INTERVIEW: Morecambe gift shop owner fights on to keep her daughter's dream alive

Thursday, 9 March 2023 22:33

By Greg Lambert @greglam72

Joanne Harrison in the Same as it Never Was gift shop which will soon be moving to another new home

A Morecambe gift shop owner is not giving up on her late daughter's dream despite having to move her family business five times in the past 10 years.

Joanne Harrison is once again preparing to relocate her beloved 'Same as it Never Was' shop to a new home from the current premises in Morecambe town centre.

Over the past decade, Joanne has had to cope with enough adversity to last a lifetime, including the tragic death of her daughter Amy from cervical cancer aged just 37.

She and members of her family were also injured when the floor suddenly collapsed in one of their shops in the West End, leaving a massive sinkhole.

But Joanne has remained determined to carry on with the business she built alongside Amy (pictured below), as it's what her daughter would have wanted.

Now the family is preparing to move from the current Euston Road premises to the vacant former British Heart Foundation charity shop further down the road.

This time the Harrisons hope they have finally found somewhere to settle long-term.

LISTEN to our interview with Joanne Harrison

"The landlords have other plans for the building and we were asked to vacate the property as soon as," said Joanne.

"It wasn't the best news, after everything we've been through, but you've just got to carry on."

The family - Joanne, her husband Martin, daughters Amy, Sophie and Jodie, and son Kieran - opened their first business in Morecambe in 2011, known as the West End Market.

The market in the Alhambra building was doing well, with around 40 traders and a community cafe, and regular customers.

Then in 2013, the Harrisons had to leave after they were outbid for the lease.

They moved to the old Reebok shop on the Promenade, only to have to move on again in 2015.

They then opened a shop on Regent Road but Joanne had to close it the following year due to illness.

Then Amy and Joanne were going to open up the gift shop again together in 2017.

Sadly, they never got the chance, because Amy (pictured below with her mum) was diagnosed with cancer.

"There were no warning signs," said Joanne.

"Amy had no symptoms, nothing. She'd had her smears. Unfortunately she'd missed one. But a lot of women do. Busy lives, you put things off. But don't. Go and get it done.

"Amy was only 36 when she was diagnosed and she died, aged 37, in 2018. But she is so much a part of this. So we carry on, even with everything that's gone on. We thought, this is what she would have wanted."

A lot of the items in the gift shop were designed or created by Amy.

"Amy was hands on, she loved anything to do with crafts, jewellery and artwork," said Joanne.

"We've tried to create something different, which we know she would have loved. Crafts, a lot of our own personalised stuff, local artists, new items, vintage and pre-loved items, a lot of little gifts."

So the family took over another premises in the West End in 2019. But then in August 2020, came another devastating blow.

"The floor fell through, it was a massive sinkhole, my son got injured, my daughter-in-law got injured, I got injured," said Joanne.

See below for a photo of the hole in the shop floor.

"We lost stock, and it was a really really traumatic experience. It just completely went through. Luckily Sophie had just gone home with my baby granddaughter.

"I thought the whole building was coming down, that's how bad it was.

"We had to clear everything, we had to find storage for everything, and you just get to the point when you think, what's the point?

"But it's not just a business for us. There's a lot more to it. It's given me something to get out of bed in the morning for."

So the family started again, opening 'Same as it Never Was' on Euston Road in the former Green Room cafe in 2021 (see below).

Now after just two years, they are having to move once more.

But even after everything the family has been through, Joanne remains positive for the future.

"It's not an option to pack up and walk away. I know the realities of it. But we have stuck it out.

"So with Eden coming, which is brilliant news...all these things can only be beneficial. There are a lot of people sat on the sidelines waiting to come in. I don't think shops (in Morecambe) will be empty for long. Once all this starts kicking in, and they see money being spent, I think it will be good. And hopefully with the new shop, we're in a more prominent position.

"I think there's a brighter side coming.

"It would just be nice to stay put, and feel a bit settled! I think this is the one."

Same as it Never Was is due to open in the former British Heart Foundation shop on Euston Road in April, and will remain open in its current home until then.

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