ONE of the biggest gaps in Marlborough High Street caused by the closure of the Woolworth chain of stores - and leaving it looking like a wide smile with a tooth missing in the middle - has been filled by the Landmark country clothing store extending the range of clothing available in what has in recent years become known as the haute couture centre for the South West.

There are more than 20 women’s fashion shops in the town centre and Landmark has, forgive the pun, redressed the situation somewhat with its range of clothing for both sexes.

There is still no dedicated menswear shop in Marlborough leaving local men no alternative than a trip to Swindon, Newbury, Salisbury or Bath.

The town’s retailers had a very trying year in 2010 because of long term roadworks which caused delays in London Road and George Lane for months, causing traffic to back up in Salisbury Road and resulting in fewer people visiting the town’s shops.

For the latter few months of 2010 the closure of Pewsey Road for the replacement of the bridge over the River Kennet created further traffic problems although the contractors were able to get Pewsey Road open one-way for the Christmas shopping period.

The traffic delays will hopefully soon be a thing of the past and Marlborough will return to being the busy retail hub for communities over a wide area plus the countless thousands of visitors and tourists who arrive each year, attracted by the history of the area and what is reputed to be the country’s widest High Street.

A couple of decades ago Marlborough was top heavy with antiques shops but only two can be found nowadays and both in The Parade, Milfords which offers a variety of collectables and object d’art and the Parade Antiques Centre where more than 40 dealers have displays.

At the lower end of The Parade near the River Kennet can be found Eric’s Attic - named after the owner’s dog - with a wide range of second-hand furniture.

The Parade has always been an important offshoot from the High Street with its variety of shops ranging from the town’s only DiY store, a pine furniture shop, a stockbrokers, military bookshop, D&R furnishings and carpet store, two Chinese take-aways (one with a restaurant), an Indian take away and Marlborough’s only dedicated fish and chip shop.

The alleyways off the High Street have their own shops with Hilliers Yard with its motoring and leisure store, Ducklings Toyshop, the amazing collection of Asian artefacts in the India Shop and Viyella.

Hughenden Yard has wonderful art in Joanna May’s gallery, a home made sweet shop, the Sound of Music which is the town’s only music store, Quality Stationers whose name says it all and the town’s only nightclub Azuza whose ground floor is a cafe by day.

Kingsbury Street has a diverse collection of shops ranging from Bertie Golightly’s designer clothes store to Cats Whiskers which has an eclectic range of gifts including jewellery plus a thousand and one knick-knacks.