New businesses eager to be part of town centre

THERE are now three more reasons to visit Helston town centre on Go To Town! day later this month.

The West Briton's campaign to attract more people into our town centres is gathering more and more momentum.

Leap Day, February 29, is to be a special day with free parking in some town-centre car parks and even more incentives to visit your town centre.

More good news for the town is that three of its empty shops are now occupied again.

Pla Coram has opened the former Verran's shop in Meneage Street as a boutique.

She previously worked for her sister-in-law at Racky's elsewhere in Helston but said: "I just wanted to have my own business."

She thought Go To Town! was a good idea, she said.

Elsewhere in Meneage Street, Monday saw the opening of the new Costa Coffee shop in the former premises of Dorothy Perkins and a tearoom in what used to be the Crazy Daisy gift shop.

Chris Ring, manager at Costa, said the opening went better than expected.

Franchise-holder Simon Wright, when asked whether now was a good time to be opening such a business, said the Costa brand was doing well across the country. "Hopefully other businesses will be drawn to open up in Helston on the back of it," Mr Wright said.

Jo Exelby said opening her tearoom was the fulfilment of a long-held ambition and she had been delighted with her first day, which saw queues outside her door.

"It was more than I hoped for," she said.

Meanwhile, all traders in the town may soon have an organisation to represent and support them.

A meeting to discuss forming a traders' association is taking place at the Angel Hotel at 7.30pm next Tuesday.

It has been some years since Helston has benefited from such an organisation.

One of the men behind the proposals, florist Barry Dunstan, said everyone was invited to the meeting.

This week also saw Helston's new town-centre manager Jonathan Birkett start work.