DOORS reopened at one of Kendal's longest established shops this week after a refurbishment costing more than £100,000.

For weeks the display windows at Beales, on Finkle Street, been by covered by "closing down for refurbishment sale" posters, with some townsfolk speculating the department store may be closing for good.

However, Beales' owner Tony Brown was on hand yesterday to lift the shutters and welcome shoppers back to the new-look store, telling the Gazette: "We believe very strongly in Kendal and wanted to make an investment in the store."

Mr Brown, chief executive officer, said shop fitters and store staff had worked through the night to get everything ready for the reopening.

"We started the refurbishment about four or five weeks ago, then we had to close the store to do the final two or three days," he said.

"The customer should see a substantially changed store.

"We've done some structural work to open up some of the space. We've put a full toy shop in, added some new fashion brands, a new shoe department and put more menswear brands in."

Van Dal and Lunar shoes have been added, plus a new Craghoppers department and the UK debut for German womenswear Bicalla.

With new decor, lighting and flooring, Mr Brown said the refit amounted to "a fairly substantial piece of work", adding: "We've spent in excess of £100,000."

Difficult trading conditions for department stores Debenhams and House of Fraser have hit the headlines, and Mr Brown said: "Even in this environment where things are very difficult we have decided to make this investment."

The three-floor fashion, beauty and homewares store - formerly JR Taylor and originally Musgroves - has been a fixture in Kendal for generations. Beales, of Bournemouth, bought it 20 years ago.

Beales opened its flagship store in the seaside town in 1881, when John Elmes Beale established his Fancy Fair and Oriental House. It is believed Beales was the first retailer to have a real-life Father Christmas in store, in 1885.

A family-owned business through the 20th century, John's grandson Frank later trained at Macy's in New York to bring the flair of the Big Apple back to England.