Latest news with #WestburyonTrym
The Sun
18-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
My hardware shop survived two world wars, recessions & Covid – now Rachel Reeves has KO'd it after 160 years
FOR 160 years Mogford & Son has been a trusty hardware shop just like the one seen in the Two Ronnies' famous 'fork handles' sketch. But running a small independent shop has become no laughing matter for its current owner Paul Gillam. 5 5 Because of a tsunami of rising costs, including Rachel Reeves' employer National Insurance increase, Paul, 57, has been forced to call it a day. At the end of September Mogford — one of Britain's oldest shops — will close its doors for the final time. Queen Victoria was on the throne in the 1860s when businessman WH Mogford first opened his ironmongers store on the high street in Westbury-on-Trym, north Bristol. This Aladdin's cave has survived two world wars, the Great Depression, recessions and Covid but the current owner has had to make the heartbreaking decision to stop trading. Close to tears, Paul told The Sun: 'I'm working seven days a week but things have got more expensive. From staffing costs to National Insurance and bank charges. 'The car park up the road has started to charge £2, so people can no longer park for free, because the council is short of cash. My business rates keep going up. 'It's been a hard decision but I can't carry on.' Standing at the till, Paul is surrounded by thousands of objects for the home, from bamboo and compost to jubilee clips and, of course, candles. He has a wry smile as he poses with four candles, like shopkeeper Ronnie Corbett in the famous TV sketch, but he looks sad as he surveys his stock. There are house numbers, bolts, rabbit food and aquarium cleaners all stacked neatly on shelving that has carried everything the local community could want for the past century and a half. Popular bank with over 400 spots confirms it is shutting 18 branches in August – it follows 148 closures by rivals Paul's wife Babs, 55, who has been working in the shop since two staff retired recently, not to be replaced, says: 'The Government say they want to keep High Streets open but then all the banks close. "Then the car parks start charging, then the shops close. People end up going online or to one of the big retailers.' The car park up the road has started to charge £2, so people can no longer park for free, because the council is short of cash. My business rates keep going up. Paul To try to counter the online threat, Paul's shop has a Facebook page and offers a delivery service. He charges £1 for anything under £20 and free delivery on orders over 20 quid. Paul makes just £1.60 on a bag of compost and in 30 years of working at Mogford he has never increased all his prices at once to keep pace with inflation. He raises prices as little as possible and he reluctantly puts a £3 limit on the card machine because of the cost of using it. Paul would have liked his daughter Sophie and grandson James to take over but he decided they would be better off in jobs with a future. Paul remembers walking past Mogford's shop as a boy. He says: 'There was everything round here. 'Clothes shops, shoe shops, butchers, fishmongers, greengrocers. You could get every single thing you wanted.' He points across the road to the shops that have closed down — a newsagent's, a women's accessories shop and a shoe repair bar. He says: 'When Covid happened, we were considered an essential business. 'We extended our hours, opening at 6am and not closing until 9pm because our footfall went up so much with people working from home, and we wanted to help.' When The Sun visited, all morning there was a steady stream of customers coming in to buy goods from washers to dog bowls, super glue to carpet cleaner. Paul knows most of them by name and all seem upset that the shop will be gone in just ten weeks' time. They say it's the latest nail in the coffin for their High Street and they don't know what they'll do when Paul locks up for the final time. He says: 'I will close the doors with a heavy heart. 'It's not for lack of trying either but there's simply nothing I can do. I'm breaking even and have been for a while, so I've been left with no choice.' 5 5
BBC News
18-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Bristol's oldest hardware shop to close after 160 years
A store owner says "160 years of history will be coming to an end" once he officially closes the doors on the city's oldest hardware shop. & Sons in Bristol is an old-fashioned hardware shop, which sells everything from nails and rabbit food to candles and slug repellent. Paul Gillam, who took it more than 20 years ago, made the reluctant decision to close following five years of dwindling footfall and unsustainable staffing shop will remain open until the end of August, though Mr Gillam is still yet to announce a precise closing-down date. Until the last 20 years, the shop on the High Street in Westbury-on-Trym had been run by the same family. Mr Gillam said giving up the reins was "a difficult decision, but it's the right one". "There's lots of different reasons - Covid-19, Amazon, less people on the high street, utility bills going up, lots of things have come together," he said. "It's really been with the closure of the banks in the last two years that sealed it. That was the final straw because the footfall just dropped off." Mr Gillam said when he first began working at the store 30 years ago there were five members of staff on shift every day. Now that figure has plummeted to two, and Mr Gilliam believes "going forward that's just not sustainable.""I know many many people will miss the shop, and a lot of the customers come in every week and they're like friends now. It's really sad." 'Absolutely gutting' Melvyn Griffiths is a long-standing customer of the shop, and described it as a "proper Mr. Arkwright's" tool emporium. "You can get everything you want here. It goes back years, and it's got everything you need in small quantities," she said."It'll be absolutely gutting for the community to lose it. I'm sure everyone locally will miss it like mad when it's gone." Colin Clarke said the closure means he will have to instead turn to corporate chains like B&Q for supplies. "I'm absolutely devastated. This shop has been here since Queen Victoria's time," he said."This is the centre of the community - it's going to be well missed."
The Sun
17-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
English city's oldest shop is forced to shut after 160 YEARS in business as Brits mourn ‘huge loss'
ONE of Britain's oldest shops has been forced to shut after 160 years due to soaring bills. WH Mogford & Son in Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol has been serving customers in its 'Aladdin's Cave' hardware store since the 1860s. 5 5 Owner Paul Gillam, who has spent 30 years working at the shop, said it was time to close permanently due to rocketing bills. He told The Sun: 'It's a culmination of footfall dropping off, banks closing in the high street, people shopping online, and the cost of amenities, bills and staffing costs. 'It wasn't an easy decision. It's taken me a couple of years to come to the decision to close down. 'I'm disappointed for the regular customers but it's the right decision at this time.' Paul, 57, added: 'I will take a couple of weeks off then I need to find another job.' The shop, which serves a once bustling high street on the outskirts of Bristol, will pull down the shutters for the last time in September. One Bristol local, who grew up nearby, described the imminent store closure as 'terrible news'. Another replying to Paul's post on Facebook breaking the news, replied: 'Very sorry to hear this. 'I have known the shop my entire life. 'There will be many many saddened people when they hear this news. Popular bank with over 400 spots confirms it is shutting 18 branches in August – it follows 148 closures by rivals 'Mogfords has been a much loved and relied upon business in the village throughout generations.' Another said: 'You will be very much missed. My sons call your shop 'the shop that sells everything'." 'As a fellow business owner I am aware of the significant rise in operating costs over the last few years. I can't imagine how difficult this decision has been for you. 'On behalf of the local community a huge thank you and best wishes for your next 'chapter'.' 5 5 It comes as shops across the country struggle to survive in the changing consumer landscape. Both chain stores and independents have closed at an alarming rate, citing decreased footfall and rising prices as the reason behind the closures. RETAIL PAIN IN 2025 The British Retail Consortium has predicted that the Treasury's hike to employer NICs will cost the retail sector £2.3billion. Research by the British Chambers of Commerce shows that more than half of companies plan to raise prices by early April. A survey of more than 4,800 firms found that 55% expect prices to increase in the next three months, up from 39% in a similar poll conducted in the latter half of 2024. Three-quarters of companies cited the cost of employing people as their primary financial pressure. The Centre for Retail Research (CRR) has also warned that around 17,350 retail sites are expected to shut down this year. It comes on the back of a tough 2024 when 13,000 shops closed their doors for good, already a 28% increase on the previous year. Professor Joshua Bamfield, director of the CRR said: "The results for 2024 show that although the outcomes for store closures overall were not as poor as in either 2020 or 2022, they are still disconcerting, with worse set to come in 2025." Professor Bamfield has also warned of a bleak outlook for 2025, predicting that as many as 202,000 jobs could be lost in the sector. "By increasing both the costs of running stores and the costs on each consumer's household it is highly likely that we will see retail job losses eclipse the height of the pandemic in 2020."
Daily Mail
17-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Historic 'oldest shop' in English city is forced to shut its doors after 160 years of trading - with soaring bills blamed
One of the 'oldest' shops in Bristol has been forced to shutter its doors after 160 due to the crippling effects of soaring bills. WH Mogford & Son, tucked away in Westbury-on-Trym high street, has been a traditional hardware store since 1860s. And even in the two decades before its becoming a tool shop, it served as an ironmongers. But now, the time to close its doors for the final time has come around with its owner Paul Gillam making a saddening announcement to reeling customer on June 14. Taking to Facebook, Mr Gillam, who has spent the last 30 years tirelessly working in the shop, announced the store's 'long history' would be coming to an end. Giving an official closing date of September 2025, he revealed the business which he took over in 2004, was shuttering 'permanently' due to sky rocketing bills. 'I have come to this decision due to the continuing decline in customer numbers, the increasing costs of stock, staffing, bank and utility charges and the desperate state of repair of the rented premises,' he said. 'I would like to thank the many local customers who have supported us over the years.' Described as an 'Aladdin's cave of DIY, gardening and pet supplies', WH Mogford & Son gained popularity for selling individual items rather than multi packs, such as a single nail or one Rawlplug. During the pandemic, the team recalled how one gentleman would walk to the shop each week to buy 10 screws for 1p each, just so he could have a chat with staff. Mr Gillam had taken on various job roles over the years, before he eventually came to the helm of the historic hardware store after the previous owner, the last Mogford to ever own it, went into retirement in 2004. He ran WH Mogford & Son, which was previously dubbed by M Shed as the oldest store in the city alongside his daughter Sophie, who took over the book-keeping after her grandmother retired. One Bristol local, who grew up nearby, described the imminent store closure as 'terrible news'. He told MailOnline how his mother 'always said that for anything around the house, from torches to screwdrivers to pet food, if Mogford's didn't have it then no one would'. He added: 'I've always popped in there still for odd things. Friendly, helpful - a real old-fashioned shop in the best sense of the description.' Following the announcement, other locals and customers were quick to share their dismay at the shop's closure. 'Very sorry to hear this. Have known the shop my entire life, as grew up, and still live, in Westbury-on-Trym,' one said. 'My father used to sell the spare parts for Tilley StormLight paraffin lanterns to the tall slim chap, always thought his name was John Mogford, but not certain of that. 'There will be many many saddened people when they hear this news. Mogfords has been a much loved and relied upon business in the village throughout generations.' Another added: 'A huge loss to the village, you will be very much missed. My sons call your shop 'the shop that sells everything'. 'As a fellow business owner I am aware of the significant rise in operating costs over the last few years. I can't imagine how difficult this decision has been for you. 'On behalf of the local community a huge thank you and best wishes for your next 'chapter'.' A local chimed in: 'I'm sorry to hear about this Paul. I was born in Westbury-on-Trym in late 1940's & I knew Mogfords Ironmongers shop well until I left in my early teens. '[I] have returned to the local area on several occasions over the years and made a point to see it. 'The shop is like part of the furniture that makes the village and will be surely sadly missed.' Nearby Westbury-on-Trym, Bristol Zoo, which was the oldest provincial animal enclosure shut down its main centre after 186 years. The zoo, which was on the edge of Clifton Downs closed its main centre due to the impact of the pandemic and lockdowns. At the time, the society said: 'For many years, Bristol Zoo Gardens has faced various challenges. Namely, declining visitor numbers, the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic, and the challenges of meeting the changing needs of the animals.' According to the British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquarium, 24 zoos were at risk of closing due to the third national lockdown.
BBC News
13-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Investigation after walls appear in Bristol car park
The sudden closure of part of a shopping centre car park is being investigated by a council over potential breaches to planning City Council said it had received complaints from residents after tall blue walls appeared in the Co-op Canford Lane car park in Westbury-on-Trym on 14 in the nearby Carlton Court Shopping Centre told the BBC they have noticed a drop in their income since the walls were installed, with one reporting a 30% reduction in sales. Cyril Leonard, the landowner's agent, said the closure was in place "while the potential for a partial redevelopment of the site is explored' but parking would continue to be provided. Stephen Williams, who represents the village on the city council, said : "No one knew this was coming, but it has raised lots of questions about what the future intentions are for the shopping centre and the car park to fence off such a large part of the site. "The owner must know he's damaging the businesses that are his tenants."Bristol North West MP, Darren Jones has written to the council demanding more information "as a matter of urgency". Resident Sylvia Townsend, 84, said she is "distressed with what's happening"."This car park is used by many people," she said."I'm old myself and disabled, we appreciate having a car park that's right in the middle of the shops. "We don't want to be forced to have to park on the streets anymore." As well as parking spaces, the walls also initially blocked the only ramp for people with disabilities to access the shopping landowner has since pushed the wall back from the ramp. Mr Williams said the blocking of the ramp has "definitely adversely affected some people".He added he is pleased the land owner created more space, but said "I don't think he's widened it enough"."If they're planning to do something I'm sure they won't want to run into a wall of articulate opposition which they may well get from the residents,' he said."If they want to achieve something different on the ground, the more open they are with the community then the more likely it is something might happen on the site they want to happen." In a statement, Mr Leonard said it was 'very early days', with "no firm plans in place" and the owner is considering a "range of options".He added the owner is "committed to keeping the community informed as plans develop" and parking for shoppers would still be provided in the future.
