Talking Telford: The ghost of British business past still stalks Wellington and Southwater
When struggling businesses go to the wall and their shops are shuttered for the final time, some brands leave deeper and more conspicuous wounds in our high streets than others.
Wellington’s old Wilko won’t be forgotten in a hurry - the famous British retailer went into administration back in September but the distinctive red branding on the pretty building in Market Street it used to run remains, as do three decades’ worth of cheerful memories of shoppers’ little rituals: of loading up on cleaning products for the spring clear-out that will definitely get your life back on track this time; of letting your dog proudly pick out a shiny new toy all on their own; of optimistically treating a younger relative who’s off to university to a serving bowl or a mini ironing board they’ll never use.
There had been hopes the Poundland empire would take over running the Wellington Wilko, as it has some other branches around the UK, but the deal for the Wellington store fell through. As long as the store stands empty, anyone who claps eyes on it will be confronted by the past. The last time I checked the car park opposite the store still had signs denoting it as Wilko property too - the ghost of British business past looms large in that part of town.
That may be changing soon though - there are whispers on the wind that Wellington’s Wilko will soon have new life breathed into it. A report by Telford and Wrekin’s new Local Democracy Reporter Paul Rogers suggests that B&M could be making a play for the shop, after the budget retailer submitted an application to serve alcohol from a premises in Market Street. That will be one to keep an eye on. Be sure to follow Paul on Twitter/X if you're still clinging on to that particular platform.
Telford’s other former Wilko store, in Southwater, is similarly conspicuous in its emptiness - especially in a part of the town where few units seem to remain closed for all that long. Even as someone who a) loves to eat, and b) writes a weekly column about Telford, it can be a little hard to keep up with the shifting sands of brands in Southwater, where no sooner than one restaurant has shut up shop, another has jumped in its grave. The former Flying Elephant, which has been closed seemingly longer than it was ever open, is the exception - and just like Wilko, seeing it darkened and locked up tight inspires a complicated cocktail of emotions.
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