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Friday, 3rd September 2010

PICTURE EXCLUSIVE: First look inside new Booths

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Published Date: 23 September 2009
THIS is the first glimpse inside the new £6m Booths store which opens its doors in Garstang tomorrow (Thursday).
The store will open at 10am and the public will at last be able to see inside the largest commercial investment this area has seen in a generation.
The Courier was given an exclusive preview inside the new store on Monday and first impressions were of the huge size of the bright, spacious shopping area.
Masterminding the operation is new store manager Paul Guy. He said: "There is a real 'wow' factor when people come in."
He added: "I can't wait to see people's faces on Thursday!"
This week Booths announced details of tomorrow's opening ceremony.
The company has invited Peter Swarbrick, original manager of the 'old' Garstang store in 1975, and another employee from the early days of the 'old' store, Marion Richardson, to formally open the doors.
They will be joined by Booths chairman Edwin Booth, property director Graham Booth, fresh food director Simon Booth and Garstang mayor Coun Gordon Harter.
Among many features highlighted by Booths in the new store is a self-service fresh juice bar, a bakery, fresh fruit and veg, a fresh olives section, a cheese unit with a choice of up to 90 cheeses, including cheese from the prestigious London-based Neal's Yard. The checkout area has 17 tills.
As well as an impressive staircase there is a lift between the floors, and toilets, including a disabled facility and baby changing room.
The first floor Cafe 1847 has seats, including chairs and sofas, for around 200 people as well as a children's activity area.
Fifteen minutes before the opening there will be a separate ceremony to mark the unveiling of the Garstang lion mosaic, based on the town's historic seal. This will be carried out by Booths director Michael Booth and John Marsden of MBMC (Marsden Building and Maintenance Contractors), the main contractor, which has worked with Booths for several years.
A Booths spokesman said: "The concept of the mosaic is to act as a strong focal point to bring people onto the public square.
"Its aim is to reflect the history of Garstang as a market town with the new Booths providing a fresh chapter in the town's trading history."
Although tomorrow is the official opening date, tonight sees a VIP preview for winners of 200 tickets in a recent Courier/Booths competition.
Details of which companies will be moving into the shop units within the complex have yet to be revealed. It is known Wyre Council will be moving its tourist information centre from the Discovery Centre to the complex, possibly next month. There has also been informed speculation that the Co-op pharmacy will be moving into two other other shop units.
It is reliably understood that the 'old' Booths, which closed on Saturday, will become an M&Co clothes store within the next few months.
Over the past year work on the new store has been watched with interest around the town, with traders wondering about its impact on High Street shops, and residents worried that motorists who don't want to pay parking fees will park on nearby roads, adding to Garstang's traffic problems.
A round table meeting involving councillors, Booths representatives, traders leaders and county and Wyre planning and highway officials was held last week in an effort to identify potential problem spots which need attention.
Coun Roger Brooks, who has led an ad-hoc watchdog group on the implications of the Booths development said among issues discussed were improved road signs to the new store, signs on the re-shaped car park to the town centre, improved sight lines at the Windsor Road entrance to the car park and improvements to the Windsor/Park Hill Road roundabout.
He said a 'Welcome to Garstang' sign was also to be erected on the gable of Singleton's building, Park Hill Road.
Coun Brooks added: "We have done about as much as we can do at the moment to show people that there is life beyond Booths."

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  • Last Updated: 23 September 2009 9:49 AM
  • Source: n/a
  • Location: Garstang
 
 

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