The end of an era as chippy closes doors
AVALLEY fish and chip shop has closed its doors for the last time after 32 years.
The Burnley Road Chippy, near St James Health Centre in Rawtenstall, closed for good on Friday and is to be redeveloped by SPAR.
Linda Schofield, who has owned and run the chippy alongside husband Glen since 1989, decided to close the chippy to enjoy her retirement.
When taking over the shop in 1989, Linda ran the chippy with her sister Janice and her husband Steven.
Despite her retirement, Linda is not getting out of the chip shop game completely as she will be lending a hand to her friend Lisa who runs the ‘The Village Chippy Stubbins’, and says she would love to see some familiar faces pop in.
Regular customer, Brian Winterbottom, who used to come into the shop every Saturday lunchtime, earning him the nickname ‘Saturday Brian’ from Linda, says the shop will be sorely missed.
Brian says he moved to the area, with wife Carol, at the same time Linda took ownership in 1989.
“The Chippy opened in 1989 and we moved on to the estate at the same time,” he said.
“We started going in every week and Linda always says ‘you’re my first customer’.
“The chippy has always been popular, as can be seen by the queues outside, particularly on a Friday evening. Linda and her team are very friendly and will be sorely missed by many happy customers.”
Brian added that the chip shop became a meeting place for the local community on a Friday evening.
He said: “You go in on a Friday evening and it’s almost like a meeting place – there’s always a good atmosphere, banter whatever you might say.
“It will be missed. I think it will be a bit of a surprise to a lot of people.
“It is a bit of an icon, a landmark – I don’t know what you’d call it really. It’s the passing of an era as well.”
The previous incarnation of the chip shop opened in the sixties and was based in the building next door to the current chippy, and Brian says it had some famous customers.
“The Beatles called in there late one night,” said Brian.
“They’d be performing in Nelson, just before they got famous.
“They pulled up outside and two of them came in and the other two sat in the van.”