Inflatable to welcome bouncers

A huge indoor inflatable park will open for business in Canterbury this weekend.

The bouncy arena is based at the Canterbury Academy secondary school site. Inflate N Play, which boasts seven-metre slides, a slime pit and magnet mountain, will be open for the first time from 9am on Saturday.

It is the firm’s second indoor park in the UK following the opening of a venue in Blackpool. Due to being set up in a school sports hall, the arena will be open at the weekends and during holidays, but deflated during the week.

Open to children and adults, bosses say the bouncy venue is a good way to keep fit and healthy.

The maximum number of people allowed on the inflatable per session is 80.

Tickets are available to book and purchase for the opening weekend via the canterbury. inflatenplay.co.uk. Prices start at £6.95.

The 6,500 sq ft attraction has created 20 new jobs.

Debenhams closed its doors in Canterbury for the last time on Sunday - leaving former staff “heartbroken”.

The troubled retail giant shut the store after 47 years in the high street, with hundreds of shoppers popping in on the final day to grab a last-minute bargain.

But others were there to reminisce on time spent at the shop, which is to undergo a £25 million redevelopment creating 12 retail units and 70 flats. Among them was former employee Sally Edgeway, who spoke to the Gazette while standing on the empty spot where the Wallis concession she managed for nine years once stood. “It’s a very, very sad day to see Debenhams closing,” she said. “I’m going to miss all the staff and I’ve made some good friends here as well.

“It’s heartbreaking to see a shell of what it was. Before, it was buzzing. It was very busy at the weekends, and we had lots of spectacular days over Christmas periods and so forth. “Now it’s empty, like a ghost town. It’s sad that it won’t be Debenhams anymore. “The only department store that’s left is Fenwick, and let’s hope it continues. It’s quite sad when you walk up Canterbury high street and see all these shops closing.”

The shop’s huge site - spanning three buildings that front the High Street, Guildhall Street, Buttermarket and Mercery Lane - is to be transformed into the Guildhall Quarter, with construction work soon to start. It marks the end of an era for Debenhams, which opened its doors in 1973 on the site of former store Lefevre’s, which had traded there from 1927.

Recently, the department store had 80 members of staff, with longest-serving employee Michael Boik having worked there an impressive 43 years. Ahead of its closure, staff and customers shared their fond recollections of the store. Employee Jane Reaich said: “Over 39 years ago, my first memory of Debenhams was going to have my ears pierced on Christmas Eve. “Unfortunately I fainted and remember being lifted to the outside pavement for air. Such a memory!

“I have worked for Debenhams for over 30 years on-and-off, and will be there until the end.”

Zena Vidler, who worked at the shop until last year, added: “My thoughts are with all the remaining team closing the store at this very sad time.” A Debenhams spokesman said: “We would like to thank all our customers for their loyalty and our colleagues for their outstanding work over the years. “We regret that we won’t be able to keep the store open. “This is unfortunately a necessary element of the turnaround plan and is in no way reflective of the very hard work and excellent service of our store colleagues.”

■ See page 12 for a look back at the history of Lefevre’s

‘It’s heartbreaking to see a shell of what it was...empty, like a ghost town’