THERE are only two weeks left until Christmas but there’s plenty of time to finish – or start – your Christmas shopping, and don’t forget there are plenty of gifts you can pick up in town.
People are being urged to make the most of Westbury’s own shops during the busy festive season, and are reminded that there will be a day’s free parking in all the town centre car parks on Saturday 19th December.
Town councillor Ian Cunningham said, “Westbury is a great town for picking up last minute items and interesting ideas for Christmas. Although many people will go to larger towns, it would be great if they try their local shops first. Often you can get a lot of what you need locally.
“In our recent surveys, people report that they want to keep local businesses and they do understand that you must support them if they are to remain. But in the pressure of Christmas, this is sometimes forgotten.
“So we suggest that even if you are going elsewhere for your last weekend shop, why not make a short free stop in Westbury first and we think you will be surprised how much you can buy in our local shops.”
Mayor of Westbury David Bradshaw is encouraging people to spend money to help the town survive and thrive.
Cllr Bradshaw said, “It’s so important to use our shops because if we don’t, we will lose them, and that’s when people moan about the town. No-one wants to see empty shops, so supporting the ones we do have is essential.
“If people see that the local residents support the shops, then they are more likely to want to have a shop here themselves.
“We have a good selection of shops that sell a wide range of goods, so I’m sure you can find the perfect Christmas gift in Westbury. Take Davies; it has everything and anything you will ever need. It’s an Aladdin’s cave of gift ideas. It is definitely worth popping in there to see what they have to offer.”
Not all businesses in Westbury are in the town centre, though, and there are a number of local people running online shops.
Lucy Newmarch-Christensen, president of Westbury’s Chamber of Commerce said, “Of course not all of our businesses have retail premises, some can only be found by looking on the internet. There are people working in their homes creating beautiful items you want to give (and receive) as presents.
“I beseech you, when you’re looking online, please add ‘Westbury’ to your search criteria so you can see if there is a local option.”
The free parking on Saturday 19th December will apply all day to Wiltshire Council-owned car parks on High Street, Bratton Road and Warminster.
