Village People: In praise of Heswall Lower Village
By Mark Gorton
23rd May 2021 | Local Features
Above: a gallery of images from Village Road, Lower Heswall
Earlier this week week we reported that after 20 years, Jerry and Caroline Cartwright have decided to put their Village Shop business on Village Road up for sale and hand the keys to new owners. It's not as if the shop is ailing - more the case that making it a success, especially over the past year and a bit, has proved to be a challenge which can now be accepted by younger entrepreneurs who, unlike Caroline, don't have a dodgy hip that's a bit on the sore side. For a long time the future of Heswall Lower Village has felt far from secure. Doubt probably set in when the Post Office and then a couple of other local shops closed their doors - places where people gathered to spend the time of day and their money. People's habits were changing, technology was on the march and Heswall found itself with an abundance of supermarkets, meaning a village grocer, butcher and a place to collect your state pension were impossible to sustain. However, the pandemic has demonstrated the importance of both community and independent shops in the village and Heswall itself. For a while now the Lower Village business community has run a campaign encouraging everyone to invest in its future. "We love Heswall Lower Village," reads the tagline, "and thank you for loving us too!" No doubt as - hopefully - restrictions ease even further in June we will be reminded to #shoplocal. The government knows that high streets in places like Heswall are under pressure and that many businesses are not as fit for the future as they would like to be, while not all shoppers will be feeling flush. But when we are able to spend freely again spare a thought for Heswall Lower Village too. It has an historic pub, a convenience store, hair and beauty salons, a place where first class alterations to clothes are made, a cleaning business, a garage for car repairs, MOTs and the rest, a lovely church with pleasant grounds, a community centre, a great little cafe/restaurant, a very smart home decor boutique, and, of course, the Village Shop, soon to be under new ownership. So if you live nearby or further afield, consider investing in Heswall Lower Village. As the cliche has it, "Use it or lose it." In the meantime, here's wishing Caroline and Jerry Cartwright all the very best. This article originally appeared in our free weekly newsletter which pops into Inboxes every Friday. If you'd like to subscribe simply enter your email address in the colourful box at the top of our home page and hit Sign Up.
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