expansion at Owen Owen, acquiring Joplings and Robbs from the Merchant Retail Group and purchasing Esslemont & MacIntosh from the Esslemont family. The Owen Owen brand name was no longer used, but remained the name of the operating company. On 28 February 2007 Owen Owen entered administration. One of the reasons given for the company's demise was the disruption caused by the Big Dig, a series of regeneration projects in Liverpool city centre. The Esslemont & MacIntosh store at Aberdeen was closed on 5 May 2007. In the same month the Liverpool, Hexham and Sunderland stores were sold as a going concern to Vergo Retail Ltd., controlled by the previous owner of Owen Owen, David Thompson, and enabling the stores to continue to trade. Former branches and subsidiaries Owen Owen Liverpool Basingstoke, The Malls, opened 1981 Bath, formerly James Colmer, the name being retained on cast window frames and glass panels in hoardings. Purchased 1973; closed 1991; ground floor and partial 1st floor redeveloped as multiple outlets, remainder converted to flats. Birkenhead, opened 1959; converted to a TJ Hughes Brighton, formerly Wades, purchased 1975, closed 1981 Bristol, formerly James Colmer store closed 1973 Chester, formerly Richard Jones. Purchased 1960, closed 1999. Food Hall formerly known as William Jones (the Three Old Arches store), which was a separate business, and then amalgamated into one store. Colwyn Bay, formerly W S Wood. Purchased 1975, closed 1981. Coventry, City Centre. Opened 1937, destroyed in 1940 blitz, rebuilt 1954 Crawley opened 1992 Doncaster, purchased from Verity & Sons in 1950, sold to Binns in 1975 Erdington, formerly W M Taylor & Sons, purchased 1971, closed 1977 Evesham, formerly Hamilton & Bell, purchased 1975, closed 1982 Finchley, formerly Priors, purchased 1963, closed 1993 Hereford, Commercial Street, opened 1975, closed 1979 Ilford, Exchange Shopping Centre, opened 1991 Ipswich, Buttermarket, opened 1992 Kidderminster, formerly Attwoods, purchased 1975, transferred to T J Hughes Newport, formerly Reynolds, purchased 1975, closed 1989 Preston, formerly Frederick Matthews, purchased 1937, closed 1989 Redditch, Kingfisher Centre, opened 1980 Richmond, formerly Wright Brothers, purchased in 1976 from House of Fraser, closed 1990 Shrewsbury, formerly Maddox & Co, purchased 1966, closed 1990 Slough, formerly Suters, purchased 1978 Southampton, formerly E Mayes & Son, purchased 1949, closed 1994 Stourbridge, formerly Stringers; purchased 1975, closed 1990, demolished 1995. The building started life as a cinema which closed in 1973 and was converted to Stringers. Taunton, formerly Clements