Faded old '˜Bacca Shoppe' finally given spruce up

The Ye Olde Toffee & Bacca Shoppe mural has adorned the premises of the former Hearnshaws Electrical shop in Lord Street for decades.

With its black and white mock-Elizabethan facade, it harks back to old fashioned days of sweet shops with jars of boiled sweets and toffees, and specialist tobaccos, when town centres were full of unique shops and had their own character.

The shop did indeed sell pipes, tobacco and sweets and before that, as far back as the late 1920s, it was called Ye Olde Cabinet Maker.

However, over the years the paint faded and the mural became a shadow of its former splendour.

Matters were not helped by the long term closure of the electrical shop.

But this has now changed after Fleetwood Town and Wyre Borough councils got together, helped by volunteers and the £1,000 Town Council funding.

A Wyre Council spokeswoman said: “During a site visit to the town centre by council officers and Fleetwood Town Council representatives it was agreed by all parties that the old frontage to the former Tobacco and Toffee Shop should be restored. The owner, Mr Robert Hearnshaw, has been contacted and has given his approval for the work.

“The Town Council agreed to make a £1,000 contribution to this project given its significance to a part of Fleetwood Town Centre’s history.

“The façade has recently been fully restored to its previous glory. Special thanks must go to Garry Carr and team especially Kevin who did this voluntarily and the shop owner Mr Robert Hearnshaw.”

Wyre Council is running a pilot retail business support and advice scheme for new and existing retailers.

Any traders interested in this should contact Wyre Council at the email address: [email protected] or call the landline (01253) 887282.