A JEWELLERS will be filling one of the empty shops in Town.

From Monday, Gillsons will occupy the former Button’s Bookshop at the top of Smith Street, ending its 14-year presence on the coast road at Port Grat.

Owner Andy Gillson said the chance to open in Town was one he could not turn down.

‘My lease finished at the end of the year and I was actually looking for somewhere new when the landlady of this place came into my shop to buy something and asked me whether I was interested.

‘She was very realistic about the rent and did me a good deal. I think she took the view that she would rather have the place occupied than empty.

‘Where we were before, people had to plan to make the trip to come out to us. There was no footfall like there is here and from what I’ve seen so far it’s quite busy with people walking past.

‘We’ve no longer got parking, which is a shame, but there are some short-term spaces just up the road that people can use.’

Mr Gillson (pictured) has held the lease for the past four months and has been busy during that time refurbishing the shop to get it ready for its opening.

‘Obviously its layout was for a bookshop so it was set out with brackets all over the walls for shelves, but we’ve re-plastered them and got the place ready now with new display cabinets and electrics.’