Have you seen the Jubilee Fashion Exhibition at Wayfarers Arcade in Southport?

SOUTHPORT'S iconic Victorian, Grade II listed building, is playing host to an amazing show of historic dresses. At the centre of this Jubilee Fashion Exhibition is an exact copy of Diana Princess of Wales wedding dress when she married Prince Charles on 29 July 1981.

This replica of an iconic piece of British History has been made by Southport resident Mark Lyon Taylor who has spent over 5 weeks and more than 85 hours making an exact replica of the iconic 1981 wedding dress.

This exceptional dress will take centre stage in Wayfarers Jubilee Fashion Exhibition. The exhibition will show garments and artefacts through the 70 years of Her Majesty's reign along with the stories of who donated them, why the outfit was bought and for what occasion etc. The copy of Diana's wedding dress will give visitors the opportunity to see the intricate and exceptional detail that went into the original dress which was designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel.

Mark, who is also 1 of the top 50 hair stylists in the UK, and works in the hairdressers located on the 2nd floor of the venue said:- "Making this beautiful dress was on my bucket list of sewing tasks, so after 5 weeks and over 84 hours, 4000 crystal transparent sequins, 4240 Swarovski crystals and 25 metres of Nottingham Lace here she is."

Wayfarers Centre Manager, Yvonne Burns commented:- "Our historical fashion exhibitions are so popular that we could not let the Jubilee celebrations pass without launching another unique fashion showcase. Each piece exhibited has been loaned by a local resident and stretch back to the 1950s when Princess Elizabeth became Queen. We very much appreciate all those who have loaned dresses and suits that have special meaning and I am sure the visitors to the exhibition will enjoy reading the stories and pictures that make up the special presentation."

The exhibition will run in Wayfarers Arcade until Sunday, 12 June 2022.

New look store in Southport

UK home wares retailer Dunelm, on Thursday, 26 May 2022, re-launched its much anticipated, new look store in Southport, Merseyside. The store opened at 8am, exclusively for the followers of the Dunelm Southport Community Facebook group, the 1st 30 of which received an exclusive goodybag worth £20 plus a £10 gift voucher. Then, opening at 9am to remaining customers, the 1st 20 people through the doors received a gift voucher to spend in-store.

Andrew Brown (48), founder of Stand Up For Southport officially opened the store with his wife, Claire, and 2 children, Francesca (10) and Amelie (6). Andrew, who also works part time as the Lottery, Promotions and Marketing Manager at Queenscourt Hospice, in Southport, said:- "I was delighted and honoured to be invited to officially celebrate the launch of the Dunelm store at Ocean Plaza; a business which does so much to support our local community with a number of positive initiatives. The new store looks amazing! Dunelm has really invested in transforming its store which is a huge bite of confidence for businesses in Southport."

The store itself has undergone a makeover, making space for a few new departments, including Decorate and Co-ordinate; the 1 stop shop for all your decorating needs, including:- Dunelm's own brand of paints, and Make and Mend; where you can shop for everything from ribbons to other haberdashery items.

The new format store features more inspiration and an even better shopping experience, with a new concept Made to Measure department, full of the latest fabrics to choose from and a team with a wealth of knowledge. The store also features a new-look Pausa Kitchen Cafe and an even bigger 'Take Home Today' furniture department, making it easier for customers to take home what they see on the day.

The Store Manager of the new look store, said:- "We're very excited to be re-launching our new Dunelm Southport store. The team have been working so hard over the past few weeks to get everything set up in store ahead of our re-launch, we're all looking forward to meeting our lovely local community and welcoming everyone into our new home and hearing their feedback."

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Have you seen the Jubilee Fashion Exhibition at Wayfarers Arcade in Southport?

New look store in Southport