Sadness as Horsham shop and tea rooms announces sudden closure

The shop – Pretty Things in Park Place – is to shut within the next couple of weeks after being in the town for the past 12 years.

Owner Louise Abbott made the shock announcement today (Thursday) sparking a flurry of support from local residents.

She described it as the end of an era and said: “It is with the saddest of hearts that Pretty Things is closing its doors for the final time in a couple of weeks. Having tried and tried to keep it open we have finally had to admit defeat. Rising costs and the cost of living crisis are a major factor causing less footfall.”

But she said they had faced further problems with a huge bin store being built at the end of their street, despite opposition to it. She said it had put off many customers “being a health hazzard and an eyesore. No one wants to eat and drink looking at bins overspilling on the street and drug deals going on around them.”

She said she also felt disappointed over Horsham District Council’s lack of improvements to Park Place and its failure to pedestrianise the road. She said she and other traders in Park Place felt let down.

But, she said: “We are going to miss Park Place and the strong sense of community here and we are all devastated to be leaving. The pressures of trying to recover after the two years of disruption with the [Piries Place] car park and then Covid hitting three months after, along with now debilitating rising costs of food and utilities have just made it impossible to carry on.”

And in a message to customers, she said: “As you all know we have been one of the strongest and loudest advocates of shopping local and supporting independents in the town and urge you, our lovely customers, to carry on using all the wonderful independents in Horsham.

"We cannot thank you all enough for your custom and support over the years. We have supported The Plate Up Local Campaign and are sad to be letting down all our remarkable local suppliers of produce and drink and hope the other independents will get behind this great campaign.”

She also paid tribute to her “truly amazing wonderful team past and present who helped make Pretty Things Horsham what it is. Their hard work and consistent support have saved the business over and over, they really have been absolutely fantastic.”

Scores of people took to social media when learning of the shop’s closure to express their sadness. One said: “So sad, such a loss for us all.” Another said: “Oh this is really sad. This was one of Horsham’s gems.”

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And another added: “Such sad news. Horsham will have lost a very special place.” And another: “It’s so sad another small business cannot survive in this town.”

Many added that they hoped Pretty Things would be able to reopen elsewhere.