Bury St Edmunds Howard estate's sadness at closure of Martin's shop
A Bury St Edmunds community has expressed its sadness about the closure of a long-serving convenience store.
Residents on social media have lamented the loss of Martin's at St Olaves Precinct on the Howard estate.
A note on the shop window said: "Karen, Gary and Steve would like to thank you all for your support through this sad time. We will see you all about. Again many thanks."
Martin's, part of the McColl's Retail Group, was one of the original shops to open at the precinct in St Olave's Road.
Ernie Broom, chairman of the Howard Estate Association of Residents and Tenants, said: "We knew it was closing in January. It's sad. I remember all the kids on the estate doing paper rounds there. A lot of them started their working life there on paper rounds."
He added that its closure would leave two units empty at the precinct.
In a post on Facebook, Liam Mo Stache Hayes said: "Such a shame after so many years, memories of the penny sweets, £2.50 packets of Mayfair, paper rounds and years of smiles and help from staff which I'm sure we will all miss."
Gary Pritchard said: "Remember going in Martin's a lot in the 70s and right up to now.
"It was 1969 when I first went there.
"Happy days and memories of all the lovely sweets. Such a great shame to close after all these years."
A McColl’s spokesperson said: “Having explored all options, regretfully we have taken the difficult decision to cease trading at the McColl’s store on St Olaves Road, Bury St Edmunds.
"We are saddened to no longer be operating the store and our priority has been to support all affected colleagues.”