A building on Princes Street that was once home to the flagship store of a beloved Edinburgh retail giant could soon vanish forever, new plans submitted earlier this month have revealed.
Under fresh proposals, the former John Menzies building on Princes Street will make way for a 300-bedroom luxury hotel which developers claim will be one of the largest ever investments on the famous thoroughfare.
But while many are excited at the Ruby Hotel plan to redevelop the site, locals of a certain age will be sad to see the old building - which was once hallowed ground in Edinburgh retail terms - bite the dust.
READ MORE: Plans progressing for luxury Edinburgh hotel on Princes Street with rooftop bar
Established as a small booksellers in 1833, John Menzies grew to become one of the most successful retail firms in Scottish history.
Going on to specialise in books, magazines, stationery, toys, music and other media, Menzies - or 'Mingis'' as some pronounced it - was the WH Smith of its day and had an huge presence in high streets and in railway stations up and down the country - but the company's biggest and best store was right here in Edinburgh.
In 1973, with the company flying high, John Menzies opened its vast new flagship store and headquarters at 107-108 Princes Street - and what a brilliant place it was.
Comprising multiple levels and different departments the big Menzies store was an absolute rites of passage for people growing up in Edinburgh.
Entering through the iconic mirrored frontage, the ground floor was filled with stacks and stacks of books and magazines catering for pretty much every taste and hobby imaginable.
Downstairs there was the huge records department, which would later stock VHS cassettes, laser discs and video games, while younger kids could spend countless hours in the toy department.
There was also the restaurant up on the first floor, where you could grab a spot of lunch or simply meet with pals over a hot beverage. Menzies offered the perfect respite after a busy day clothes shopping at the other Princes Street stores.
For those growing up in the city between the 1970s and 1990s, there really was nothing in Edinburgh that could hold a candle to John Menzies.
Sadly, as the new millennium approached, the company made the difficult decision to sell off its retail arm - but not before the famous flagship store made its mark in film.
In the opening scene of the 1996 classic Trainspotting, the film's main character Mark Renton can be seen being chased from John Menzies after stealing from the shop.
Funnily enough, the staff at John Menzies weren't exactly strangers to having to deal with shoplifters in real life. The Princes Street store was a magnet for petty thieves.
Around the time of Trainspotting's release, the end was nigh. The decision was made to sell 230 bookstores, as well as 220 children’s toys and games shops.
With the loss of their retail division, few could have predicted that John Menzies would go to become even more famous than before in a completely different field - you might even say they're flying once more.
WH Smith bought the chain of retail shops for £68 million in March 1998, with Menzies moving on to become one of the world’s top three aviation logistics groups as the millennium approached.
After John Menzies moved out, the lower floors of the building were occupied for a number of years by Next.
By 2008, Menzies Aviation had acquired businesses in the USA, the Netherlands, Australia, Sweden, Norway, and many other countries.
Even global recessions and the 2010 Icelandic volcano eruption didn’t stop the company from continuing to grow, selling the entire share capital in 2018.
Forsyth Black, the chief executive at Menzies, spoke to the Scotsman about the legacy of the business in 2019.
He said: “Running John Menzies, especially as a Scot, you realise there is a weight of history and a little bit of expectation on you.
“We’re a little bit of a Scottish and an Edinburgh piece of heritage, whilst business is business, we’ve also got to pay attention to that.”
If the old Menzies flagship store does end up being demolished for the proposed Ruby Hotel, we will sure miss it.
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