remember Coopers Church St Liverpool

[Pinky Devereux]

I remember Coopers.  It closed when I was a small child, but my grandmother worked as a silver service waitress in the restaurant, which was on the upper floors, she was irish and worked there for about 25 years, her best friend was scottish and also worked there for great number of years, they both worked until the shop closed circa 1969.  Very high class restaurant - beautiful food.  The ground floor had the coffee grinding as you went in through the door on Church Street, it was located to the left.  They did have live chicks in the main window at Easter too.  There was another entrance in Paradise Street, which led into where the fish was sold in the Food Hall.  I wish this store was still here, it would be a fantastic shop to have with all the food from all over the world, and old fashioned services like delivery, which ironic since the supermarkets now do this.

my grandmother worked as a demonstrator in 1930s......she was from anfield

[SusanElizabeth1949]

Just loved reading everyone's memories of Coopers. I too remember it fondly.
I worked there in ther 60's in the offices. It was my first job after leaving college as a trained shorthand typist.  I was the general managers secretary and his name was Mr O'Rourke.
As everyone has said - the coffee counter was on the left as you entered the door from Church Street. To the right was the Tobacco counter and in front of that the sweets counter. There was also the butchers, bakery, fruit and veg (manager Mr McCoy), health and nutrition . Down on the lower level, which was entered from Paradise Street, was the chemist one side and on the other, wines. There were more counters but I can't remember what they were. (possibly cheese)
The offices were above the butchers counter, which was right at the back of the store. The offices had a window wall so you could look down on the shop floor. I remember working overtime, at Christmas's and Easter (busy times)  and it would usually be on a Sunday when the shop was shut and I would look out the office window and see the rats running around the aisles. Some would be lying there dead or dying, obviously they had eaten the poison that had been put out by the maintenance people (manager Mr Orme I think)
When Coopers was taken over by Scott's we had a visit from the CEO of Scott's. He was Canadian and I always remember how smartly dressed he was. Immaculate suit and his white shirt gleamed along with his gold cufflinks and black highly polished shoes.
After Scott's took over they changed a small section of the shop to a self serve. This was just for dry goods and I think it was at this time that the silver service restaurant got changed into a self serve cafeteria.
I remember also that Mr O'Rourke was very near retirement and sometimes I would find him fast asleep at his desk, so rather than him being found like that by his deputy manager, Mr Walker, I used to go back in my office and ring his phone and then hang up quickly before he answered but at least it woke him up.
In the office next to mine was the telephonist, Janet Brown. The switchboard was the type where you would plug a cord in to answer and transfer calls. I used to love helping her out if she needed to go an a break and I wasn't busy.
Great times and great memories and yes, who can forget the chicks at Easter time.

[GreenGarden]

Along with the Dolls Hospital, Coopers is another magical memory from childhood.
My dad worked in an office in Stanley Street and on Saturday mornings would take either my brother or me to the office to give my mum a rest. As a treat he'd take us to Coopers. The smell of the coffee and the sheer beauty of the dark wood counters and the tiled floors was gorgeous; even to me a little girl. Then we'd sit upstairs (I think) by tall glass windows sipping our tea or milk or whatever. I loved it then and I'd love it now.
 How I wish Liverpool had somewhere as beautiful to shop for food these days.