Bury St Edmunds jewellers Thurlow Champness & Son attracts long queues of customers for closing sale

Hundreds of people flocked to the closing down sale of a Bury St Edmunds jewellers which has traded in the town for nearly 300 years.

Customers queued down High Baxter Street for the chance to snap up a bargain at Thurlow Champness & Son where everything was reduced by 50 per cent.

Managing director Trevor Salt said in one weekend they managed to sell what they would in a ‘good December’ which was ‘extraordinary’.

The jewellers, which dates back 277 years, is due to close by August 31 as Mr Salt is retiring. The date could be brought forward depending on how long stock lasts.

Mr Salt said: “There is a real buzz in the showroom which is exciting. It feels like really busy Christmas trading but at the same time it’s quite sad to be closing soon.

“It’s real mixed emotions - excited it’s going well, excited about retiring but at the same time it will leave quite void.”