South Yorkshire Times, February 28th 1970
Mexborough Main Street Shopping Area Will Get a Welcome “face lift”
Crowded pavements, traffic, nowhere to park—these are just a few of the things which build up to the daily nightmare of shopping. But in the future of Mexborough these can all be forgotten.
As more and more traders move to Main Street, Mexborough, a new trouble-free shopping zone is being established.
The Main Street area of Mexborough was once thought of as being second rate in the town, where there were only a few shops, but shoppers need only walk along the short stretch of road which makes up Main Street to find out that they can buy everything they want there.
Shops range from furniture stores—three of Mexborough’s seven furniture shops are in the Main Street — shoe shops, drapers, fashion shops, an abundance of food stores, and numerous smaller shops, including the newsagents, tobacconists etc.
And in Main Street there is the town’s sole sewing machine shop.
This range of shops is in a compact area of Mexborough, which is in easy reach of everyone in the town, and to people travelling into Mexborough from all directions.
In the past, before the construction of the relief road, the majority of buses and all traffic coming into Mexborough from Swinton and Conisbrough directions never saw Main Street. Traffic passed along High Street and Swinton Road.
Only people in cars coming from the Wath end of town noticed Main Street.
Since work began on the relief road there has been an opening out of this particular part of town, and the traffic flow includes the Main Street stretch.
Once work begins on the redevelopment of High Street; more and more traffic will be pushed to Main Street, where there is adequate room for parking in two large car parks and in the many streets which lead off from Main Street.
“Main Street will be used for traffic until the completion of the High Street pedestrian shopping precinct,” said Coun. J. C. Willetts, Chairman of Mexborough Council. “This may take up to a few years.
Pedestrian Precinct ?
“Eventually Main Street may also be a pedestrian precinct. We hope to bring this part of the town into line with the rest of the shopping areas in Mex-borough.”
In the meantime traders are doing everything they can to make Main Street a better area for shopping.
Mr. H. Crosby, who owns a furniture shop on Main Street, said, “We try to give a good service so people will come back to this part of town.
“Main Street has everything. As well as good shopping facilities, there are wide pavements, so people can shop in ease without having to push their way through crowds. This makes shopping far more leisurely.”
He went on to say traders in the street give good value for their sales. Property is generally cheaper in the area. “Expenses are therefore lower,” he said. “Also the traders try hard to encourage people to come to this part of .town, so we want to give value for money.
For the trader there are excellent opportunities to provide the best shopping for people in the town. Once established in Main Street each retailer has better chances of expanding his shop as there is more available property than in any other part of the town.
This means that as shops expand, traders can make their premises more spacious and therefore more comfortable.
They are aiming to please the shoppers always.
To date Main Street has looked a depressing area to shop in, especially as a result of nearby road works. But traders plan to give the area a face lift.
Mr. Crosby said: “We plan to head the way in decorations in Main Street, and hope to set an example to others.
“As more traders come to Main Street, the area will get a face lift because of the enthusiasm of shop owners.”‘
Traders are encouraged to modernise their property as they realise this will also help to draw shoppers to their area-
As the facilities in Main Street improve, shoppers are coming from further afield. They are coming from Wath, Wombwell, Conisbrough, Hoyland, Rawmarsh. And people who have hitherto shopped for all their more important things in Sheffield and Rotherham are now finding they can buy the same goods and often better ones — in Main Street, where they do not have to put up with the pushing crowds . . and often they do not have to pay as much for what they buy.
Generally there seem to be less accidients in Main Street, than in any other part of the shopping centre. Mothers can feel they can take young children into the area without so much fear of them running out into the roads.
Another advantage for mothers is that there is plenty of space for them to leave their prams outside shops.
Traders in Main Street hare big plans for the future of their shops. They intend to co-operate with each other to make the new shopping zone as good as possible.
“We are starting to work as a group,” said Mr. Crosby, “and I hope we will all cooperate with each other to extend facilities.
Co-Operation Essential
Mr George Sinclair Mr George Sinclair, who is Chairman of the Chamber of Trade in Mexborough, said, “I would like to see a stronger representation at meetings from all traders, where everyone, including the smallest traders, can have his say to help himself and everyone else.
I endorse every thing Mr Crossley says. Co-operation between traders is essential
Many of the alders in Main Street are owner occupiers—they are not members of multiple chain stores.
As a direct result of this they are concerned for themselves and even more for their customers. They want to give a good service so people will come back to them.
With good service they feel their name will be passed on to other shoppers and this personal recommendation provides them with far better advertising than any other kind.
Where shops are owner occupied, there is a far more urgent desire for the customer to be well satisfied.
As more traders moved to Main Street, the area becomes a shopping centre in in own right. It is gradually brought into line with the rest of Mexborough in its importance as a vital part of shopping in the town.
In the future, shop owners continue on their present main, Main Street will become more and more important, until it will “come into its own.”