Alworths opens to hundreds of customers on its first day

THE waiting is over for Tiverton shoppers as

Alworths opened its doors to customers on Fore Street last week.

The twelfth Alworths store to be opened and the

first in Devon welcomed hundreds of people in

from the rain with music, balloons, and for the first 200 people, a free pot of

pick ‘n’ mix on Wednesday August 25.

Tiverton mayor Cllr Lester Crocker joined

Alworths managing director Andy Latham in cutting the ribbon at 10am.

Before the opening ceremony outdoors, the ten

newly employed staff danced around the aisles to Tony Christie’s Is This the

Way to Amarillo.

Mr Latham was impressed by the Tiverton spirit: “You only

have to look around to see mothers and fathers with their children, and I’m

really pleased with the outcome for a wet Wednesday morning,” he said.

“I think the response

here is better than the other stores we’ve opened — the residents of Tiverton

haven’t let us down.”

Cllr Crocker added: “This means

quite a lot to Tiverton. People need stores like this, and I wish them all a

successful future here in the town.

“The weather hasn’t bothered anyone this morning. We’re used to that

here. It doesn’t matter to us and we’ll just carry on.”

Alworths was

launched in November 2009 by staff from its predecessor Woolworths. The new

store fills the void in the high street left when Woolies close in January last

year.

New store

manager Emma Herrett worked in Tiverton Woolworths from 2003 until its closure.

She said: “It’s fabulous here today. I didn’t expect to see such a turn out.

“We’ve taken

nine days to prepare, and it’s felt like months. It’s great to look at the

final product of all the work.

“Now we can look forward to tomorrow and it will be just another trading

day, everything will be back to normal and we’ll be able to get Tiverton back

to where it belongs.”

Alworths area manager Adam Hibberd locked the doors on Woolies for the

last time when it closed. He had been working for Woolworths since 2001, and in

Tiverton for the last 18 months: “It’s great to see it fresh, open, and back to

its former life. Do you know, I think it’s actually better than it was before.”

“It was strange having this big empty building with nobody in it, but

now everyone is here, and the life has been brought back into these walls.

“It’s mental in here today.

Everybody has got pick ‘n’ mix and Tiverton has done us proud.”

Pamela Brealey

was the first customer to the new Alworths store. She bought some clothes pegs,

a greetings card and some clothes. She

added: “I always used to shop in Woolworths in here, so I am glad we’ve got

something like it back in town.

“I’ll be able to use my clothes pegs when it’s

not raining, and I’ve got some pick ‘n’ mix in my bag to take home.”

BREAKING NEWS at

ALWORTHS : Half price pick and mix cups was £2.49 now only £1.24 until

end of bank holiday Monday!!!!!! More balloons and facepainting

tomorrow!!