Crediton Lib Dem shop re-opens

1.55.31pm GMT Tue 3rd Mar 2009

Pictured at the shop re-opening (from L-R): Cllr Nick Way, Constituency Chair Phil Page, Central Devon PPC Sally Morgan and Cllr Phil Bourne.

The Lib Dems prospective MP for Central Devon, Sally Morgan, has re-opened the Lib Dem building at 48 High St after closure of several months for refurbishment.

A new shop front has been installed and volunteers have taken the opportunity to completely refurbish the shop portion of the premises. Town and District Councillor Bob Wright said "We still have some external work to complete but 7 or 8 volunteers have now completed refitted the shop. Because it is staffed by volunteers, it is difficult to predict exactly how often the shop will be open but we know how local people value access to our sizeable stock of second hand books and we are anxious to open as regularly as possible."

The shop is the only one in town exclusively selling second hand books and has yielded a number of interesting finds over the years. The Lib Dems have an office behind the shop and also hold social events there occasionally. Cllr Sally Morgan said "I am extremely grateful to our volunteers for the considerable effort they have put in the last couple of months to completely transform the shop and that we have been able to bring back into use a shop premises in the High Street. Retail outlets in Crediton appear to be weathering the economic storm as well as can be expected, no doubt partly due to the fortunate domination of the High Street by long-established quality local firms. We need to do all we can to reduce the number of empty shops in our High Streets."