Comics UK

So WHSmith shops have been sold and will become TGJones.

From what I have read, nothing else will change and even the new name is an attempt to keep the old one (as much as they can).

For me, WHSmith will always have a special place in my heart because apart from being a staple of my childhood, it was also where my parents got my comics. However, I would say that it is now a shadow former self so maybe this could be a good thing? Especially if the new owners invest some money into it (apart from the £76 million).

What do other people think?

SID wrote: 28 Mar 2025, 20:11 So WHSmith shops have been sold and will become TG Jones.

From what I have read, nothing else will change and even the new name is an attempt to keep the old one (as much as they can).

For me, WHSmith will always have a special place in my heart because apart from being a staple of my childhood, it was also where my parents got my comics. However, I would say that it is now a shadow former self so maybe this could be a good thing? Especially if the new owners invest some money into it (apart from the £76 million).

What do other people think?

For me, my parents would buy me Target Dr who books from here and in my teens Issac Asimov, comics were always from the local newsagent.
As a catering manager and Chef,I have found there prices increasingly ridiculous for confectionary, drinks etc and they buy from same supplier that I use so can tell you they were working on a 55% GP which frankly is not very different to stealing.
The shop used to be an interesting one but that ended a while back although they did still have Commando for sale, that is their only plus point in 2025 in my view.

Anyone remember Alias Smith and Jones, that great cowboy 70s classic?
Well that sums it up for me.

jim244 wrote: 28 Mar 2025, 20:59 Anyone remember Alias Smith and Jones, that great cowboy 70s classic?
Well that sums it up for me.

Alias Smith and Jones along with Star Trek and Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea were my top three American series back in the early 70s.

Read a couple of articles mentioning WHSmith's greed and why they are happy to leave the High Street and concentrate on airports, stations and motorway services. Of course those articles could be biased.

PS It's where I get my Quantum.

SID wrote: 28 Mar 2025, 21:15

jim244 wrote: 28 Mar 2025, 20:59 Anyone remember Alias Smith and Jones, that great cowboy 70s classic?
Well that sums it up for me.

Alias Smith and Jones along with Star Trek and Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea were my top three American series back in the early 70s.

Read a couple of articles mentioning WHSmith's greed and why they are happy to leave the High Street and concentrate on airports, stations and motorway services. Of course those articles could be biased.

PS It's where I get my Quantum.

I remember watching some Voyage in the seventies but didn't really take it in as was too young.
When Channel 4 repeated it in the eighties I video recorded every episode and was blown away by how great it was.
Have all on DVD now and still love it.
I'm surprised that it doesn't get repeated often as Time Tunnel (another I A masterpiece) is.
Possibly due to season 1 being in black and white??

Sorry where were we......
Yes Smith and Jones, complete cowboys and will maximise profits by concentrating on airports etc.

We here in Scotland have been here before. The Scottish equivalent to Smiths was John Menzies. In 1988 they decided to concentrate on distribution and sold their many retail outlets to W H Smith. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menzies_Aviation

Sad to hear this news. A branch of WHSmith was always a go-to place for stationary for me in the early 80s. I also used to get my ZX Spectrum & Commodore plus 4 cassette games when I had enough pocket money. So many iconic stores are disappearing now from our high street like Woolworth, Littlewoods, Toys R Us etc....

Me too, Abyss. As a kid especially liked going to WHSmith and Woolworth.

At least in essence WHSmith may still survive and I'm warming to "TGJones".

Respecting the brand without having it.

jim244 wrote: 28 Mar 2025, 21:54

SID wrote: 28 Mar 2025, 21:15

jim244 wrote: 28 Mar 2025, 20:59 Anyone remember Alias Smith and Jones, that great cowboy 70s classic?
Well that sums it up for me.

Alias Smith and Jones along with Star Trek and Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea were my top three American series back in the early 70s.

Read a couple of articles mentioning WHSmith's greed and why they are happy to leave the High Street and concentrate on airports, stations and motorway services. Of course those articles could be biased.

PS It's where I get my Quantum.

I remember watching some Voyage in the seventies but didn't really take it in as was too young.
When Channel 4 repeated it in the eighties I video recorded every episode and was blown away by how great it was.
Have all on DVD now and still love it.
I'm surprised that it doesn't get repeated often as Time Tunnel (another I A masterpiece) is.
Possibly due to season 1 being in black and white??

Sorry where were we......
Yes Smith and Jones, complete cowboys and will maximise profits by concentrating on airports etc.

The Time Tunnel is another Irwin Allen show that I liked. I seem to remember that at the end of the last episode, it loops back to their first adventure? Anyway, got the box set for it. Just want get the same for Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea.

SID wrote: 29 Mar 2025, 17:45

jim244 wrote: 28 Mar 2025, 21:54

SID wrote: 28 Mar 2025, 21:15
Alias Smith and Jones along with Star Trek and Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea were my top three American series back in the early 70s.

Read a couple of articles mentioning WHSmith's greed and why they are happy to leave the High Street and concentrate on airports, stations and motorway services. Of course those articles could be biased.

PS It's where I get my Quantum.

I remember watching some Voyage in the seventies but didn't really take it in as was too young.
When Channel 4 repeated it in the eighties I video recorded every episode and was blown away by how great it was.
Have all on DVD now and still love it.
I'm surprised that it doesn't get repeated often as Time Tunnel (another I A masterpiece) is.
Possibly due to season 1 being in black and white??

Sorry where were we......
Yes Smith and Jones, complete cowboys and will maximise profits by concentrating on airports etc.

The Time Tunnel is another Irwin Allen show that I liked. I seem to remember that at the end of the last episode, it loops back to their first adventure? Anyway, got the box set for it. Just want get the same for Voyage To The Bottom Of The Sea.

It seems to do so Sid but in reality the show was planning re -runs so Irwin Allen put the bizzare ending in for networks to start re - running it and so many people believe that it meant Tony and Doug were trapped in a time warp!!!
A magazine (can't remember which) ran an article suggesting exactly this and since then, many fans of the series, see this is a reality.
In reality it was just an advert for re runs.
Ive got sets of the 4 major Allen shows and love all of them.

SID wrote: 29 Mar 2025, 13:00 Me too, Abyss. As a kid especially liked going to WHSmith and Woolworth.

At least in essence WHSmith may still survive and I'm warming to "TG Jones".

Respecting the brand without having it.

Yeah, you never know SID. Nothing lasts forever, I know. But when a store was part of your childhood growing up, especially Woolworth where I used to go with my mother to buy a large tin of Quality Street for Christmas, and boy was it large compared to the ones today, it holds fond memories and sad to see it and WHSmith's demise.

Into The Abyss wrote: 02 Apr 2025, 22:21

SID wrote: 29 Mar 2025, 13:00 Me too, Abyss. As a kid especially liked going to WHSmith and Woolworth.

At least in essence WHSmith may still survive and I'm warming to "TGJones".

Respecting the brand without having it.

Yeah, you never know SID. Nothing lasts forever, I know. But when a store was part of your childhood growing up, especially Woolworth where I used to go with my mother to buy a large tin of Quality Street for Christmas, and boy was it large compared to the ones today, it holds fond memories and sad to see it and WHSmith's demise.

Can't disagree with you less, Abyss. Woolworth - it was Christmas decorations for me. Or CDs, VHS or CDs during the rest of the year.

Hmmm. Just seen the new TGJones logo.

Where have I seen that look before?

If that is the logo they are adopting, then it's not particularly imaginative is it? They have even gotten rid of the spaces in the name just like WHSmith. Talk about trying to be WHSmith without being WHSmith.

I wonder why?

Is it because they think that the WHSmith brand is that strong and they want to capitalise on it?

Or they want to make the transition as seamless as possible e.g. if it looks and feels the same, then it is the same?

Or is it expense? Using that design and colour means that they won't have to change anything else in the stores.

Maybe it is all of the above.

I wonder if WHSmith themselves will be happy to have shops out there that will be identical to them in all but name?

It will be strange to see the new name in our streets and I wonder how long it will take for use to stop referring to them as "Smiths"?