INTERVIEW and PHOTOS: One last look around Lancaster antiques centre before it shuts after 35 years

The closure of a famous Lancaster antiques centre is approaching and we have been invited to take a look around during its final days of trade.

GB Antiques at Lancaster Leisure Park will close down after a last day of business on Sunday, February 23.

The family-run antiques showroom, a huge treasure trove of antique items, has been an institution in Lancaster for 35 years.

One of the UK's biggest indoor antiques and furniture centres, at its peak GB Antiques attracted 220,000 visitors every year, with around 120 individual dealers.

"It was such a successful business, it was done at the right time, and the reason we're closing now is because it isn't the right time for this business any more," said Jimmy Blackburn, who owns the centre and the park with his sister Dawn.

LISTEN to our interview with Jimmy Blackburn (pictured below)

"It's a difficult time for me, I'm feeling very emotional, it's been part of the family for 34-35 years," said Jimmy.

"It's sad to see the business closing after so many successful years. But times have changed over recent years. Things have become more expensive, and it would have been impossible to put that onto the stallholders. Unfortunately, that is the main reason for the closure.

"We always charged an entrance fee to come into the antiques centre and that was accepted in the early days. 

"But I think people became a little more resentful of that as time went on. We felt it was the right thing to do, to continue it to keep the building secure.

"Footfall has fallen a little bit. Stallholders, since Covid, have not been able to buy their stuff at the right price. When they attend a local auction, the prices were going higher, which had a knock-on effect for them."

There has been an outpouring of disappointment among customers of GB Antiques, but also plenty of support for the family, staff and stallholders, and fond memories being shared of its 35-year history.

"People are really sad that it's closing," said Jimmy.

"But it's been lovely to read about how many people have been coming for so many years. Lots of people have made comments such as, it's our favourite tourist destination in the UK. That speaks volumes for GB Antiques, it really does."

Jimmy said that although the premises will no longer be an antiques centre, it will not be knocked down.

There are future plans to convert it and use it as a hub for several different businesses.

"Dawn and myself will continue to own Lancaster Leisure Park and we have a vision for the future to make it better," he said.

"This building, we're going to split it into six sections. Hopefully we can get full planning permission. We've had a lot of interest.

"It won't be demolished, we're going to hopefully have 17-18 businesses on here. I'm really looking forward to the future."

The centre was founded and opened by Jimmy's dad Allan Blackburn in 1990. Allan is pictured below.

Allan, who died in 2022, was a well-known antiques dealer, broadcaster and writer who appeared regularly on TV and radio, and in newspapers. He named the centre after his wife Gloria.

"Every credit to dad, I miss him dearly, he was the rock behind GB Antiques," said Jimmy.

"He had the vision to expand it, build it, and because of his first 15 years of success, that allowed us as a family to then buy Lancaster Leisure Park.

"We currently have 11 successful businesses here, and that was through dad's endeavour, vision and tenacity.

"Dawn and I, moving forwards, want to continue dad's work and success."

Over the years, the centre has welcomed many of the country's most popular antiques programmes including Antiques Road Trip.

There was also a famous incident when a bull escaped from the nearby Auction Mart and ended up in the centre - quite literally a bull in a china shop!

"When that happened, my dad was away in Jersey at the time, and I phoned him and said 'you're not going to believe this dad, there's been a bull in the antiques centre'," said Jimmy.

"It came in through an open back door. To be fair, it really behaved itself in here!"

This has been a time of reflection for Jimmy and his family, remembering these great moments of the centre's heyday, and looking ahead to the final day of trade on Sunday.

"Loyal customers we've always had are going to be attending these last couple of days," he said.

"I'm going to be on the shop floor, to welcome and thank them all.

"It will be a sombre time for me, a lot of the stallholders and the staff.

"It's going to be a really sad time, a difficult time.

"But I want to look back at it with fond memories."

GB Antiques will be open as normal over the weekend, before closing at 5pm on Sunday.

Here are more photos taken inside GB Antiques on Friday, just 48 hours before the centre closes down.

Read more: Family-run Lancaster antiques centre to close after 35 years - Beyond Radio