Derbyshire antiques centre to close after 15 years due to rising business rates and energy prices

Bolsover Antiques Centre on Castle Street will shut its doors on March 31. Its owner Andy Wadsworth said: “Business rates, energy prices and the minimum wage are going up in April. I’ve had to increase the rents to the dealers and some have said that they can’t afford to pay. Unfortunately, it’s come to a point where it’s not feasible to carry on running a business that can’t support itself.

"It’s very sad – it’s the mainstay of my life. In the last few years I’ve done it more out of love than earning a living out of it.”

A public post about the centre’s impending closure has caused shockwaves in the community. Andy said: “Some of our regular customers are very upset. There has been an outpouring of sadness from people who have bought rings, furniture and records.”

Several of the centre’s 40 dealers have cut prices, with discounts ranging from 15% to 50%.

Andy said: “On Saturday and Sunday, we were really busy –we’ve never seen so many people come out. We had more customers than when there are artisan markets or the lantern parade.”

He has been with the business since it opened, firstly as a dealer and then becoming its owner eight years ago.

Andy’s memorable finds was a signed Beatles album which bought at auction and sold at the antiques centre for arond £200.

He said: “The centre has worked well because we’ve had a mixture over the years. We get a lot of mining memorabilia. Jewellery, crockery, porcelain and china work. Furniture used to sell really well but due to current houses and situations, people don’t seem to want to buy furniture and brown furniture seems to have gone out of favour.”

Bolsover Antiques Centre has featured on BBC TV’s Antiques Road Trip several times.

Asked about his plans for the future, 54-year-old Andy, who lives in Derby, said: “I will hopefully still be doing something in the antiques world.”