Inside 'famous' Darlington shop before it shuts for good

Beryl Hankin along with Colin Harrison and Tony Smith outside the Darlington shop

A shop which arrived as a "culture shock" to Darlington in the 1970s has announced it is to close.

Famed for its outlandish clothing, Guru Boutique in Blackwellgate had become well known in the town over the years.

It is believed to have been the first shop to bring "hippy" goods to the area.

Owner Beryl Hankin, 79, said it felt like the right time to shut up shop for good following the death of husband Ray last year.

The shop was first opened by Mrs Hankin and her mother, Irene, at its original location in Court Arcade in 1972.

"We used to go to London to see the markets, Carnarby Street and Kensington Arcade, and thought we need a bit of this in Darlington," Mrs Hankin said.

Beryl Hankin opened the shop in 1972

It stocked all aspects of alternative clothing from the era of The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix and The Mamas & The Papas, something others in Darlington were not doing.

Mrs Hankin said: "We sold mostly hippy stuff, lots of clothing, clothing from all over, crystals, it was a bit of a culture shock.

"In those days, it was a completely different world and my mum would say that we get all walks of life in this shop."

The original venue was placed at risk of demolition, forcing the shop to move in 1990 to its current home, where its eye-catching frontage continued to attract curiosity and customers.

Mrs Hankin said it was that curiosity which kept it going through various "ups and downs" over the decades.

"It was never about the money, it was the people, we had the good and bad times, but keeping it going has been the most important thing," she said.

"We've built up some friends, proper friends".

The business traded for 51 years

Over the years, Mrs Hankin had received a helping hand from her staff "gurus", Tony Smith and Colin Harrison, who have played their part in the business's success.

Mr Smith, who joined Guru Boutique in 1973, said it was a "million-to-one" chance that an independent shop would last as long now.

He also said the shop had "turned to magic" after capturing the attention of so many from an early age.

But after the death of her 80-year-old husband Ray just before their 59th anniversary in January last year, and a recent cancer scare, Mrs Hankin said she now "needed the time" to grieve.

"He was a wonderful person, he was fit as a fiddle. He went out on his motorbike and never came back, he was fit until the day he went," she said.

Admitting her husband would routinely ask her to "pack in" running the shop, Mrs Hankin said he always supported her.

"Ray didn't have anything to do with the shop, he resented it because it stopped me going on holiday with him - but if you needed him, he was there."

Since announcing the closure, Mrs Hankin said her "phone has never stopped" and some customers have been telling her they are "devastated".

The shop stocks a range of goods including cushions and incense sticks

Mrs Hankin has chosen not to renew a lease, which expires in June. Along with Mr Smith and Mr Harrison, they are planning to take the business online.

They are also hoping to writing a book, chronicling the journey of Guru Boutique over the years.

"We don't want to loose our Guru tribe and having the shop holds us together, but having it online might hold us together too," she added.