New shoe shop set to open in Rushden town centre in the coming weeks as owners resist retirement

A new addition to Rushden town centre will open in the coming weeks as family-owned shoe and fashion shop HA HA UK throws open its doors Church Street.

It will occupy the unit that was once The Kids’ Shoe Den, and will offer shoes, handbags, summer shirts, and other fashion items.

Owner John Cassells, 76 and his wife Margaret, 75, are hoping to welcome customers around the second week in February.

John said: "We’re not going to retire, I don’t want to sit at home on my backside doing nothing.

“We enjoy talking to people, bringing something new in. We’d like to bring something different, we just hope it pays off.

“The type of shoes we’re doing, they’re not going to be over expensive, but they’re going to be something you can build your wardrobe up from.”

John insists the stock will be varied, with formal, everyday, and orthopedic options to suit all situations.

HA HA UK (‘His And Her Attire’) is currently being refitted and refurbished with new carpets, walls, lighting, and decor.

Being an ex-builder, John began the refit in November, and worked through Christmas with the intention to open as the weather gets warmer.

John and Margaret ran a clothing shop in Huntingdon and another in St Ives, but found that units there were expensive to upkeep, and said moving to Rushden was ‘a no brainer.’

People in Rushden highlighted the need for more locally-owned shops in the town when we visited the High Street this week.

One shopper, Angela Woods, insisted the town centre needed to be supported more.

She said: “The shop keepers are all so friendly. The priority is the town centre with the NHS a close second. I appreciate The (Rushden) Lakes but the older generation, like my mum, need the town centre.

John Cassells also mentioned Rushden Lakes, and insisted HA HA UK will offer something that the drive-in retail park does not.

He said: “The drawback I find with the town centre is that I’ve noticed a lot of shops have got shutters.

“I’m hoping that the word gets to Rushden Lakes because we’ve been down there and looked at the shoe shops, they’re expensive and nothing like we’ve got."