A FAMILY business that stands proud as one of the oldest shops in Leigh town centre is still furnishing Leyther's homes after six decades.

Launching along Silk Street in the 1960s, Fazackerley's has seen a wave of businesses come and go over the course of its long history in Leigh.

The business had previously expanded into other areas of Leigh and Bolton, but with changing shopping trends, it reduced down to its Silk Street home where it proudly provides a range of chairs, couches, tables, and accessories.

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Leigh Journal: Inside the Silk Street furniture storeInside the Silk Street furniture store (Image: Leigh Journal)
Speaking about the business and changing shopping trends, owner John Fazackerley, said: "The town centre is not populated like it used to be.

"Shops used to stay in the same hands for generations and it used to be buzzing in the town centre.

"When people finished at the [BICC] cable works [at West Bridgewater Street] it was like a football crowd coming into Leigh."

Leigh Journal: The family business has been serving Leyther's for more than 60 yearsThe family business has been serving Leyther's for more than 60 years (Image: Leigh Journal)
Reflecting with a tinge of sadness, John suggested that the rise of retail parks has played a big part in the decline of the high street, as they "sucked businesses and people out of the town centre".

Another reason why trade and footfall have declined over the years, John suggested, is due to common problems with anti-social behaviour that have made shoppers feel unsafe.

John said that Fazackerley's was one of the first Leigh businesses to put shutters on their store to combat this behaviour.

Aware of concerns about anti-social behaviour, police say they have reduced reports by fifty percent in the town centre, while day time safety marshalls have also been introduced in recent weeks.

Leigh Journal: The business has become a trusted place for home furnitureThe business has become a trusted place for home furniture (Image: Leigh Journal)
Despite the changes that businesses like Fazackerley's have had to deal with over the decades, John said it is delivering high-quality products and forming trusted relationships with customers that have helped it stand the test of time.

He added: "We do have a good amount of families that have returned to us over the years, and that's what keeps us going.

"We must be doing something right if we've been here for 60 years, so we will keep doing what we have always done!"