Goodbye Woolworths

Clitheroe Woolworths closes 

The recent credit crunch has taken down another store that has been loved by many for years…Woolworth’s, with around 820 of its UK branches having to shut down due to the economic downturn. 
For us here in the Ribble Valley, the closing date for the Clitheroe branch has been set for the 5th January leaving time for hundreds of shoppers to enjoy the closing down-sale bargains  in place at the moment. However, many people would prefer the extremely popular store to stay open and will be quite shocked at the need for closure.
The collapse of the company has led to the loss of over 20 jobs in East Lancashire and with the state of the economy at the moment; it cannot be easy for these unfortunate people to find replacement jobs. In terms of the future, it is not yet definite that the store will be put up for sale as there is a slight possibility that some of the high street chains will be bought. 
Woolworth’s has been open for 99 years; so closing down is probably not the 100th anniversary celebration that we had in mind! With such a popular store falling to the credit crunch, many people will begin to wonder how much further this situation is going to deteriorate, and how many more of Clitheroe’s and the Ribble Vallley’s much loved shops will have to close down because of it.

By Leanne Graham

Ribble Valley Food Trail - ‘Nibble through the Ribble’.

Rumpled like an unmade bed, Lancashire’s stunningly beautiful countryside is a blend of wild untamed moorland and gentle rolling hills. Not just a secret weekend getaway but a working land with a heritage of putting food on the plates of the nation.  

Recently, wily “foodies” have recognized that there is something extra-special in their landscape with new award winning restaurants, shops and delicatessens popping up all over the show like well nurtured rhubarb.

Keen to further champion what’s grown, reared, caught, brewed, pickled, smoked and baked, the Ribble Valley Food Trail guides visitors to nosh nirvana along the narrowest of ancient lanes to the eye-wateringly pretty villages of Waddington, Chipping, Downham and Hurst Green - the temporary home of J.R.R. Tolkien and said to have been the inspiration for ‘Middle Earth.’

Where once the ping of a microwave was the best that could be hope for in Pub gastronomy, the Three Fishes, Duke of York, Derby Arms and Red Pump (where it’s possible to enjoy their devastatingly good steaks with just a fork) are setting the bar extremely high with their cooking and roaring-fire rustic charm. Accommodation accolades have been heaped on Northcote Manor, Millstone, Inn at Whitewell and Gibbon Bridge hotels; while their celebrity chefs supply a local eating experience from farm gate to plate with fiery passion and flair.

In the shadow of the mythical Pendle Hill, Clitheroe hosts a number of recommended shops and eateries. Cowman’s unique sausage creations are just one of many to have eager customers queuing outside the door. Around the corner, Byrne’s is thought to be the best wine trader in England; while the nearby Exchange Coffee Company, Cheesie Tchaikovsky, Bashall Barn, CocoMoyo, Leagram Organic Cheese and Bowland Brewery all supply food and drink to grace the most demanding of tables. 

Perhaps little wonder then that the Queen suggested the Ribble Valley, at the centre of her Kingdom, be her ideal spot for retirement. 

Ribble Valley Food Trail available from local Tourist Information Centres, Tel: 01200 425566.

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Written by dale · Filed Under Travel and Tourism