Last day of trading for Westhoughton store Decorsave

Owner Terry Whatmough, 80, opened Decorsave in 2000 after spending years in the painting and decorating trade himself.

He announced the closure of the Westhoughton business at the beginning of June, shutting its doors for the final time on Thursday (July 2).

Terry locking the door at Decorsave (Image: Charlie Whatmough)

Terry said: “It feels very unusual – I keep waking up at quarter to seven even though I don’t need to.

“I’ve been clearing all the stock out. I’m going to go back on Monday to finish it.”

One of the items Terry will be taking with him is the ‘free paste tomorrow’ sign.

The ‘free paste’ sign refers to a long running joke. When customers would come in and buy wallpaper, they’d ask if there was any free paste to go with it. (Image: Charlie Whatmough)

This is a running joke between Terry and his customers, who regularly, when buying wallpaper, asked if it came with free wallpaper paste.

Unable to give it away for for no charge, the sign tells customers the free paste will be in stock tomorrow – a tomorrow that, of course, will never arrive.

When asked ifTerrywas going to take up any hobbies.

“I don’t really have any hobbies!” he responded.

(Image: Charlie Whatmough)

“I don’t do fishing, I don’t do football. Politics is just a lot of talking, and if I hear Andy Burnham’s name one more time I’m going to get up and turn my TV off!

“But the last few weeks have been really positive – lots of people have come into the shop to say goodbye.”

It was at his recent 80th birthday that Terry’s daughter, Rachel, told him that he should start thinking about retiring.

He had a few recent health scares too, including a heart attack in 2023 that required open heart surgery.

Terry outside Decorsave (Image: Dan Dougherty)

Terry was born in Salford in 1940, taking up the painting and decorating trade because of his father, who was in the same line of work.

“In them days, what you did for a living was based on what your father did,” said Terry.

Having spent so many years in the area, Terry has kids and grandkids dotted around Westhoughton, Bolton, Horwich, and Wigan. They’re also dotted all over the wall behind the Decorsave counter.

Anthony, one of his 11 grandchildren, owns the barber shop Troy’s on Wigan Road – just round the corner from Decorsave.