Mad Hatters on Appletongate, Newark closed doors

A Newark business owner is ‘absolutely devastated’ as she was forced to close the business within days after five years of trading.

Clare Fordham, the owner of Mad Hatters, on Appletongate, has closed her business on Saturday (September 28).

Mad Hatters opened its doors just five months before the Covid-19 pandemic, however, despite being a new business, it survived the pandemic and offered a range of events and activities such as waffles, crafting workshops, and psychic nights, and had also just started offering parent and child sessions.

Due to health problems, Clare had been trying to sell her business, hoping the next person would not only take the property, but the business as well.

She then received the news that her health problems were not what was expected and she was able to continue, but on Tuesday last week (September 24), Clare rang the letting agency to find out that someone wanted the property and needed it by November 1.

Clare said: “There was nothing I could do and my hands were tied, I couldn’t do much else, it was so quick, it wasn’t something that I had envisaged.

“I am gutted if I’m honest, if I could move it somewhere else I would, but because prices are so high in other properties or they are too big, it’s the outlay as well to be able to set up another business.

“I am absolutely devastated that it’s had to go through so quickly. I just feel as I’ve let everybody down, we’ve had five fantastic years. I’m not saying it has been easy because it hasn’t.”

Having had to close doors, Clare takes with her the heart-warming comments from her customers regarding the customer service, the events, and how they described her and her business as ‘colourful and bright’.

“I am proud of what I have achieved and where I have got to even though in the whole of the five years I have never taken a wage,” Clare added, “I am proud and if there is an opportunity or a place within the town that I can reset back up again, I would gladly take it.

“It’s just finding the right location at the right price and at the moment, Newark rents are extremely high and there are so many units and properties that are empty, which I think is having
a detrimental effect on the town because footfall's not there either.”