A LADIES clothes shop reopened to the public at a 'bigger and better' new home last week.

Belgrave Bootique, a hugely popular feature on the Darwen shopping scene, welcomed back customers on Friday June 11 at a grand reopening presided over by Darwen South Councillor Lillian Salton.

Co-proprietor Janet Cowley was thrilled to see people flocking to shop at its new home on Railway Road which she described as 'bigger and better' than previous sites and which she hopes will become the business's most popular incarnation to date.

She said: "We wanted to stay in Darwen and everyone has been saying its exactly what Darwen needs.

"It turns out that years and years ago there used to be a ladies clothes shop here so since Friday we've had ladies coming in saying they remember it!"

The shop, founded by Ms Cowley alongside her sister Joanna, offers a wide range of ladies shoes, boots, bags, jewellery and clothing, including hats, scarves and fascinators.

Having started out in the Tram Shelters in Darwen, the shop then moved to Bridge Street, with the latest move to Railway Road marking yet another stage in the business's growth.

Ms Cowley said: "We'd outgrown the Tram Shelters so we moved to Bridge Street and we really did well until we locked down during the pandemic."

The pandemic has been difficult for all kinds of small businesses, however Belgrave Bootique has been fortunate in having a loyal and valued customer base who have been relieved to see the outlet come back stronger after the crisis.

Now, with restrictions easing and having put all of the necessary safety measures in place, Belgrave Bootiques and its customers are able to look forward to exciting times ahead after a busy first week back.

To find out more, go to: https://www.facebook.com/Belgrave-Bootique.