This month, a much loved and historic department store in Cardiff its shutting its doors for the final time The House of Fraser store, known to many by its previous name Howells, has been a fixture in the city centre for more 140 years. So, news of its closure prompted shock and disappointment, as well as fond memories from those who have shopped as well as worked there.
We spoke to workers past and present about their favourite things as well as take a look back on Howells over the years. But before we delve into those, here's a potted history about the store.
In 1865, James Howell opened his new drapery warehouse in The Hayes, Cardiff. The landmark that is the Howell's building on St Mary's street in Cardiff, occupied his business from 1883. The Howells department store rebranded in 2010 as House of Fraser after they purchased it in 1972. You can read more on the House of Fraser closure here.
Over the years the store has evolved with the changes of retail. However the threat of closure has been looming over the brand since 2018. Former House of Fraser worker, Christopher Hooper said the closure is "is a really sad sign of the times. I have so many memories there and I'm sure many other people do too."
Christopher worked at House of Fraser for ten years from 2006 to 2016 as a shop-floor sales assistant for Ted Baker and Lacoste. At the start of his career at House of Fraser was "the place to be and the opportunity to work there was amazing" he added.
Christopher loved working at the store and says that the reason he stayed for so long was because of his colleagues. He said: "it become like a family, many of us are still in touch and speak regularly. One of my best friends, I met at Howells and he is going to be the Godfather to my children."
Another man with a similar experience is Martin Puddifer. Martin started working at Howells in 1997 and left in 2002. He fondly said: "One of the great things about working in Howells back in those days was the sort of old world glamor of the store. But it was also the fact that I got to meet and get to know and become great friends with a lot of people who were my age from the Valleys and around the Cardiff area, some of whom I'm still in touch with to this day. One lad who I met in 2001 was my best man, when I got married 12 years ago."
However, although Martin loved his job at Howells and made friends for life, there were parts of the iconic building that "was easily the most frightening environment you could possibly imagine", he insists.
There are stories of spirits roaming the over 150 year-old building - with many having their own experiences of seeing apparitions, feeling a cold chill and even taking part in a séance. Martin said he felt a strange presence in the the hanger room, which is in the attic of the building. He added: "if you went up there on your own, you did what you needed to do quickly and got out of there!"
Christopher Hooper said he always knew it was haunted. He added: "There was always talks of it being one of the most haunted buildings in Cardiff......On my first day, I was walking up the stairs to the attic when I heard five or six heavy footsteps and I felt like I was in someone's way so I moved to say sorry but there was nobody there."
Christopher also claims to have seen a ghost in the Howells building. He said: "Another colleague of mine was holding the door, there was a girl stood in the doorway, she had dark brown hair and she was wearing black and all of the House of Fraser staff wore black, so I thought nothing of it. So I said 'mate move out of the ladies way', as he turned around he asked what girl I was on about. There was no one there."
Susan Trepleton, aside from being an employee at Howells for seventeen years, is also a psychic medium. She is currently writing a book about the history of Howells/House of Fraser and James Howell himself. Susan has conducted a séance at the building along with other colleagues around six years ago, as she claims "it is a very haunted building."
Susan explained that "there is the 'top hat man', he is on the second floor of the building." And she added: "I was in the stock room with another colleague passing stock to one another, I looked up and there was a man standing there with a cloak over his face and a top hat on and he stared down at me with his brown eyes. Then in the next breath he was gone."
Susan has been researching Howells and its original owner James Howell for more than 10 years and as well as producing an historical booklet for the staff. She also said that her upcoming book would include "really good snippets of good old fashioned gossip" as well as James Howell's life and the chapel within the Howell's building.
Not all memorable moments for the staff at House of Fraser involved ghosts, many came from making memories with their fellow colleagues and customers. Former Howells worker, Jeremy Richards, joined a Youth Training Scheme (YTS) there in 1987 and left in 1995. He said that a key memory for him is "the celebrities coming in, Tom Jones bought a couple hats off me and he was really, really charming, absolutely lovely".
Jeremy, along with every other member of staff from past to present, are saddened by the closure of House of Fraser this month. He said: "It's the end of an era, it's such a shame. It was an iconic store and I'm gutted it is closing. It was such an incredible store. I worked with some great people, some fantastic, brilliant managers and the YTS was a great experience, second to none, I had a really brilliant time there."
Read more:
Building work begins at 700-apartment scheme in the centre of Cardiff
'It was my stepdad's dream for me to open a restaurant and now I'm doing it in his memory'
Man given just days to leave his childhood home of 50 years after dad and brother died
The sad scenes inside Howells as House of Fraser prepares to close its doors for the last time
