THERE'S no more "welcome at Quality House".
The five storey building, which has housed the Co-op for as long as I can remember, closed its doors on Friday, and Leigh lost its only department store - and one time rocking dance hall and restaurant.
The red brick monument to the Victorian age, dated both 1897 and 1898, will now be taken over by Irving Rice and Partners who are in detailed negotiation with a couple of new retailers.
If only the queues were as long in normal times as they have been to snap up bargains this week, perhaps the Co-op could have survived.
What a sad day for the town as we hail the end of a shopping era.
Let's hope there are brighter days ahead when the newcomers open in time for Christmas!
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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