Who has got a pretty shop then?

Dave Bloomfield with Julie Evans of Rochdale Development Agency and Smokey the talking parrot

A Heywood shop owner and his prized parrot are the talk of the town, thanks to a £14,000 business make-over.

Pet Talk on Bridge Street has been dramatically improved with a Property Improvement Programme grant – delivered by Rochdale Development Agency and funded by New Heart for Heywood.

David Bloomfield, who has run and owned the shop for the last 11 years with his wife Tracey and his prized parrot Smokey, is totally wild about the changes.

The cash injection has made the world of difference. It has paid for modern new PVC windows, double doors and new signage. The interior has also benefited from new shelving and a new layout.

Over 22 businesses in Heywood have benefited from Property Improvement Grants to date, and £369,000 has been awarded in total. 

David said: “We couldn’t be happier with the improvements. The shop looks absolutely brilliant, and we’re sure it will be a big help to business. All our regular customers have been telling us how great it looks.”

Pet Talk specialises in supplies for smaller domestic pets, including guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, rabbits and birds.

David, who contributed 30 per cent of the money for the improvements said: “The shop frontage hadn’t been changed in over 30 years, and it was looking really tired. We couldn’t afford to do all the work ourselves, so the grant from Rochdale Development Agency has been a huge help.”

David and Tracey live in Ramsbottom, and have a 7 year old daughter called Rebecca. David’s parrot Smokey has lived in the shop for 11 years, but is strictly not for sale. An extremely talkative bird, its favourite catchphrases include “Morning”, ‘What’s your name?” and “See you later.”

Julie Evans, project officer with Rochdale Development Agency said: “It’s great to hear that David is so delighted with his new-look shop. Our property improvement grants are making a big difference to the town centre, by boosting its appearance and encouraging more visitors to shop and do business here."

If you have a local business, and would like to find out more about Property Improvement Grants, please contact Julie Evans, Rochdale Development Agency on 01706 691363.