New closure date for popular Lancaster antiques centre

Thursday, 23 January 2025 14:14

By Greg Lambert @greglam72

A new date for the closure of a much-loved Lancaster antiques centre has been announced.

GB Antiques will shut its doors at 5pm on Sunday February 23.

It was originally due to close on February 28.

A post on the GB Antiques Facebook page said: "Just a quick update to let you know our final day before we permanently close will now be Sunday 23rd February - shutting shop at 5pm.

"We look forward to continue to see many of you over the next month!"

One of the UK's biggest indoor antiques and furniture centres, at its peak GB Antiques attracted 220,000 visitors every year, and has around 120 individual dealers.

The news of its closure was announced in November 2024, to an outpouring of disappointment from its customers who posted on the Beyond Radio Facebook page in droves.

Rachael said: "No you can't close, it's my favourite place! Must be someone willing to take it on? Please save it."

Dianne said: "Gutted, loved going here, spent many an hour wandering round. It will be another venue sadly lost."

Linda said: "That is so sad. We love that place and have bought many, many things from there...even just last week a lovely little desk."

The centre was founded and opened by Allan Blackburn in 1990.

Allan, who died in 2022, was a well-known antiques dealer, broadcaster and writer who appeared regularly on TV and radio, and in newspapers. He named the centre after his wife Gloria.

Son Jimmy and daughter Dawn have continued to run the family business, including the wider leisure park, after his death.

Over the years, the centre has welcomed many of the country's most popular antiques programmes including Antiques Road Trip who recently visited in 2023.

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