gsomerville

Published at 00:00, Friday, 09 March 2007

By GEMMA SOMERVILLE

1818 - Scots linen weaver William Robb, of Leith, settles in Hexham and opens the first Robb’s store.

1890 - Grandson of Robb’s founder, James Thomas Robb builds a new store on the west side of Fore Street 1918 - Fourth generation Col. J. Ridley Robb takes control of the business.

1928 - Robb’s extends into premises on the east side of Fore Street – a prelude to the whole store coming under one roof with accesses from Priestpopple and Fore Street.

1945 - Derek Robb, son of Col. J. Ridley Robb, becomes the fifth generation to be actively involved in the business.

August 1985 - Robb’s buys the seven-acre Robson’s Nurseries site on Haugh Lane. Three months later it applies to build a 15,000sq ft cash-and-carry store on the site.

1986 - Work begins on the £1.25 million store which will become Robb’s at Tynedale Park.

October 1986 - Robb’s merges with William Joplings’ Ltd of Sunderland. Derek Robb joins Joplings’ board as deputy chairman.

1987 - The merged stores are sold to the Merchant Retail Group.

September 1998 - Derek Robb dies aged 76. He had been confined to a wheelchair since his 30s after contracting polio.

1989 - Robb’s at Tynedale Park opens. It is later renamed Tynedale Park.

July 2004 - Merchant Retail sells Tynedale Park to Tesco for £17million. Robb’s Fore Street store is also put on the market.

February 2005 - Tynedale Park closes. 245 staff face unemployment. The building is partly demolished during remodelling.

March 2005 - Liverpool-based Owen Owen buys Robb’s Fore Street store and sister company Jopling’s of Sunderland for £8million.

October 2006 - Scottish property company Buccleuch Group buys the Robb’s Fore Street building for £7.7million, leasing it back to Owen Owen.

February 2007 - Owen Owen goes into administration putting 150 jobs at risk.

March 2007 - Robb’s puts up closing down sale signs.

Published by http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk