Visual Answersis the name of the current optician in this property, it was formerly Vision Express, the proprietor has another opticians shop at Quorn. Before it became an opticians around 2005 it was where Jane Gilks ran her ladies hairdressing salon. Jane moved her business to smaller premises further down High Street.

When Jane first moved into this shop she had won many hairdressing competitions both in the UK, on the continent and in America, she really was an international name in the world of hairdressing. In the 1970s she had a number of staff working for her and a team of apprentices. If you were celebrating something special eg a wedding or attending a dinner dance, Jane's was the place for your hairdo. The shop walls were lined with framed certificates that Jane had been awarded for her competition work.

Before this shop became a hairdressers I think it was a bakers, either Pearts or Squires and Kintons or this could have been the shop next door that is now Marsala Spice. Marsala Spice used to be a fruit shop called The Fruit Bowl and was owned by a family called Hames. They sold pot plants and vegetables as well.

I thought that this shop had also been used by the fishmonger, George Clarke, but someone told me recently that he had his wet fish shop at the premises next door that used to be the Methodist Chapel. Mr Clarke only ran his business here for a short time but made a wonderful display using the wall outside the chapel next to the Indian takeaway.

Mrs Fair ran her haberdashery business from the old chapel, she sold knitting wool, embroidery threads, ribbon and handkerchiefs and the usual haberdashery fare. The shop was called Fairwear.

This shop closed rather suddenly and remained empty until the dentist, Sunni Jassal, moved her practice there and set up Soar Valley Dental Practice. Sunni left in 2008 and the main dentist now is Ashvin Champineri.

The back and upstairs of the chapel used to be a factory that paired socks for a while during the 1980s and it was also used by Archers Electrical installation business.

Do you have any other memories of any of the above buildings and about any other businesses that have used them?