DEAL: ANOTHER HISTORIC BUSINESS CLOSES DOWN.
One of Deal’s longest-running businesses is closing its doors. Graham Cartwright, Sylvia, and Bill Longley stated that with rising business costs and the opening of large retail centres, it is no longer possible to provide a good service to customers, confirming their final day of trading will be Thursday, April 2nd. The shop is believed to be one of the oldest businesses in Deal and Walmer. The first shop opened in Queen Street in 1948, before a second branch opened at its current location in 1961. Bill began working for the company in 1972 and, at the age of 80, is still serving customers today. They also noted that the closure of most neighbouring shops had led to a decline in passing trade. Since then, many of the properties have been converted into housing, further restricting customer parking. They said: "A common comment we hear is 'I tried to drop by yesterday, but there was nowhere to park so I couldn't stop.' This parking situation is also due to the closure of many nearby shops, where several properties were later converted into residential housing, removing parking spaces for customers. The team at States of Walmer sincerely thanks all its customers and invites them to drop by for a final goodbye."
