Over the past 30 years, we have lost many long-standing businesses due to closures, factory shutdowns, and companies going bankrupt.
So, for a retro article this week, we have taken a look back at some of the Mansfield and Ashfield businesses we have loved and lost through the years.
Did you one work at one of the following places?
1. Coalmining and collieries
The closure of coal mines in the UK was primarily driven by a combination of economic and political factors. This was largely due to the Conservative government's claims that there was a decline in demand for coal and the emergence of cheaper energy sources from abroad. Despite appeals from mineworkers and their families to save the pits during the 1984-1985 strike, many collieries in the Mansfield and Ashfield areas were closed in the following decade. Once a thriving coal mining region with thousands of miners, Mansfield has a rich and complex mining history. This legacy continues to be explored and celebrated through museums, exhibitions, and the remaining miners' welfare clubs. Photo: National World
2. Pretty Polly
The Pretty Polly hosiery factory in Sutton closed in April 2005. The factory, formerly known as Sara Lee Courtaulds, employed 300 people. Pretty Polly was once one of the powerhouse employers of the Nottinghamshire hosiery industry. This photo shows a protest aimed at encouraging people to buy local outside the Pretty Polly factory in 1981. Photo: National World
3. Metal Box
The Metal Box building was a key part of Mansfield's landscape until it was mostly demolished. All that remains now is the clock tower. The factory originally dates back to 1839 when Robert Barringer took over a mustard mill in rock valley before a merger in the 1930s created the Metal Box name we have all become so familiar with. Metal Box was a leading supplier of metal packaging, serving major corporations like Unilever, Heinz, and others. The factory closed in 2010. Photo: Chad
4. Granada Cinema
The Grenada Cinema, originally known as the Granada, was located on West Gate in the centre of Mansfield. It opened its doors on August 4, 1930, and was celebrated as Mansfield's and the Midlands' first super cinema. With a capacity to seat 1,582 people in front of a single large screen, it was quite an impressive venue for its time. The Granada was demolished in August 1973, and a Littlewood's department store was constructed on the site. In 2011, this location was replaced by a Primark store. Photo: Chad