by Robin BirdBIRKENHEAD department store Living is now in its death throes as the Sale-of-the-Century clears the final stock before the Co-op store officially closes on Saturday.

Staff continue in the best "Are You being Served" tradition, hiding their sadness from customers as the last items are sold. "The way stuff is going, there will not be anything left by Saturday!" mused one assistant facing an uncertain future.

Birkenhead Co-operative Society established itself in the town in 1891 and opened a new millinery, drapery and furnishing showroom in Grange Road early this century.

Living is now a corner-stone building between the Grange and Pyramid Shopping centres. Just over 100 jobs will go.

There will be a life after the Living department store in Birkenhead closes. At least two investment/development companies are interested in developing the Grange Road site into smaller units.

Two big household name high street stores and a supermarket are believed to interested in a new shopping development which would link the Grange shopping area and Market with the Pyramids, making Birkenhead one of the major shopping attractions in the North West.

Meanwhile, it's business as usual at the Garrick Snug, adjacent to Living, which has seen the town centre grow up around a route once used by Priory monks.

Staff from Living will be drowning their sorrows and toasting a new life at a farewell party after July 10.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.