Reader letter: 'I was dismayed to discover Chichester shop is to close in its present form'

I was dismayed very recently when I walked into Closs & Hamblin in North Street to discover this lovely shop preparing to close in its present form. (I gather it will trade from premises nearby in pre-made curtains and blinds only.)

So Chichester is to lose yet another of its useful shops – the closure a few years ago of David Messams is another prime example. It is difficult to see how Closs & Hamblin will be replaced for those of us who relied on it for fabrics, knitting yarns and the extensive range of the items needed by people who still wish to sew. Many of those items will be difficult or impossible to source online as they are too niche and variable and are often required only in small quantities.

Another aspect of our loss is the dispersal of the wonderful assistants there who were always so helpful and knowledgeable about the products they were selling. That is a rare occurrence in shops these days where assistants, if indeed they can be found, too often seem bored and uninterested in their job.

I can understand that in providing such a thoroughly efficient service to the public it was too expensive for Closs & Hamblin to maintain and we are in part to blame for not supporting it well enough to keep it going. I do hope that the staff there will be able to find alternative rewarding occupations which make good use of their knowledge and skills.

I do thank them for their help and courtesy on the many occasions when I have been buying materials and haberdashery in the past: they and the whole shop will be sorely missed by a great many people in the area.

See also – Reader letter: Care at Chichester’s St Richard’s Hospital ‘could not be faulted’

Reader letter: Stop wasting time and mend Chichester’s pavements