Doors set to close on Beaconsfield Woolworths

Jan 6 2009 By Polly Manser

Woolworths in Beaconsfield will be one of the last of more than 800 stores to close its doors for the last time today and reporter Polly Manser paid a visit to the store to get some final reaction.

Describing the scene she said: "I went along in the hope of getting an interview with manager Dharmesh Jetwani who, unless he has managed to line up new employment, will be out of a job by the end of this week, along with his staff.

"Mr Jetwani declined to talk to me. Busy dismantling shelves, and wearing a woolly hat and thick fleece - the heating had already been turned off - he told me I couldn't speak to his staff either.

"Customers were happy to talk however."

Teacher Claire Rolfe, of Bourne End, called in with daughters Eleanor, 10, and Phillipa, eight, had come to witness the closure of one of the nation's best loved stores.

Mrs Rolfe, of Bourne End, who had bought a pack of High School Musical stickers for 39p, said: "It's very sad. My husband has often called in at Woolies after swimming on a Saturday morning, to get socks or trousers for the girls or other bits and pieces. It was a fantastic shop, very useful, and always reasonably priced."

Pensioner Jean Baldwin, of Dove Court, Beaconsfield, said: "I didn't use the shop very much, just for a particular sort of light bulb that you can't seem to get anywhere else in the town, but I'm very sad to see it go, because for the 50 years I've lived in Beaconsfield it's always been here, it's an institution."

Most of the shelves were bare, and that the back half of the shop was cordoned off, but there was a queue at the till.

Ironing boards were going for £3.97, flower vases £1.25, and gift boxes just 7p. I couldn't resist joining the bargain hunters and came away with a very nice set of six champagne glasses for just £6.

Woolworths went into administration in November with debts of £385 million and Deloitte was unable to find a buyer.

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