The Arcade Framing Gallery, in Newark’s Victorian Arcade, to close after nine years of trading
An independent town centre business will now close after nine years of helping to preserve thousands of treasured memories.
The Arcade Framing Gallery, in Newark’s Victorian Arcade, will officially cease trading on Wednesday (July 31).
The shop, which specialises in hand framing pictures and items, was opened in 2015 by Richard Pearson and over the years has amassed a loyal following of repeat customers.
At the end of 2022 the shop suffered a double disaster after a fire, which was caused by a faulty air conditioning unit, burned through the roof of the building and less than an hour later a rain storm caused water to pour into the shop through the hole left by the fire.
With damaged equipment and slowly rebuilding Richard was unable to take orders for seven months, but received an outpouring of support from the community and fellow business owners stepped into help them complete work .
Richard said: “It’s with a real heavy heart that I have taken the decision to close.
“It’s not about rent, it’s not about rates. After nine years, now is the time. It’s not always been easy but I have loved every second of it.
“We’ve survived four floods, one fire, three shop re-fits where I did all the work myself, and the Covid pandemic.
“We’ve completed over 8,000 orders in that time, and I can only guess how many thousands of frames I’ve made.
“I’d like to thank everybody that has ever supported us, from the customers to other businesses in the town, and a special thanks to my mum and dad who have always stepped up to help me out.
“A lot of customers have been coming to me for so long they have almost become friends, and I’ve seen others grow into families.
“Every item has a story to tell and it’s nice to know that what I do has a positive impact, preserving that story for somebody.
“I don’t just frame things, I frame memories.”
Richard will now take a well earned break, but plans to stay within the framing industry.
He added that he will donate any of his own pictures that are leftover in the shop to the charity Beaumond House, to help them raise funds.
