In Heswall, Telegraph Road remains a bustling mix of long-established family businesses, award-winning independents, welcoming pubs, cafés and restaurants, bucking the national trend of empty shopfronts. Despite rising costs, changing shopping habits and competition from online giants, the high street continues to thrive.
Lingham's Booksellers: A Community Hub
At the top of Telegraph Road, award-winning bookshop Lingham's Booksellers, now owned by Sue Porter, 56, has served readers for more than 35 years. Porter, who is celebrating her 11th year at the helm, returned to her hometown of Heswall from the Isle of Wight when the opportunity to buy the business arose. She said: "I've always been a huge reader. I had no experience of running a business, but my husband did. I spoke to other bookshop owners and they said, 'Go for it, it will be the best decision you ever make,' and hand on heart it has been."
Behind its green-painted frontage, the shop offers sprawling bookcases with shelves stretching past wooden beams, leather chairs and a charming in-store café. Outside, a terrace hosts everyone from parents with new-borns to elderly regulars who Porter says will sit with "coffee and a newspaper" before continuing to neighbouring cafés and shops. Despite her passion, Porter admits she is "riding the wave of a high street crisis," pointing to increases in minimum wage, National Insurance, business rates and extreme hot weather deterring some shoppers. The shop constantly works to "reinvent itself" and "work with the community," also citing a prominent location close to parking and cycling facilities as key to its success.
Events and Local Collaboration
The bookshop regularly welcomes famous faces for talks, including Lorraine Kelly and Dermot O'Leary, hosts events for up to 90 people and arranges school visits across Wirral, including Birkenhead and Oxton. Porter regularly recommends visiting authors stay at nearby spots like Jug & Bottle while stocking produce from neighbouring independents including local bakeries, grocers and Massey's Butchers. She said: "It all feeds into the local economy. If you buy a paperback you're also helping the local community."
Tony's Barbers: A Family Tradition
A block away, Tony's Barbers, established in the 1970s and now run by Brendan Griffin, 59, represents the third generation of a family of barbers. Hidden away in its side alley location, the shop is packed with character, its walls covered in vintage music memorabilia ranging from Janis Joplin to The Cavern Club. Its distinctive retro interior has even been used as the backdrop for music videos.
Hospitality and Micropubs
Hospitality plays a major role in keeping the town centre busy. Telegraph Road is home to numerous pubs, bars and restaurants, including two micropubs. Sam Thom, 25, works at The Bow Legged Beagle, where weekends and sunny afternoons regularly see both the beer garden and front seating area filled, with visitors spending an afternoon moving between venues and browsing surrounding shops. Thom said: "We get a real mix of people. Older gentlemen meeting friends, families, groups of women and a younger crowd. I think it's a really good high street. People come here just for the weekend or for shopping." As an independent micropub, the venue prides itself on sourcing beers from breweries across the North West and North Wales.
Diverse Offerings and Challenges
Further along the road, an ice cream parlour, tapas restaurant, wine bar and Silk Road restaurant operate under the same ownership, with patrons occupying a joint outdoor seating area. Locals told the ECHO it is a hotspot due to its eclectic offering which caters to all ages. At the south end of Telegraph Road, Cru Café & Bistro offers outdoor tables and benches. Chef Dan Jamieson believes the one-hour capped free parking outside the venue is making it harder to attract customers, adding that a heavy concentration of bars and eateries further up the road doesn't help either.
Massey's Butchers and Heather Feather Florists
At Massey's, Johnny Cross, 32, who took over five years ago, keeps the business, which opened in 1968, going strong by blending a traditional shopfront with modern offerings. He sells premium meats sourced from Cheshire and North Wales, as well as deli produce and wines, with ambitions to expand online. He said: "We get families shopping here who have been coming in for over 30 years. We've tried to give it a modern twist but still keep it authentic." Neighbour and florist Heather Feather, 45, who has run her shop for two-and-a-half years after almost three decades in floristry, said: "I try to be more modern and creative - a bit edgy. Supermarkets put their prices up and people accept it. Smaller businesses normally sink those costs. I haven't paid myself because everything has gone back into the business. But I'm not giving up."
Community Spirit as Key to Survival
Despite the pressures facing the high street, there remains a quiet confidence among many of Heswall's independent traders. With strong local support, the high number of businesses seems to offer ample reasons for people to spend time in the town rather than simply passing through. For Sue Porter, a community spirit is ultimately what will determine the future of the high street. She said: "We have a community of customers who have supported us through thick and thin, even during the pandemic. It's about keeping things local - if you don't use it, you'll lose it."
