Guardian Picks 59 High St as 'Beacon of Hope'

Chosen by Amber Butchart, dress historian and curator

Lowestoft is my hometown, and this building on the High Street has always fascinated me. It was a Georgian dispensing chemist with an ornate frontage, complete with pharmacist bottles and jars in the windows. I was really sad to see it closed down a couple of years ago. This summer it rose from the ashes as RE Morris General Store stocking hardware goods and kitchenalia.

The owners even commissioned a historic paint report so they could take the store back to its original colour, and they’ve kept and restored the original frontage and display. It’s a beautifully designed building filled with beautifully designed, useful things, and it’s a delight to see it flourish when so many of our high streets are in dire trouble. I hope it will be there for another 200 years. CREDIT:TheGuardian