IT’S depressing to learn that Newboulds Family Butcher is finally closing its doors after over a century and a half serving our area.

As a boy, in the 50s, my mother used to take me, late on a Friday afternoon, to buy pork pies and sausages at Newboulds in Middlesbrough.

With people ten-deep, in front of the counter, it was by far the busiest shop I’ve ever been in.

Strangely, you didn’t have to wait too long, for the loyal staff worked flat out to serve the hordes of customers, immediately replaced by more crowding through the door.

With that memory, it’s hard to take in that Newboulds has been losing money for the last seven years.

The demise of Newboulds is just a small part of the death of the high street, brought on by supermarkets and internet shopping.

Newboulds, the like of which we’ll never see again, is now, sadly, along with so many other retailers, consigned to history.

Steve Kay, Redcar & Cleveland councillor