Derelict - in Gateshead

No big shop at  Morrisons today as my friend Jan is still on her cruise - she was off to Hong Kong/Japan.

Had an appointment with the nurse this afternoon to get my leg bandage changed.  It will need to be changed once a week until the ulcer heals.  When she removed the bandage the nurse saw that the ulcer had a scab which wasn't good as it won't heal with a scab.  So she " washed " the scab away.  That hurt a lot and stung.  ( Still hurting now in fact ). The new bandages were applied and I was off.

I went to the chemist to collect a Limbo - its a plastic cover for my leg so I can have a shower and not get the bandages wet.

Then I got the bus to Gateshead.  It was nice and sunny but there was a strong cold wind. Mooched around the charity shops - got a top in one of them for only £2.  Then food shopping in Tesco and Iceland.  Bag was heavy as I needed lots of veg including potatoes.

Took my blip shot in Gateshead High Street.  Its my entry for " Derelict Sunday " ( which I think you can post on any day ).  It shows what used to be Doggarts - a department store. When I was little I used to visit Doggarts around Christmas time every year with my Mam to buy a new dress for my school Christmas party​.

Bit of history about Doggarts -  In 1892 Arthur Robert Doggart, from Aldershot, moved to Bishop Auckland to take up a position of Buyer of Hosiery and Fancy goods for a drapery business. By 1895, Doggart had taken over the business and started running the business his own way. He expanded by opening a further store and by setting up the Doggarts Club. This was an interest free way for the poor mining families to buy furnishing and clothing from the store.  Arthur Doggart was a committed Baptist, becoming the president of the Baptist Union. The Business which sold everything but food, grew to serve many of the mining communities in the North East with new stores being opened. In 1933, Doggarts spent £30,000 on building a new store in Gateshead.  At one point the business had 17 branches.  Later on death duties and inflation hit the business hard and the business was too small to bulk buy to match the big chains.   In November 1980 Jamie Doggart announced the business would close, which at the time still had ten stores, with the loss of 340 jobs.

After Doggarts closed this building in Gateshead was empty for a few years and then the Kwiksave supermarket moved in until that firm ceased to trade.  Then it was empty again until Tesco moved into it temporarily while the big new Tesco was being built down the road.  Now its empty again. The upperfloors are in use as a Ladies Only Gym.

Thanks to Marlieske who is hosting Derelict Sunday this month.

Steps today - 9,031