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Disappointment as shoe shop closes after 100 years

Rebekah WilsonBBC News NI
News imageBBC Anne and Jo standing in the high street. Anne is wearing a hooded grey coat, has short brown hair and is wearing glasses. Jo is wearing a purple coat with white, yellow and red polka dots, she has short white hair and is wearing glasses. BBC
Anne and Jo travelled to Ballymena for wedding guest shoes but McKillen's was closed ahead of their final sale

Reaching a centenary should be a reason to celebrate, but the owners of one shoe shop have finally decided to put their feet up after 100 years of business.

That however, put a spanner in the works for two shoppers on a special mission.

Jo Montgomery and Anne Allen came to buy wedding shoes, Jo's daughter is set to marry Anne's son, but they found the shutters down.

"We were coming to McKillens to look for shoes for the wedding but it's closed, I can't believe it," said Anne, the mother of the groom.

"It's very disappointing, so sad to see."

McKillens has been an institution in Ballymena since 1926.

The store was closed on Tuesday, ahead of a final closing down sale on Wednesday.

Jo, from Ballyclare, said she would have regularly visited the town because the high street "always had what you needed".

"It has been wild looking for a dress for the wedding as mothers' of the bride and groom, it's so important," said Jo.

"You want to try it on and make sure it's right."

News imageMcKillen's store front with CLOSING DOWN SALE on all the windows in yellow and red. The shop front is grey with a brown/red sign and in gold writing McKillens of Ballymena.
McKillen's has been in Ballymena for 100 years

The closure of McKillens follows another family-run business in Wyse Byse which opened in the town centre in 1972 and closed its shutters earlier this month.

Peter Kincaid, and Anne Speers, from Ballymena, said they have watched the town grow quiet over the years.

"The town is dying", said Peter, with shops closing "regularly now".

"Shops are closing all the time and nobody is buying. Families are retiring and you need a viable business to get someone to buy it over and that's not happening," said Anne.

News imageAnne and Peter on the high street. Anne holds an umbrella and is wearing a brown coat, a brown hat and has short blonde hair. Peter is wearing a blue jacket and is wearing glasses, he has short dark hair with grey strands.
Anne and Peter live in Ballymena and say the town is "dying"

She added that the pair like to come to the town to "get out the door" but said there's "not much to do".

Peter worked in construction and reminisced about fixing the roof of McKillens many years ago.

"It was a great business and this place was bustling. It's such a shame, there's hardly anyone here in the town now."

News imagePamela and Emily on the High Street, Pamela is wearing a purple coat, she has long brown hair. Emily is wearing a pink zip-up jumper and has tied up brown hair, she also has braces.
Pamela and Emily would come to Ballymena frequently because it's "affordable"

Pamela Jackson and her daughter Emily came from Portadown to Ballymena to grab some deals.

Pamela said seeing once "thriving businesses go is disappointing".

"You walk down some high streets now and there's nothing there, charity shops and cafes just. People are going out to those shopping centres or just going online."

Pamela said she would always come to Ballymena for Wyse Byse.

"These places were affordable and welcoming, you want to support local businesses but they aren't here anymore."

News imageWyse Byse store front with blue shutters down. The sign WYSE BYSE is in white and the shops mascot is an Owl painted beside it. The white owl wears a black graduation cap and holds a blue book.
Wyse Byse also closed down after being on the high street since 1972

The chief executive of Ballymena Chamber of Commerce, Tom Wiggens, said he was sorry to hear of McKillens closure.

"The Ballymena area and economy remains vibrant with a bustling town centre attracting new businesses," he said.

Wiggins said businesses are under "growing pressures" and that was a reason for McKillen's closure.

He added that additional support is something the chamber will continue to lobby for.

"This is particularly important in the coming days and weeks when councils and the executive are in the process of setting both business and domestic rates," he added.