The owner of a Mansfield jewellers which has been in the town for 228 years arrived at work with "trepidation" on the first day of the store's closing down sale. Dozens of people were queuing outside Martin Wilkinson on Saturday (December 3) to get their hands on some half-price items.
Everything in the Queen Street store has been reduced by 50% for the sale, which will last until stock runs out. But despite the bargains on offer, many of those waiting outside the shop ahead of the 10am opening were doing so with mixed emotions.
Deborah Barraclough, 59, from Shirebrook, was hoping to get her hands on a wedding ring as her and her partner of 29 years prepare to marry in Saint Lucia on January 6. She said: "It's not good for anybody that it's closing really and I have been here several times over the years.
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"I haven't quite managed to be at the front of the queue but I'm not too far behind so I should hopefully be able to get a nice wedding ring. I'm actually a bit surprised by how big the queue is this morning, but it is a very well-loved place."
One of those who did manage to make it towards the front of the queue was Angela Johnson, 64, from Sutton in Ashfield. She said: "I was very sad to hear about the closure because I have been coming here for about the last 20 years.
"I've bought various things both for myself and for family from here over that time. A lot of people probably don't have the budget to come here and they might go to Pandora or Warren James instead, but I've always come here.
"I actually thought that the shop opened at 9am today so I got here perhaps a bit too early, but it has meant that I've managed to get to the front of the queue. It is quite a big queue that has formed so I think it is obviously going to be sad for the town when it finally closes."
Martin Wilkinson, based in Queen Street, has a history in Mansfield dating back to 1794, originally trading as Coral before the jeweller Martin Wilkinson bought it in the 1800s. The shop went through several owners before Edgar William Campin took it on in the late 1930s.
His son, Andrew Campin, served a jewellery apprenticeship before helping his father after he fell ill. Mr Campin has now worked for the business since 1968, with the store having been based at its current home in Queen Street since 1974.
But Mr Campin, who is in his 80s, says he had to make the difficult decision to close the shop as there was nobody to succeed him. He said: "All my three children have careers of their own and they were never really interested in taking it on, but I never put any pressure on them to do so.
"There is a lot of history attached to this place. It's been here for 228 years now, although thankfully I haven't been around for all of that time. We were expecting quite a sizeable queue this morning and it's to be hoped that we maintain a decent-sized queue throughout the day."
Further at the back of the queue was Sally Oakley, 59, who lives in Mansfield. She said: "It's very sad for Mansfield because the town seems to be losing everything that is worth something at the moment. You certainly can't blame the family for this though because they have to look at the longevity of these things, but it will be another big loss.
"I'm a sucker for diamonds and I always said that when it was my 60th, I would spend some money and treat myself. If I can do that today instead and get something a bit cheaper then that's even better."
Helen Beardsley, 59, from Mansfield, was also in the queue along with her husband Chris. She said: "We are losing another independent jewellers here so it is obviously quite a sad day for the town. It will definitely be missed."
Chris Beardsley added: "[Helen] has already identified something that she fancies but whether it's still there by the time we get in is obviously another matter. It's unfortunate that this piece of history will be going, and it wasn't until I read about the closure that I realised just how far back the history of the place goes."
The size of the queue meant people were being allowed in to the store in very small groups, with people still joining the line of people after the 10am opening. Andrew Campin spent some time before the opening greeting the waiting customers and dishing out Quality Street chocolates to thank them for their patience.
As 10am approached, Andrew received a call from his son wishing him good luck as he prepares to say goodbye to one of Mansfield's most historic businesses. He added: "I arrived at work with a mixture of trepidation and excitement this morning because you never know what to expect on a day like this.
"It's also mixed emotions for our staff as well because we've got one lady who has been with us for 18 years, so it's a big day for a lot of people. Hopefully everybody will be able to pick up something nice to remember us by."
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