Before the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee is celebrated by people across the country next week, it is a good time to reflect on how Oxford has changed over the 70 years of her reign.
Some beloved city centre favourites have shut their doors forever, with others still ruling the high street.
Family-run Boswells, on the corner of Cornmarket and Broad Street, ended its 282-year run in 2020 in a shocking blow to the high street’s heritage.
READ MORE: Your memories of Boswells - plus pictures
It marked the end of the era, at the time it was the second oldest established department store in the UK.
Those with a keen memory will also fondly remember the hardware shop Gill & Co in Wheatsheaf Yard that closed in 2010, although they may not know that it was 480 years old and the oldest ‘ironmongers’ in England.
The store stayed open through the reigns of 20 monarchs, 76 Prime Ministers, the English Civil War and two World Wars but was killed off by mega-hardware chains which came to dominate the market.
READ MORE: Oxford ironmonger's to close after 480 years
Blackwell’s, which has been family owned for 143 years now, has no plans of going anywhere but will no longer be family-owned after just being taken over by Waterstones.
Blackwell's is one of the largest bookshops in the world - in its basement alone, The Norrington Room, it has 3.5km of bookshelves.
READ MORE: Blackwell's is bought by Waterstones and will keep its name
The famous Randolph hotel which was built in 1864 still stands to help with the city’s accommodation needs for notable figures, famously housing the then Prince and Princess of Wales two years later.
The 151-room accommodation was given a complete makeover before being reopened last year, now owned by the Graduate Hotels Chain, Randolph General manager Philip Lewis describing it as a ‘national treasure’.
READ MORE: The Randolph Hotel in Oxford has reopened after complete refurb
Oxford independents paradise, The Covered Market, was first opened in late 1774 and has been in continuous use since, home to Oxford staples such as Browns Café which has been open since 1924.
Hopefully, the market's legacy for supporting local businesses will remain untouched for the next monarch’s reign too.
READ MORE: 10 photos of Oxford's historic Covered Market
Read more from this author
This story was written by Shosha Adie.
She joined the team in 2022 as a digital reporter.
To get in touch with her email: Shosha.Adie@newsquest.co.uk
Follow her on Twitter: @ShoshaAdie
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