A COMMON measure for visitors of the health of a community is the number of empty shops to be seen on a stroll through the town centre.

Similarly, they are often influenced and minds made up by the state of the public toilets.

In the case of Wellington, visitors will now no longer be put off by the sight of public toilets next to the coach park in Longforth Road which have lain derelict for 16 months, as the town council has finally razed the site.

And when they wander around the corner into High Street they will soon see almost every shop unit in use as a number of businesses have suddenly begun to spring up.

The former Fox and Sons estate agent office which had been empty for some years is now Essentials Express, a nearby former hairdresser’s shop is soon to open as a mini market, and the old Shaul’s Bakery building on the corner with South Street will shortly no longer rival the EJ Teare eyesore when it is converted to a Jamaican-style restaurant.

Adding to the good news over the Bank holiday weekend was A House of Cake, which held a colourful first birthday party.