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Austins' closure is the end of an era for Derry

Shutters down on the Austins department store in Derry which went into liquidation on Tuesday morning. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin  
Shutters down on the Austins department store in Derry which went into liquidation on Tuesday morning. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin   Shutters down on the Austins department store in Derry which went into liquidation on Tuesday morning. Picture by Margaret McLaughlin  

THEclosure of Austin’s department store is not only a blow to the city’s economic fortunes but a sad ending of an era for the city.

The iconic building stood sentry over the Diamond centre of the inner city for more than a century, a landmark throughout Derry with its stand-out green copper dome visible far beyond the city limits.

Inside, it was a throw-back to a more genteel day of retail. Its various departments laid out on floors accessible by the impressive stairway and lift.

Even the staff at Austins were a little different. They stood out from the sometimes banal approach of other shop workers.

Always immaculately groomed, they brought a sometimes haughty but nevertheless impressive approach to the art of selling. They contributed to the special feel of Austins.

Austins was witness to generations of Derry family landmark events. Its bridal department was a first stop for excited young women while the family turned to Austins for the accompanying gifts. Its window displays were a sign to children that Christmas was on the way.

For many the idea of buying clothes in Austins was proof that the intended event was that bit more special. Austins provided a sense of occasion in the preparations.

For the younger generation, the roof-top restaurant was a popular Saturday afternoon meeting place where love’s young dreams could become a reality and where teenage crushes could be entertained.

Sophisticated girls showed disdain for immature boys…but still retuned every Saturday.

Change must always happen and progress cannot be stopped and the days of the old fashioned department stores may be coming to an end.

But Derry is still a poorer place for the closing of Austins.