Second Poundworld to Open in Chester

Chesterfield - Packers RowAnyone looking for a bargain in Chester city centre will be in luck as it’s announced that a second Poundworld will open in the historic town.

The Forum Shopping Centre is currently the location for the first Poundworld store which opened in April, creating 30 jobs and low-end prices at the same time. After the USC shop closed down just one week ago, Poundworld has moved in quickly to expand.

The company has come a long way since being a market stall in Wakefield in the 70’s and with 240 stores across the UK, is one of the many competitors for other pound emporiums such as Poundland and Poundstretcher. The recession-busting shops have become almost synonymous with the British high street over the past 5 years or so.

Spokeswoman Louise Greenwell said: “I can confirm that Poundworld will be opening a new store in Chester at Foregate Street next to Marks and Spencer in October. The store will be run as an additional site and our existing store in the Forum Shopping Centre will remain open.

“Unlike our main rivals, Poundland, which is American private equity owned, we remain 100% family owned to this day, headed up by managing director Chris Edwards and his son and trading director, Chris Edwards Junior.”

Cestrians will be hoping that they will see a bargain or two when the new store does open and with 5000 products available from the likes of Coca-Cola and Cadburys, it’s better than your average pennysaver.

USC was abruptly closed down amid concerns that the landlord’s rent was “too high” and that it wasn’t viable to stay there long term. Its parent company, Sports Direct, has stated that they are still looking for another space in the city.

Chesterfield – Packers Row” by www.flickr.com/photos/pauliospictures, license: creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0

Could We Be About to See a Chester Dungeon?

Spooky dungeonAn inventor is hoping to bring his idea of a tourist dungeon to life in Chester town centre, it has been revealed.

Ed Walley will be looking to create the innovatively named Chester Dungeon: a maze-like building underneath a former ladies’ boutique on Watergate Street. There will be pop up figures, ghoulish music and a sense of dread for all visitors. You can simply walk down five steps to access the dungeon and Walley has stated that there will be no queues as you wind your way around six passages of terror.

It’s not too dissimilar to the popular attractions in London and Blackpool with those two being the main inspiration for the prospective new attraction. Though it will be on a much smaller scale and won’t need performers, a few jobs will likely be created from the project for administration and customer service if it was successful.

Chester may be a place of beauty but there admittedly aren’t all that many tourist attractions to keep you entertained during your visit. According to a document released by Walley, who also created The Crocky Trail in Waverton, it could be just what the city needs:

“Chester is a beautiful city attracting millions of visitors to see its Rows and walls and Roman heritage. It is, however, short of popular entertainment and tends to die in the early evening. The dungeon will provide an extra attraction that is needed by such a popular destination.”

The tourist trade would benefit from the dungeon as it will open in line with regular bar and restaurant opening times. Although it’s unlikely to become as much of a regional treasure of Chester Zoo, what could be a better advertisement for the beautiful city than having your socks scared off?