In a heartfelt post on social media, Andy Tait (the husband of industry legend Lynn Tait who died in June) announced that The Lynn Tait Gallery is to close its doors permanently on Christmas Eve this year.
The card and gift shop, The Lynn Tait Gallery in Old Leigh-on-Sea, in Essex has been part of the fabric of this seaside village for over 30 years, drawing in locals and tourists alike. But the shop that was owned and run by Lynn Tait until her untimely death in June will be closing on Christmas Eve this year.
Lynn’s late husband, Andy, made the announcement on Facebook earlier this week, saying “the heart has gone out of the business.”
Lynn founded the business in the early 80s and the first shop opened at 59 High Street in Old Leigh. Having dipped her toe into the water, the shop moved to the present site where a derelict foundry was transformed into the current idiosyncratic shop.
“It is with great regret, we have decided to close the shop in its present form on 24 December, Christmas Eve,” says Andy. “This has been the most difficult of decisions, but as the weeks have passed since Lynn died, it has become inevitable. We hope that all our past customers and visitors will come (hopefully many times) to see us before we close. This is a desperately sad time, but we will go out on a high, just as Lynn would have wanted.”
Andy added in the post: “The family will keep the building, so watch out for exciting new projects in the weeks and months to come. Lynn’s spirit will live on!”
