Shopkeeper says farewell after 45 years

After serving the people of Padiham for 45 years Diane Holdcroft is closing her Holdcrofts Electrical shop on Burnley Road.
Diane (right) and trusty assistant Win Spencer (who has been at the shop 16 years) clear the shelves. PIC BY ROB LOCK
14-3-2016 — After serving the people of Padiham for 45 years Diane Holdcroft is closing her Holdcrofts Electrical shop on Burnley Road. Diane (right) and trusty assistant Win Spencer (who has been at the shop 16 years) clear the shelves. PIC BY ROB LOCK 14-3-2016

She and her husband, Fred, opened their electrical appliance showroom in 1971, and it soon became a fixed feature of the Burnley Road shops in the centre of Padiham.

“We’ve had some wonderful customers over the years,” said Diane. “They are lovely people, more like friends, and since it became known I’ve decided to call it a day I’ve even had chocolates and flowers.”

As yet, Diane has no fixed date for closing the shop door. She and her colleague Win Spencer are still keeping customers happy as they clear the shelves.

It was after Diane’s husband died 16 years ago that Win stepped in to help out. “I couldn’t have managed without Win,” said Diane. “She has become a really close friend.”

The friends faced an uphill battle when the shop was flooded on Boxing Day, but volunteers came to their aid. “I was in a state of shock,” said Diane. “We couldn’t have managed. People were queuing up to help and I was so grateful.”

As for the future, Diane says she is looking forwards to having Saturdays off, and being able to spend more time with her friends and family.