There are so many shops and cafes along Westbourne Road in Marsh that it’s tough totting them all up, with only a handful of empty units in the Huddersfield suburb.
One of the longest established is Sovereign Spots run by Paul Sturgeon who is fast approaching his 40th year in business. He loves that Marsh is such a busy place with so many independent businesses, from coffee shops to takeaways, as well as household names such as KFC, Tesco, Co-op and Subway.
Paul is proud of his ‘product knowledge’ and says it’s something you don’t get at bigger retailers. There isn’t much he doesn’t know about running shoes, crown green bowling kit, and football kit.
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A steady stream of customers pop into his shop straight from nearby Greenhead Park, including park runners with worn-out shoes, crown green bowlers, and people in need of tennis gear.
“Marsh is a nice place with good shops. And the people who run the shops are really nice people. I do quite well out of crown green bowlers as Huddersfield is very strong in this area. There are loads of clubs. We also do a lot of football kits.
“Marsh is a nice area. I say that on this side of the road we get the sun, the other side is the ‘dark side’. The chemist next door has been here as long as me.”
Paul recalls when Huddersfield had a number of independent sports retailers, from Suggs to Barkers, but times have changed. “With people shopping online, it can be hard work, but if you specialise…and new bowlers like to come in and feel the bowls. Proper bowlers come here.”
Paul loves chatting and he likes to share a joke with customers too. A sign on the shop window says: “Panic buying. Always welcome!” which is a nod to the days of the pandemic when people went mad for toilet rolls.
Resident Nyaki Serutla has lived in Marsh for 8 years and sees it as a ‘convenient’ place to be as it is so close to Huddersfield town centre and to Lindley with its popular bar and restaurant scene.
“I do like living here,” she told YorkshireLive. “It’s really convenient for town and Lindley which has nice restaurants. Marsh is great for takeaways, but if you want a nice drink you can go up the road (to Lindley). Marsh has lovely cafes – Bex’s and Marshmallow are both lovely. The only downside is there are a lot of vape shops. Everything has been turned into a vape shop.”
Robert Firth is a cake maker who has his own shop in Westbourne Road which is called Cake Castle. His bespoke creations are made on the premises along with his own brand of fudge called ‘Huddersfudge’.
Robert thinks Marsh is a better spot for a small business than Huddersfield town centre because of the passing traffic on the busy A640 going to and from the M62 and Huddersfield Royal Infirmary at Lindley.
(Image: YorkshireLive)
“I have been here six years. It is busier here than in town itself,” he says. “There is a lot of traffic. And it is a 10 or 15 minute walk into Huddersfield.”
He’s originally from Elland but has now made Huddersfield his home. And he loves being based in Marsh. “There is good local support from regulars and locals. Everyone helps each other and says ‘hi’. A lot of people don’t realise I am here. We do get customers from Sheffield and Oldham who have found us online.”
Alfonso, who moved to Marsh from North Wales, says Marsh is a good place to do some shopping. He uses the local Co-op.
But he says that Marsh does have a problem with vandalism. He noticed that shop windows and bus shelter windows had been smashed up in recent months. He described the attacks on the bus shelters as ‘weird’.
And he says illegal off-road bikers can be seen riding around without the proper paperwork. “There were 20 of them at the Esso garage. They nearly knocked someone over.”
He says the vibe in Marsh is ‘friendly’ although the traffic is a little heavy at times. And he says new businesses are opening up, including the Golden Kettle, a cafe.
“I have been here four years now. It’s a friendly place and very multi-cultural.”
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