The Wonder Of...

"That’s the wonder of Woolco…"

A further point of note from the Hants & Dorset July 1979 timetable cover is the advert on the Bournemouth Corporation Fleetline. It states "Your store for Super Value – Woolco".

Remember Woolco?

Woolco opened at the Hampshire Centre in 1967. For all practical purposes, Woolco *was* the Hampshire Centre.

The Hampshire Centre was designed with (parked) cars in mind. It was based on the American mall model. But it was also quite well-ish suited for existing bus services, albeit not at a traditional hub, like Bournemouth town centre. At the publication of the July 1979 timetable, Bournemouth Transport’s 14, 32-5 & 40/1 all served the Hampshire Centre, by way of existing services on Castle Lane West.

The current Castlepoint Shopping Centre is on the site of the earlier Hampshire Centre. From tomorrow, Castlepoint will be a major battle ground in earnest between Wilts & Dorset’s quality more m1 (Poole – Bournemouth - Castlepoint) and various Yellow Buses routes. Extended m1 will operate every 10 minutes to Castlepoint. At the moment, W&D has only half-hourly service 165 (Poole - Royal Hospital) at Castlepoint. This will continue.

And, on an historic note, who can forget the Charlie's Cars operation almost 20 years ago, very much centred on the Hampshire Centre?

Back to Woolco Bournemouth. It was one of three original out-of-town Woolcos, built by F W Woolworth. In fact, Woolcos were the pioneering superstore developments in Britain. Interesting that Woolworth was unable to continue the trend it started. Woolworth’s has remained a largely town centre based operation – and therefore entirely accessible by Britain’s buses.

The Hampshire Centre apparently cost £160,000 to build. ASDA took it over. It was finally demolished in 2003, now on the Castlepoint site. Seven years after its erection, a local government reorganisation moved it (and all of Bournemouth and Christchurch) to Dorest.

Reaction in 1967 to Woolco was polarised. Some argued Bournemouth had enough shops in the town centre. Others thought, "Wow… this is better than sex". Perhaps that was why Bournemouth’s Woolco was always busy.