The changing face of Nottingham’s busy high street, where only a few shops stand the test of time

Friar Lane is one of the busiest streets in Nottingham city centre, with shops, bars, cafes, offices and a row of bus stops, just off Old Market Square. It has undergone some changes over the years, as a search through the archives shows.

The types of businesses have changed, with more food and drink outlets now operating than they did 16 years ago. The good news is that most of the properties are occupied, unlike the empty units on some city streets. But only about a third of the businesses from 2008 are still there today.

Major retailer of comics, science fiction and cult entertainment Forbidden Planet remains, as does outdoor clothing store Rohan. A newsagent, charity shop Cancer Research, Hidden Hearing and a barber shop are other survivors. Tuckers Cafe, Chocolate Utopia and Costa Coffee have not changed, but there have been many other comings and goings. Walkabout, the Australian sports bar, has been replaced by the Bierkeller.

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What was once the Money Shop on the corner of Maid Marian Way has since become the Specialty Coffee Shop, and while the property across the street has remained an Indian restaurant, it has changed from Chutney to Tuk Tuk street food and recently reopened as Akshaya.

Hearing aid specialist Amplifon closed and made way for Gincident when gin bars were all the rage. It closed after the pandemic and was eventually replaced by the short-lived Baked Potato Shop. It’s now Shawarma Haus.

Others simply changed their names. The Games Workshop branch became Warhammer, and the bar called The Approach became Southbank City. Friar Lane became home to Nottingham’s first cat café in 2015. The Kitty Cafe took over two properties previously occupied by Bairstow Eves, an estate agent, and Remploy, an employment service for disabled people.

Businesses that have also disappeared from the high street include Boots Opticians, Cheque Centre, recruitment agency GI Group, Fussy Folk, jewellery and fashion retailer Work in Progress and Chinese supermarket Fresh Oriental. More recent arrivals include City Nails and Beauty and eco-friendly Shop Zero.

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