A PRESTWICH antiques shop which has become a valuable hunting ground for foreign dealers and the public is closing after 25 years.

The shutdown marks the end of an era for Village Antiques owner Mrs Ruth Weidenbaum and the heralding of a new challenge for the businesswoman.

For she is set to trade from an antiques centre in Haslingden following the closure of her popular Village Antiques shop on Monday, September 20.

The mother-of-four, who lives in Prestwich, is the wife of well-known local businessman Mr Peter Weidenbaum who is chairman of Radcliffe-based Trumeter.

When the shop opened for business a quarter of a century ago, antiques were strictly for the connoisseur. However, TV programmes like the Antiques Roadshow and Flog It have brought buying and selling to a new audience.

Mrs Weidenbaum said: "I got my love of antiques from my grandmother. She had a lot of knick-knacks and I loved them as a child. That started me off.

"Before I opened my shop, I worked in an antiques business with a friend for 15 years. When she retired, I bought the premises in Bury New Road which used to be a fish shop."

Over the years, the businesswoman has seen trends and demands for antiques change dramatically.

"As far as what is popular and what is not, there are various phases. Silver can suddenly become popular and then porcelain."

She added: "My oldest antiques date back to Georgian times and I've got a couple of glassware objects. And the antiques go right through to the 1940s.

"But saying that, the NatWest piggies which were issued about 20 years ago are now in vogue."

On a consistent note, however, the most lucrative items sold by the shop have been grandfather clocks which have regularly fetched between £5,000 and £6,000.

Over the last 25 years, Mrs Weidenbaum's clients have included antiques dealers from as far away as Australia and the USA as well as bargain hunters on her own doorstep.

"Today, my customers are mainly people from around the Prestwich area."

Although looking forward to setting up in Haslingden, she will be sorry to part company with so many local people.

"All the customers around here have been really lovely people and I've made so many friends as well. And I'd like to thank each and everyone of them."

Despite being aged 73, Mrs Weidenbaum has no plans to bring the hammer down on her beloved antiques career.