A SPARKLING new business opened its doors in Royal Wootton Bassett after the third national lockdown eased.

Shop til it Blings is the first store for Lorna Terry and her mum Sue Smith, specialising in silver sparkly home decor.

“We’ve been trading online since February, selling bling items, home decor and gifts,” Lorna said.

“They’re made up of diamante, glitter, and all that kind of jazz. My house is filled with bling items, and my mum has always said that we should open our own shop. I was a bit dubious, especially with Covid, but we decided to have a crack at it and see how it goes.”

The business started on Facebook with goods being sold online because the pair wanted to see how it would go and because non-essential shops weren’t allowed to open until April 12.

Their Facebook page is still open for orders, but customers can now visit them at Unit 17, Apsley House, in High Street.

Lorna, of Tadpole, said: “We knew after our first month being a huge success that this was something we wanted to go ahead with.

"Many shops in the High Street have closed down, particularly during the pandemic, and Bassett people are very proud of their town so, we wanted to give something to help keep it going.

“It’s already been very successful. In less than two months of being open online, we’ve opened our store. We’re very proud and excited for the future, especially with how things are at the moment it’s great that we’ve had so much support. We feel the love from the people in Bassett.”

It has been a tough year for businesses and in Wootton Bassett the Cooperative store has closed, along with Bassett Books after two decades. Deacon's Jewellers closed last year after being in the High Street for 46 years.

But Lorna and her mum are feeling optimistic and hope to open a second store in Swindon if their first is a success.

“On the first day, we had a steady stream of people coming in. It went brilliantly,” Lorna added.

“At the moment, we feel it is going to work out. We’re very confident about the business. We will see how things go, but hopefully, sometime in the future, we will set a store up in Swindon.”