Laura Ashley store closes
British retail chain Laura Ashley, best known for its floral fabrics and designs, was closing its Llanidloes shop for the final time today. British retail chain Laura Ashley, best known for its floral fabrics and designs, was closing its Llanidloes shop for the final time today. Laura Ashley announced last month that the clothes shop would cease trading this month. The shop in Great Oak Street employs four people, but they will be redeployed to the Newtown store. Former MP Lord Hooson, who was once a director of the firm, said it was a "great blow for the town". Read the full story in today's Shropshire Star
Laura Ashley announced last month that the clothes shop would cease trading this month. The shop in Great Oak Street employs four people, but they will be redeployed to the Newtown store.
Former MP Lord Hooson, who was once a director of the firm, said it was a "great blow for the town".
The store was the first to bear the Laura Ashley name and opened in 1976.
Laura Ashley died in 1985, aged 60, after an accident at her daughter's home. She is buried in the churchyard in Carno, Powys.
It was only this year that a new exhibition came to Llanidloes museum charting the history and local connections to Laura Ashley. The display consisted of photographs, documents and artefacts lent to the museum by the Laura Ashley Archives.
Lord Hooson said: " A great deal of goodwill in the whole area is felt towards Laura Ashley. She'd have been absolutely horrified by the news."
Despite efforts to meet Laura Ashley managers, Powys County Council was unable to save the store.
Councillor Gareth Morgan said: "It is clearly a very sad day for Llanidloes. This is an indication of how the company is drifting away from its roots."
A spokesman for Laura Ashley said bosses had decided to close the store because it was too small for its product range.
