Flashback to 2007: Doors close for final time at carpet shop
It was the end of an era for a well-established Wolverhampton carpet business which was closing its doors after nearly 100 years in the city.
The popular J Potts & Son was set up at Wolverhampton’s old market in the early 1900s by Joseph Potts and had remained in the family ever since.
Joseph’s grandson Gordon Potts, was aged 62 in 2007, started working at the business as a schoolboy under his father before eventually taking control.
But after nearly 50 years in the firm he had decided it is time to call it a day.
“I remember leaving school at the age of 15 on the Friday and I started work with the business the next Monday. I have pretty much worked six days a week ever since.
“It has been such a massive part of my life and I suppose I will be sad when I close the doors for the final time as it is really the end of an era, but it is the right time to do it now.
“It has been a very good business and we have had a few customers asking me to carry on. They have always come to us for carpets and said they don’t know where they’ll go now,” he told the Express & Star.
After initially being set up in the old Wolverhampton markets – which are now the Civic Centre – the business was launched in premises in Worcester Street and School Street as well as taking over four stalls in the new market hall.
The School Street store was pulled down along with a multi-storey car park in 1998 when cracks were discovered in the structure, and the business has been at its current home in Salop Street for the past eight years.
It had been difficult to find suitable premises after moving out of School Street.
Speaking after reopening in Salop Street, Mr Potts said: “When we left School Street in August we had a job trying to find somewhere else.
“I managed to keep on two employees who are carpet-fitters but we have lost a considerable amount of trade and I am now down to the bare bones.
“I used to pay £5,000 rent for a shop which was twice as big in School Street and which also included storage space and car parking.
“In this shop in Salop Street, there is storage space upstairs but in my trade it is no good to us and there is also no car parking.
“I now pay £12,000 in rent for the shop and £3,000 more to use a warehouse and then more money for car parking.”
But Mr Potts said he had wanted to stay in Wolverhampton, despite the increase in expense.
“My grandfather began this firm in the early 1900s and we are now a fourth generation family firm,” he said.
“I hope to make a go of it again in Wolverhampton,” he told the Express & Star at the time.
As the doors of the carpet shop closed for the final time, Mr Potts dusted off his photograph albums to look back over 100 years of history in the city.
“It was the right time to retire because I had to start having a real life after so many years of working, but it is still really strange not having to get up and open up the shop,” he said.
“I was really looking forward to just having a lie-in but I still haven’t even managed that yet.
“I had mixed emotions when I locked up the shop for the final time.
“I knew it was right but there was still a tiny bit of doubt in my mind that I should perhaps carry it on.
“I’ve had all the old photographs out and it is quite sad looking through them because the business has been in the family for so long.”
Gordon said a number of customers had urged him to reconsider and carry on trading.
“There are lots of people who have been going to the shop for years and they said they didn’t know where they would go now.
“I’m really looking forward to spending some quality time with my family and doing all the things I couldn’t do before.”
Gordon, who lives in Codsall, said he was looking forward to spending more time with his family, including wife Patricia, daughter Joanna, son Jonathan and his three grandchildren Joel, Holly and Liam.
