Jewellers closes shop after 63 years in Sleaford

Peta Wilkinson, of Wilkinson’s Jewellers, is relocating the family business to the company’s main shop in Grantham from Saturday (August 20).

She said: “It has been a difficult decision but we have recently doubled the size of our shop in Grantham so it will mean we can provide more space there.”

The shop will not be left empty as it is being taken over by a local silversmith who will use the unit as a small workshop.

Peta said: “I will be sad to be leaving Sleaford as I have lovely customers who often pop in for a chat.

“We are sure that many of our customers though will continue to visit us in Grantham.

“We have let the shop out to a silversmith who will be making his own jewellery so I am happy that the shop will continue to be used.”

The company’s main shop in Blue Court, Grantham, is run by Peta’s husband Marcus. They have recently extended it to include the unit next door to provide even more space.

The jewellers was originally opened by Marcus’s father in 1939 and a shop was first opened in Lincoln, and then in Westgate in Sleaford.

It located to The Little Time House in Southgate in 1987.

Peta said: “I understand that the current shop used to serve as a toll booth for the river and in the 1950s was run by a woman that local people may remember as ‘Mary’ who sold icecreams in the summer and ‘pikelets’ (a type of crumpet) at other times.

“We want to say thank you to all our customers in Sleaford.”