WISBECH: WISARD unveils new hoarding at the 'hole' depicting Cooks the butchers

THE hole in Wisbech High Street is once again boarded off from public view, with a fetching memory of what once stood in the derelict space. Members of the Wisbech regeneration group WISARD have unveiled the newly-painted hoarding depicting the shop fro

THE 'hole' in Wisbech High Street is once again boarded off from public view, with a fetching memory of what once stood in the derelict space.

Members of the Wisbech regeneration group WISARD have unveiled the newly-painted hoarding depicting the shop front of Cooks the butchers, which collapsed more than 20 years ago.

WISARD Chairman Richard Barnwell said: "We were so fed up with this eyesore in our street scene that we resolved to ask Richard Roberts, a well-known artist who lives in Wisbech and who supports our efforts, to paint a trompe l'oeil depicting the old facade of Cooks butchers.

"Naturally we would like to see the site redeveloped along with the other derelict parts of High Street but we felt this was a way of cheering up the site, hopefully on a temporary basis.

"We have already had a number of favourable comments and we hope we may be able to move to other sites in an attempt to help to brighten up this rather sad part of our town which has so many buildings in a poor and possibly dangerous condition."

The 'hole' is one of many derelict shops in Wisbech High Street. Fenland District Council is in pursuing the owners of the various derelict shops to bring them back into use.