CHARLIE Abbott's world-renowned herbalist shop goes public again later this month.

It has been taken over by Swiss Health Products and will be officially opened by international homeopath and radio star, Jan de Vries.

The Railway Road shop closed last September following the death of Charlie's herbalist wife, Nellie, at the age of 79.

She was left to run the business when Charlie died in 1983 following a car crash. He was in his nineties.

Spokesman for the new company, Peter Rule, said: "Since the shop closed we have been supplying the existing customers, but the whole place has been modernised.

"From May 28 there will be an herbalist on site for two days a week, an osteopath for three days a week as well as a sports injury therapist.'

And what of Charlie Abbott's famous black box? It's future has not been decided.

Mr Rule said: "Times have changed since those days. We don't know what to do with it."

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