Connolly's jewellers closes down

John and Jane Connolly's jewellery shop in the village closed at the weekend.

Unfortunately this has left several of their customers upset and concerned as to whether their precious jewellery will be returned.

The shop at The Parade is now empty so customers arriving on Monday to collect their repairs were shocked to find that the jewellers had suddenly closed down and no forwarding details have been provided.

I spoke with Barbara Bishop, 74, who told me she had left her engagement, wedding and eternity rings at the shop to be enlarged. They had become embedded in her finger, as she suffers from arthritis, so John Connolly cut all 3 rings off Barbara's finger in October. She had collected two of the enlarged rings in December and returned on Monday to collect her engagement ring, only to discover the shop all locked up.

Barbara was very fortunate to see Jane Connolly in the parade car park this morning though, where her engagement ring was returned.

Barbara said "I feel absolutely wrung out. I hardly slept last night and I can't tell you how much this has affected me. I've had my engagement ring 55 years.

"I feel that I am the lucky one. I always said I've got a guardian angel."

Alderley Edge resident Dr Malcolm Gatley is concerned about whether they will get a ring back though.

He told me "My wife took her wedding ring there for repair about 2 weeks ago. We heard nothing further and today found that the shop was closed. It seems that they may have closed down without warning. The ring is of great sentimental value to us."

A customer informed us this week that Consumer Direct told him the business had gone in to liquidation and that the insolvency practitioner dealing with the liquidation was Mr Colin Thomas Burke at Milner Boardman & Partners based in Hale.

We phoned Milner Boardman & Partners who confirmed they were dealing with the liquidation but we have now realised that due to the similarity in names between two separate businesses there has been some confusion.

John's previous business John Connolly Jewellers Limited, which was located at 69A London Road in Alderley Edge went in to insolvent liquidation on 2nd July 2009. This is a separate business from John and Jane Connolly Alderley Edge Ltd whose shop at The Parade closed this week.

Update: I have just received some good news from Dr Malcolm Gatley. Mr Connolly phoned them yesterday and has just delivered Dr Gatley's wife's wedding ring with a satisfactory repair.