A popular TikTok creator labelling a Lincolnshire town ‘dead’ has prompted business owners to fight back. The user, going by the handle m.combe07, toured Grantham town centre as part of his series trying to find what he calls the ‘most tired area in the UK’.
He pointed to boarded-up windows and the empty units in the Isaac Newton Shopping Centre as proof the market town was struggling, quipping: “If this is meant to be the High Street, then there is nothing high about this street.” But while some have said Grantham doesn’t stand up as a market town, traders remained undeterred.
Dan Powell, who recently opened up the collectables and merchandise shop Gambit 73 in Westgate, said there was plenty of potential in the town. The shop sells a variety of themed merchandise, from ‘Friday the 13th’ models to Lego minifigures.
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Having only opened on July 8, he said he ‘absolutely believes’ in Grantham. He said: “Yes, it can be a bit flat because there are so many barbers, but there needs to be encouragement for unique shops and different shops. It can thrive.
“Before I bought this shop, I sat inside Petticoat’s and I watched all the people walk down the street. There are still plenty of people who come to the town and walk around so there is potential and it can thrive again.
(Image: Lincolnshire Live)
“We just need to have the right shops to get people going.” In response to the TikTok creator’s comments, he said: “Everywhere has its good and bad.
“You have really impressive places, like the Tap & Tonic bar and Petticoat’s. There’s a fantastic Italian, called Juliano’s.
“Did he go there? Did he try those?” Kirsty Morrison, who took over Westgate Gallery Toys and Gifts in 2021, echoed Mr Powell’s thoughts.
She said: “I see people on Facebook saying that there’s nothing to go into town for, but then they don’t see that there are shops here. We’ve been in these premises for more than 20 years and people still don’t know that we’re here.
“If you don’t come in, then you won’t know what’s here. There are always new shops opening, so just to say there are only barbers, charity shops and nail bars is unfair.”
She disagreed with m.combe07’s characterisation of the town but said that it did feel like the ‘poor relation’ of more affluent South Kesteven towns like Stamford and Bourne. She added that the ‘labyrinthine’ road network – a ‘kafkaesque nightmare’ – could also be potentially offputting to visitors.
However, some could see some truth in what the internet entertainer had to say. Harlaxton resident Peter Rowley, 65, said Grantham doesn’t promote itself well enough as a market town.
A native of the Black Country, he said that Grantham used to be ‘very vibrant’ when he moved to the area in 2004. He said: “The economic situation has clearly impacted on the shops in the town.”
He added: “I don’t know why they don’t have free parking or a free week to encourage market traders. Grantham is a market town that doesn’t sell itself as a market town.
“Stamford is very proud of the fact it’s a market town – and Grantham could be, too.”