A businesswoman believes 'now is the right time' to retire and close her family jewellery store.

Ann Herdman has taken the difficult decision to pull the shutters up on her store J C Herdman, which has been in the family for 70 years. It will close for the last time in June.

Ann's father opened the business in 1952 on Fore Street in Market Place and, over the years it has moved all over Hexham to its current site at 15 Battle Hill, which he bought in 1966. 

"My father would run the watch repair side and my mother would run the shop," Ann, who is from Hexham, said.

"They were a great team - my father would be in his element fixing the watches and my mother and I would run the shop.

"I literally grew up in the shop and I have been behind that counter for over half a century.

"When my parents retired in 1987 I took it over.

"But now that it is my time to retire, I am forced to close it, as I have no family and staff to hand it over to."

For several years Ann had been contemplating whether or not to retire but the final decision was made during Covid.

She explained: "There were a number of factors that all came together to prove that now was the right time to close.

"One staff member retired, one could not do any more extra hours, as they wanted to spend time with their granddaughter. So, at my age, I didnt think it was fair to take ayone else on and years later decide to close the business.

"Additionally, when the shop was closed during Covid, it made a lot of things difficult but I dont want to blame it all on that - but it showed me that I didn't need to go to work or a week or few months."

"Its sad to close the business, but the time is right.

"I would like to thank all the customers throughout the years, it has been great to see so many happy life-changing moments happy and sad, and to see different generation grow up and come to the store."