Dance shop to open in former Appleby's book store in Morpeth

Dance Street is opening in the former Appleby’s book store on the corner of Newgate Street and Manchester Street.

Helen Bateman will be the seventh independent retailer to open in the site’s long history dating back to 1884.

“We’re opening on Saturday and we are really excited about it,” said Helen, a former supply teacher inspired to take a new direction by her daughter’s love of dancing.

The building, most recently a soft play and cafe, has been under refurbishment over the past few weeks in readiness for its new lease of life.

"It’s a big building which is probably why it’s stayed empty for a while,” admitted Helen, who has overcome that by sub-letting the top floor to Ethica Construction for offices and the first floor to The Dragon in the Clock Tower, an independent bookshop.

“This will give me a lot more space than I had across the road,” she added. “For two-and-a-half-years I had a place on Newgate Street above Gebhards.

"It was a small shop to test how it was going to do but I quickly outgrew it.”

She is confident there is demand for the larger space.

"It’s niche but there’s a lot of demand in Morpeth for dancewear,” says Helen, who already has a partnership with several local schools.

"It’s also the type of product where you want to see what you’re buying rather than just going online,” she reasons.

She also hopes the more prominent position will attract more customers.

Helen is keeping a first floor room, Studio 61, for hire space.

“Kids have their dance lessons but they don’t really have anywhere else they can practise by themselves or as a group and that space will be ideal,” said Helen.

“It’s got a beautiful wooden floor and it’s all been kitted out for that use but there’s been a variety of interest in it already, whether it be for beauty workshops or craft workshops.”

The premises was a paper shop in the late 1870s before becoming Fisher's of Newgate Street in the 1890s, selling tea, coffee, fruits and potatoes. From about 1903 it became Elliotts fruiterer & stationer, then in the 1920s it was R Hood's greengrocer. It was Appleby's from the mid-1960s until 2016.