Boots Grand Opening

Boots the Chemist will have a Grand Opening tomorrow, Friday at 11.00am. The opening will be carried out by long-serving employee and well-known local resident, Maureen Whalley.

The shop in Cheshire Street, next to St James Church, was taken over by Boots in February last year from its previous owner, John Wilkinson. There has been a major refurbishment over the past month or so and local shoppers will be eager to see the changes that are now in place.

The shop will also be open on Wednesday afternoons in future.

New ShopsThis summer has seen a major boost to local shopping facilities with the arrival of Chesters, a new hairdressers, in the old bookmaker's premises in Shropshire Street next to Old Vicarage Garden. The refurbishment of the old Co-op building in The Square will soon see three new retail premises with Audlem Dry Cleaners now being fitted out and another unit to become a Florists.

Unfortunately, the partial closure of the Shropshire Union canal, due to a breach twenty miles south of the village, has had a severe effect on trade for some shops, cafes and pubs. British Waterways confirmed this week that while the canal can carry traffic southwards to beyond Tirley Locks from Audlem, it is unlikely to be open for traffic beyond the breach until late October at the earliest.

The loss of this important tourist trade in Audlem, plus the availability of more shops and new facilities, will mean many traders will be hoping that more and more local people will shop regularly in the village and transfer some of their spending to local shops.

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