Street's ahead on the road to revival

AN Old Town steet is going so up market that one of its newest residents momentarily thought it was being carpeted!

Wood Strteet is currently enjoying a transformation from a seen-better-days back street to chic and trendy status.

Freddie Platt, co-owner of Red Planet Bikes, said: "I looked out the shop window when someone in the shop mentioned the road must be getting posh as it was now being carpeted.

"I even took a picture "

And indeed, as you can see above, it does seem as if Wood Street in Old Town was receiving the Carol Smillie make-over, although the carpet was in fact destined for the new Bang & Olufsen outlet which opened in Wood Street last Saturday.

This latest addition to Old Town's commercial neighbourhood crowns a year of change which has seen the fortunes and perception of the street shift away from charming retail byway to hip and trendy retail highway.

And it looks like it's only the beginning as Wood Street, and in turn Old Town, shows the rest of Swindon just what regeneration is all about.

"There's quite a buzz amongst the retailers here, a renewed optimism," agreed Brian Saunders, a partner in the Magnum Wine Shop.

"On the other hand, if you're a specialist retailer, it really is the only place to go because the town centre is too expensive for independents."

Libby New, who runs the lifestyle design shop The Bank with her daughter, agrees.

"Since we opened, business has been very promising," she said. "Previously, people who were interested in buying our sort of items (the store sells, amongst other things, a wide range of Alessi products) would have had to have gone to Bath or Cheltenham.

"We chose Wood Street because we didn't think our type of shop would work in the town centre. And certainly we have a real sense that it's fast becoming the in street.

"It's very family friendly and I think Old Town definitely has the potential to encourage a caf society."

Freddie Platt, who together with her business partner opened the Red Planet bike shop last September, said they chose Wood Street because they wanted somewhere where customers could "come and linger, come and drool over bikes and come and chat, and we didn't think we'd get that in the town centre."

Freddie believes that Wood Street is setting a benchmark for the rest of the town.

"It's definitely becoming quite chic," she said. "While it manages to retain its original character, all the new businesses that have opened here over the last year have brought a new dynamic to the street. We've always thought of our shop as a destination store but now Wood Street itself has become a destination street."

Interior design consultancy Mooki opened on the corner of Wood Street last September, and according to creative director Tracey Paget, one of the company's main reasons for choosing the site was "that with the re-generation of Old Town and the development of many new modern apartment schemes, we felt that there would be an opening for an up-market interior design consultancy.

"With all the new developments, it's definitely the 'in' place."

David Smith who owns coffee shop Woods, which opened last November, said he initially thought Old Town was pretty dead.

"But our gut instincts told us that it was a bit like a sleeping giant a place just waiting to happen.

"We considered all the new building taking place here, and that together with the Arts Centre just round the corner, meant the omens looked good.

"And in the last 12 months, new shops have started to open and the place is beginning to buzz. There's a renaissance happening here and thankfully, we appear to be part of it."

Dan Stabbins, who owns the Old Town Hardware store, has seen many changes in the area over the last four years but reckons the last 12 months have been the most exciting.

He said: "I've noticed a real change recently. Once there were derelict shops but now they're all but fully occupied.

Not only that, they're quality outlets.

"I have to say that since opening here, I always thought this would happen. From the moment I saw the street I believed in it. And now it's not just an area for local people customers actually travel from outside Swindon to visit us."

But if any one event has set the seal on Wood Street's growing fortunes, it is the opening of the up-market hi-fi and tv retailer Bang & Olufsen.

Nick Rearden, who joint owns the shop with his wife Heidi, said: "I had a good look around Swindon because the town is the keystone of the M4 corridor, and I got a strong of sense of community when looking around Old Town.

"In fact, I've never been anywhere where I've sat in a car with a map, finding my bearings, and had someone knock on the window and ask if they could help.

"Our product is all about quality of life and that fits in perfectly with Wood Street.

"Compare that to the shopping experience you'd get at Cribbs Causeway, for instance, and there's no comparison.

"You get the feeling something special is happening here and it's a momentum thing; all the retailers here are encouraging each other."

Jeremy Smith