(featured image Stephanie Palmer and Kirsty Anderson, Debenhams)
Great service: my granny used to come here on a Saturday when Debenhams was Griffin and Spalding. I was meeting Stephanie Palmer who is developing a new service for people who care for adults to help them look after themselves in every way: Wellbeing and You. I love the Debenhams restaurant and suggested we had a coffee there.
Above, left the construction of the new facade for Griffin and Spalding in 1924 by Nottingham builders Gilbert and Hall which became Debenhams
We decided to have breakfast! Stephanie had a vegetarian breakfast which looked as delicious as the one I had: traditional scrambled egg, bacon, tomatoes, mushrooms, hash brown and brown toast! Once in a while…..
Griffin and Spalding had been Debenhams from 1944 but had kept its name. Pop in there and be amazed at the space to sit and eat which is unrivalled in Nottingham. You feel as though you’re just breathing different air. What a great place! (What great service). Omar and the team including Kirsty Anderson really made us feel welcome and explained the changes to the bespoke breakfast menu. Brilliant!
If you want to know more about why some retailers, such as Debenhams seem to be able to combine the best of the old system of retailing with the best of the latest technologies have a look at the work of historian Dr Denise Amos. Denise, alone and in collaboration writes a brilliant local history of retailing as well as aspects of Nottingham women’s history (among many other topics!)
Dr Denise Amos and Dr Tania McIntosh at the launch of the Mothers and Midwives exhibition 2012 (which has become a hot topic of funding debate this year). There’s a conference in 2017 where I’m sure all of the issues will be debated.
Enjoy Nottingham life in the City of Literature. It’s brilliant!
signsofanopencity 
Debenhams restaurant is a great find in the heart of the city a sense of old values of space and conversation in a 21st century store!
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