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Here we feature photos from the Oxford Mail archive from the days when it was the city’s number one shopping street.
Buses were finally removed in 1999 as part of a new transport strategy but since 2017, when the Westgate Centre reopened following a multi-million pound upgrade there has been a gradual decline.
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There have been some improvements – Jesus College has built a £40m student hub which will feature some retail units, including a new Cosy Club restaurant.
And the former Boswells is to be turned into a new hotel called The Store.
But it is difficult to ignore the growing number of empty units.
One popular store in Cornmarket many years ago was the Grimbly Hughes grocers, serving generations of customers.
Many older readers will remember the smell of cheese, coffee and bacon wafting out of the store as they walked by.
The firm was set up in 1840 and was run for many years by the two partners, Owen Grimbly and James Hughes.
In 1863, the store and neighbouring premises were destroyed in a huge fire – two men were killed by a falling chimney.
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But the firm was well enough established to resume business within a week. The store had to be rebuilt.
The business prospered into the 20th century and opened a chain of small stores in Bedford, Leamington Spa, Hitchin, Milford, Brockenhurst and Lymington.
However, during and after the Second World War, it began to struggle.
Post-war austerity and increasing competition from bigger chain stores led to the sale of its Cornmarket site to Littlewoods in 1959.
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Jackson’s of Piccadilly took over the retail side of the business and opened a new store in Queen Street in 1961, where an enterprising Oxford Mail reporter was able to compile a fascinating A-Z list of goodies on sale that Christmas.
But it was not the same and in 1963 the shop closed and the name of Grimbly Hughes disappeared from Oxford for ever.
This story was written by Andy Ffrench, he joined the team more than 20 years ago and now covers community news across Oxfordshire.
Get in touch with him by emailing: Andy.ffrench@newsquest.co.uk
Follow him on Twitter @OxMailAndyF
