The building housing Andertons Shoe Shop on Regent Road has been sold to a businessman from Cheetham Hill, Manchester who hasn't yet revealed what the shop will be selling when it reopens.

The weekend of May 10 and 11 was the final couple of days trading for Dennis Gale, who has been managing the shop since 1970.

Dennis said: "We'll still be directors of the business and haven't actually sold the name, just the building. However, we've no expectation that Andertons as a business will continue."

Between 1901 and 1912 the future Andertons shoe shop building sold furniture as The Exchange.

The premises on Regent Road were bought in 1912 from the local methodist church by Albert Ernest Anderton and in 1914 Andertons Shoe Shop was opened, as detailed in a supplement of The Visitor newspaper at the time.

The church ceased to be on Regent Road and moved to become Sandylands Methodist Church.

In 1914 Albert also had another shop on the Crescent near Queen Street in the centre of Morecambe.

In 1918 Albert died and his widow Elizabeth Anderton continued the business. Her niece and nephew Ernest and Lois Cragg had the business left in a trust for them by Albert and continued to run it until 1947.

It was then taken over by William Huddleston, 'Billy' Huddleston Jr and Harry Huddleston who were builders. In 1963 the Huddlestons took retirement and sold the business to Norvic shoes of Norwich.

When Norvic went into liquidation former director Eric Cattle arranged the sale of the business from Lois and Ernest and employed a manager.

Dennis said: "I came here as manager in 1970 and bought the company from Eric Cattle in 1988 after being manager for 18 years.

"I worked at Rawcliffes outfitters in Blackpool, starting out in general outfitting, shirts etc, then the hat department and from there into school shoes.

"I wanted to expand my career into shoes. I'd always wanted a shoe shop."

Dennis had regular customers visiting as well as holidaymakers who came once or twice a year.

Customers used to come from quite an area around from places such as Manchester, Appleby, the Cumbrian coast, and Barrow.

Dennis said: "We became so well known for the sorts of shoes we sold and understood the trade.

"We had a pretty accurate knowledge of shoes and sometimes it was a matter of trial and error but this led to the success of the business.

"Nowadays and over the years more and more shoe shops became self-service and we were more of a traditional shoe shop. Our skill was in knowing the stock and how it related to the foot."

Dennis says he will be sorry to leave the business but is now ready for retirement. "I'm 72 now and now is the right time.

"I'm looking forward to making plans for our retirement and it will enable my wife and I to do more rambling, which we both enjoy.

"I've had 38 years here and I've always loved the West End. The area has an undeserved stigma which Morecambe has suffered from.

"I wish everyone else in the West End the best of luck and would like to thank all of our many customers for their support over the years."