The doors to The Bridge Agency, a cornerstone of the St Austell community for more than four decades, are set to close for the final time, writes Tom Howe.
Founded in 1982 by Gill Leonard and her husband Howard, the small family business grew to be more than just a shop, having catered to the changing needs of the community.
It can be found right in the heart of St Austell, just off Gover Road, with a convenient car park and within a recognizable building that has weathered much change, and even survived a serious fire some 25 years ago.
It has long since sold everything from second-hand clothes to baby equipment, and has helped countless families in times of trouble.
“We moved down to Cornwall from Shropshire in 1978 and opened a pie shop in Mevagissey, which was closed in the winter,” Gill recalled in an interview with CHAOS Radio. “I started taking in baby equipment and books, and my husband worked out that if you can sell stuff in Mevagissey in the winter, you can sell it all year round easily.
“So we found this building, rented it for a couple of years and then bought it in 1982. It just gradually built up. We have put a lot of work into the shop, we’ve redone the roof and various things but unfortunately, after 42 years, it’s time to leave.
“I’ve had three children and I call this my fourth one. It just kept me going. I enjoy it. I love it. I don’t want to leave it but the time has come, I’m afraid. Everyone says they’re going to miss it. Lots of people coming in now with children, say their parents used to bring them in when they were children and they’re going to miss it.
“I had no idea it was going to snowball like this. I meet people all the time, people who are bringing the clothes in to sell and people who are buying the clothes. We’ve helped an awful lot of people over the years. We’ve had people who’ve had fires and lost all their clothes and stuff. They’ve come here and obviously we’ve done a good deal to get them sorted out.”
Therefore, The Bridge Agency was often seen as a lifeline during hard times and, over the years, Gill and her team have helped many families in need, especially during times of crisis.
Even at this stage, with ill health proving an obstacle and shopping habits changing in this digital age, her commitment to benefitting the area in which she lives fails to waiver.
“I’ve had two new knees and a new hip, and the new hip isn’t recovering very well,” explains Gill, who is already on her second retirement. “I really can’t do it on a full-time basis anymore and it’s not always profitable enough to employ people [although] I’ve had some very good staff over the years, I must mention.
“Since COVID, it’s gone downhill very quickly. Most people are on the computer looking for secondhand stuff when they could come here and try it on and feel it, it’s different. We are trying to get rid of as much stock as we can but once we come to a point where we have to stop, we have got about eight charities lining up to come and take it all.
“The prom dresses, I’m going to give to schools for children who can’t afford them. I’ve also got a load of wedding dresses but I’m not sure what I’m going to do with those. Have a big wedding, maybe? If people keep an eye out on Facebook, I will be telling everybody when we’re open.
“It’s all very hard. Thank you for all your custom and thanks to the staff who’ve helped over the years. I can’t do it on my own anymore and that’s it, I’m afraid. Obviously thank you to my husband Howard and my family for putting up with the fact that I was always at the shop, and to the grandchildren as well who love the shop.”
Looking ahead, Gill plans to spend more time with her family, starting with an upcoming trip to Singapore to visit her daughter, a prospect she described in the indomitable spirit that she has become known for.
“I’m going to Singapore for a month at Christmas to see my daughter,” she says with a smile, “and her dogs, that’s what we’re going for.”
With The Bridge Agency set to close down, we at CHAOS Radio want to hear from you. If you have memories of visiting the shop, stories of how it helped you or your family, or just want to share a message with Gill, we’d love to hear from you.
You can email us at news@chaos.radio or find us on social media by searching CHAOS Radio UK.
One listener who has done just that is Linda Breary, who wrote: “I remember going in whilst my son was in a pushchair. Ian was born in 1981. Christopher, Gill’s son, was in a playpen. No charity shops in those days so The Bridge Agency was the place to go for good quality secondhand clothes. Hope you enjoy your retirement, Gill.”
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