In pictures: Shropshire Woolworths stores on their last days 15 years ago and what’s happened since

It is 15 years since the once-ubiquitous budget department store chain closed its doors for the last time. And even then, many people clung to hopes that it would soon be revived.

The chain, which originated in the United States, before spreading around the world, arrived in the UK in November 1909. Posters celebrating the company's centenary in the UK had already been printed.

The closures took place in waves over a period of 11 days, beginning on December 27, 2008, and continuing through to January 6, 2009. The final day had been due to be January 5, but it was decided to give the last few stores a 24-hour reprieve to shift a bit more stock.

Ironically, December 5 ­– the first day of the Woolworths closing-down sale – was the busiest in its history, taking £27 million in sales. The tills continued to ring out right up to the end, and months after the stores had gone, speculation continued to mount about some kind of revival.

The fact that Woolworths was closing at Christmas seemed all the more ironic, given that it was a time of year the chain had always been associated with. In the 1970s, its brash Christmas television adverts, featuring stars such as Henry Cooper, Stirling Moss, Tony Blackburn and Magnus Pyke, were a staple of the festive season.

The demise of Woolworths marked the beginning of a sea-change on the high street, and the years that followed would see the disappearance of many other famous names. It also left a big hole in our towns, as large shop units suddenly became vacant.

Here we look at what has happened to some of the branches in our region over the past 15 years.

High Street, Market Drayton: Market Drayton was relatively late to the Woolworths party, not getting its branch until 1938. It remained in the town until December 2008, and was later converted into a branch of the fashion retailer Peacocks.

Bailey Street, Oswestry: This branch had been in Oswestry for about 40 years when the shutters finally came down just after Christmas, 2008.

It replaced an earlier, rather more attractive shop, in Cross Street, which had been in the town from 1932.

The later building, on the corner of Willow Street, is now occupied by Home Bargains, while the older one is a branch of Sports Direct.

Castle Street Shrewsbury: Replacing an earlier branch in Pride Hill, the new store opened on October 30, 1964, just in time to capitalise on the Christmas rush.

It became the first store in Shrewsbury to benefit from an escalator, and quickly became a big hit with customers, if not with conservationists. The historic Raven Hotel had been demolished to make way for the rather unattractive looking building – which also included a branch of Littlewoods next door – and many were not happy about this.

The construction of the Darwin shopping centre saw the shop being extended in 1987, with an entrance in the new mall. The store closed for a year to allow the work to be carried out, and a closing down sale was held in May, 1987. The event was so popular that police were called in to marshal the crowds, which were stretching back to the neighbouring Littlewoods.

The branch closed in January, 2008, and is now occupied by fashion store H & M.

New Street, Wellington: Never one of Woolworth's prettier stores, the Wellington branch opened in 1930, but received a major revamp in the 1960s. It closed in December, 2008, and is now occupied by Heron Foods.

High Street, Whitchurch: If some of Shropshire's branches look like they had been hit with the ugly stick, this is definitely one of the prettier examples.

The building in High Street was already well established when Woolworths arrived in 1936, and had been designed to blend in with the much older building next door.

The shop traded for 72 years until it closed on December 27, 2008. It became a Poundstretcher in 2010, but that had closed by 2015. Last year permission was granted to convert the building into the St Mary's Arcade, with two flats above.

Castle Street, Ludlow: This branch opened in 1933, and is unusual in that it still retains the original 90-year-old shop-front, right down to its curved windows, wooden doors, and mosaic flooring in the doorways.

The shop closed in December, 2008, and is now a Spar convenience store.

High Street, Newport: Woolworths had been in Newport since 1934, but was rebuilt in 1972 in a style that is best described as functional rather than pretty. It closed on December 30, 2008 – having been reprieved for an extra day. The following year it was taken over by B & M.

High Street, Bridgnorth: This branch opened in 1953, initially a small store next to the Crown Hotel. The store was later extended to take up part of the old agricultural hall, beneath the hotel. Eventually, Woolworths decided to reduce its floorspace again, and vacated the original building which became Superdrug. The remaining part of the shop continued until January, 2009, and is now occupied by The Original Factory Shop.

High Street, Welshpool: Closed January 3, 2009, a day later than scheduled to clear remaining stock.

Clothing chain M&Co was hailed the town's saviour when it took on the store in 2011, but the following year the company's chairman claimed a new one-way traffic system had caused a 25 per cent fall in takings. M&Co closed all its shops this year, although continues as an online retailer.

Telford Shopping Centre: This branch also closed on January 3, 2009. The unit was taken over by Poundland.