Name: Debbie Wright

Business name: Shannon Sales

Opening hours: Monday to Friday from 9.30am until 5.30pm and Saturday from 10am until 5pm

Address: The Old School, Holyhead Road, Chirk, LL14 5NA

When did you open your business and why?

IT OPENED 50 years ago now so back in 1970. I’m not entirely sure about the reason as it was my mum and dad who opened the shop originally, but I’d imagine it was because there was a need for somewhere selling these products in the area and so it went from there. They were from Chirk themselves and I started working with them after having my first baby. I lived in Wiltshire at the time, but then I came back here to join them in the business in 1985.

Why in this location?

IT’S PRIMARILY because my parents were from Chirk and the property came up which was a really nice place and things went from there. I really like working in Chirk – I’ve been here pretty much all my life so I know a lot of people here. We do business in Chirk but we also do a lot of business in other areas within a radius of roughly about 20 miles. It’s a good place for business because we reach out to areas further into Wales, as well as places in Shropshire and Cheshire.

The property itself is quite a central place and has a car park of its own too, which is good.

Tell us about your business

IT IS a business which has been family-run for 50 years. We sell house furnishings, so we sell sofas, beds, bedroom furniture, dining furniture, accessories, mirrors, lamps, picture and carpets and other flooring.

We have our own in-house staff and we have our own fitters who will go out to measure the places which need fitting, and if they get the job, will then remove the furniture for the customers before fitting the new carpet and moving the furniture back. So as far as our customers are concerned, they really don’t have to do anything.

So we don’t just sell the items, we will carry out the service to fit them and put them in place as well.

We have myself and two members of staff who work in the shop, and then we have four fitters who work as well.

We have a nice big showroom with room-sets so people can get an idea of what it is they want. We have a good Facebook page and our own website from which we tend to get more customers as time goes by.

What is your proudest moment?

I’D SAY being here after 50 years is a big achievement and something I am very proud of. Unfortunately Covid got in the way of some celebrations we had planned this year to mark reaching our 50th year, so we’re having to defer that until next year.

To still have a business and still be busy nowadays is something I am proud about.

Any strange requests?

I KNOW we have fitted at Chirk Castle before which is something a bit different.

Something a lot of people won’t know is that the building here was designed by the same man (A W Pugin) who designed the inside of the Houses of Parliament.