Family-run Swann Menswear closes after 112 years

Swann Menswear was started by Harold Swann in 1907

A menswear shop which traded for 112 years has closed following the death of its latest owner.

Swann Menswear in Long Eaton, Derbyshire, had been run by three generations of the same family but shut for the last time on Friday.

It came after the death of Harold Swann, who took over the shop with his brother Peter in 1962 after their father Herbert died.

Family members and ex-employees joined to toast its history.

Mr Swann's sister, Joan Hollick, said the closure would leave "a gap" in the town.

"People would come from many, many miles just to come to Swanns," she said.

"People have been coming to the shop for generations so it will be missed."

The shop had been founded by their grandfather, also called Harold Swann, in 1907.

The shop founder's grandaughter, Joan Hollick, said it would be missed

"It's probably one of the oldest shops still under family ownership in the area," added Mrs Hollick.

"It's served its purpose for all the family and sadly no-one else wants to take over... and [closing] is the only option now."

The store once tailored men's clothing and sold classic items like men's garters, armbands and hats.

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Alan Harvey said the shop's closure was 'bittersweet'

Alan Harvey, who started working at Swann in 1967 when he was 17, said it was more than just a shop.

"It was not just somewhere to buy clothes. It was a central meeting point and people came and sat around and they chatted," he said.

"It was the place to be.

"This is a bittersweet experience because I helped design this shop and now I'm helping close it."

The business moved into its current shop in the town in 1981