NOW that Christmastime has arrived, plenty of locals are reminiscing about where they used to do their festive shopping back in the day and it seems that Chadds was a firm favourite.

The independent department store was originally founded as a small drapers shop in Hereford’s Commercial Street in 1929 but it went on to offer everything from furniture and furnishings to clothes, gifts, and toys.

The shop’s eventual closure came just short of its 80th year of trading, with managing director Kirsty Chadd saying that the decision was taken because of changing trends in retail across the country.

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Members of We Grew Up In Hereford have been sharing their memories of Christmas shopping at the much-beloved store.

“Chadds was the Christmas go-to place in Hereford,” said David Niblett.

“You could buy anything in there, from saucepans to Lego, it was a fantastic shop with a brilliant toy department with the glass and wooden case stood in the middle, full of Toy soldiers and animals, which as a kid you'd push your face up against for a better look.”

Gwyneth Gill chimed in, she said: “Just loved Chadds. Had short time working there and the family who owned it were fabulous to work for, you even enjoyed work.

“Such a marvellous store, just had character and the shop windows were always fabulous.”

Whilst plenty look back on Chadds with nostalgia, some locals see the loss of the shop as indicative of an unfortunate decline in the city’s Yuletide offerings.

Pauline Rees said: “Lovely shops that have gone, Chadds, Greenlands, Woolworths, Peacock’s, Denhelms, Hawkins Bazaar, Monsoon, just to name a few.

“Too many cheap shops, the atmosphere has gone.

“The spirit has gone, it’s so sad.”