How sad to hear that Beales is to close in January 2017.

I am a regular shopper in Beales (ex-Whitakers) and have been for 40yrs and since retirement I visit at least twice a week.

I even had several happy years working there when it was Whitakers and it was a great place to work and shop.

Over the past 12 months Beales has made several changes to the store which have been really beneficial.

The staff over the years have all been brilliant and really helpful.

The range of goods is excellent, with clothes that cover all age ranges, as well as ranges you can't find anywhere else.

The only place to find these now is going to be the Trafford Centre or Manchester.

Cafe Nova (in the basement) is one of the best cafes in Bolton — a great place to meet up with friends and with great staff.

Beales closure will be another great loss to Bolton and we can only hope that the staff manage to find other suitable positions given the difficulties in retail. I do hope Cafe Nova will be able to continue in Bolton at some other location.

Difficulties with the landlords are stated as being one of the major problems.

However, I can never understand why it appears more beneficial to have a shop/store lie empty for years with loss of revenue rather than have someone in the building at a reduced rate, which would mean some revenue.

The building itself is one of the few with great character in Bolton and a real landmark.

A great loss to Bolton and the community generally.

Lynn Bridge

Harwood