’s never been the same since Marks and Spencer left’

Those words resonate with Fleetwood people who believe the day Marks and Spencer left Lord Street, heralded the end of the port’s high street as they knew it.

And now the building at 68-74 Lord Street has been ravaged by fire - with question marks over what happens next.

Many people remember Marks and Spencer and it was widely considered as the jewel of Fleetwood’s crown - it was the town’s most significant retail landmarks.

The ‘food hall’ was to the right with clothing to the left - you could buy your school uniform from there.

The building continued success into the 1990s , when Hitchen’s - a discount store opened. It was during a decade of brief flourishment - the high street was almost reignited with the arrival of several high street names such as Ethel Austin, Iceland (1980s) Peacocks (noughties) and a real drive to try and revive the high street.

It later became Littlewoods Discount Store, then Store Twenty One - that closed in 2016. The building stood empty and deteriorated, becoming a prominent eyesore until and finally the Ex-Catalogue Discount Store opened in 2002. The store later closed, leaving the historic building vacant once again.

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