“Do you just spend all day walking around town taking photographs?” someone once asked me. No, I don’t but I do enjoy a quick scout of the city centre on my days off to see what’s opening and closing. It was on one such walk a couple of weeks ago, just after watching the hordes of Chester Marathon run underneath the Northgate bridge. I headed to The Cross and onto Bridge Street row.

Up there I noticed signage up Gnome and Away- the off license off shoot of Paysan/ Cavern of the Curious Gnome, set to open in the former Chester Health Store. Turning the corner onto Eastgate row, the former Mappin and Webb premises ( complete with chained off row) I saw that Oliver Brown menswear were opening here. It now turns out that the brand have chosen Chester as their first store outside of London. They open on November 4th. Turning the corner onto St Werburgh Street I noticed that Brook Taverner, a small national menswear chain were taking over 2 empty units on the street. Adjacent to this new opening was another, Canteen, an independent sandwich shop. That was 4 new businesses opening found in a ten minute walk. Returning home I realised that there was so many new openings it deserved a blog.

Turtle Bay are finally opening their doors this week in the Northgate development. As the Market approaches its second birthday a group of new traders are set to bring the building to full occupancy. The Vintage Spot have taken a prime unit at the front of the Market, and Ruby Hair and Beauty has also recently opened. A sandwich shop and a gift shop complete the quartet of new businesses.

Elsewhere The Black Bush Irish pub has opened on Lower Bridge street in a former tattoo parlour as well as Hulson’s Bakery on the other side of the street. The Bishop, from the owners of Huxley’s next to the Eastgate Clock is a new bar which recently opened on Watergate street row.

Foregate street, boosted by the Paddington footfall has recently welcomed the city centre’s second Starbucks ( and investment in a refurbished Northgate branch) as well as the return of Mountain Warehouse. The new store across 2 floors has taken over the site formerly occupied by the job centre which closed a year ago. How great to see the upstairs open again, sparking memories of the building’s Virgin Megastore hey day. A third new business, a Dessert Café is set to open over the road next to the old Burger King.

Independent fashion and lifestyle brand Junkbox are now open on Rufus Court, having recently departed from The Second Floor on Northgate street. That unit has been swiftly snapped up and is opening up as a yoga studio in November. Also on Northgate street the ex Nine Elephants restaurant has been repurposed as a craft café, also opening soon.

Yet more new arrivals include Spuds4U Chester on St Werburgh Street, close to Lily Vintage and a Sock shop in a long empty unit close to the Eastgate clock. Soctopus, another small family owned chain have branches in Brighton, York and Edinburgh are are surely the type of unique bespoke retailer than anyone would welcome. Secret Identity Comics on the Boughton strip have brought comics back to Chester’s retail offering.

I expected Boheme to lay vacant for years , but only a few months after their shock closure the unit has been snapped up by Salt House Tapas and is set to open in what looks like a very busy November. There’s probably more I’ve missed , but surely we can put to bed the idea that Chester is in anyway, dying. Still a popular theme on social media, investment and interest appears to be flowing freely into our city. Whilst we can’t deny the problems of large long term unoccupied units such as BHS, and the empty strip of properties in the Grosvenor Centre, or opposite the Cathedral I feel very positive about the future of our high street. Look at how fast the old Wilko was taken over by a bigger Poundland, or how the front of the Forum is now fully occupied. Even Sealand Road has welcomed the return of Bowling after a ten year absence, a new pet shop, Burger King, and an Age UK superstore. Maybe all the positive press and hard work done over the last decade is finally paying off.

P.S Fingers and everything else crossed for whatever is happening in Browns!

UPDATE: Since posting this 3 new city centre business openings have been revealed. A card shop on Bridge street, the return of Edinburgh Woollen Mill ( after a 4 year absence) to a unit that has been empty for over a decade on Northgate street, plus popular Hoole based independent cafe Little Yellow Pig will be opening on Godstall Lane.