Billericay High Street mural for founder of 'oldest shop'

N.Shelley in Billericay High Street, an accessory boutique, is celebrating 100-years of business this year and the current owners have painted a mural of Nora Shelley to mark the anniversary.

Nora founded the business in 1924 at the age of 25 with only £30 to her name and a sewing machine.

Mural - The brand new N.Shelley mural (Image: N.Shelley)

Originally, she sold night dresses and garments to order from the small boutique, before expanding her talents to pins, trimming and laces.

Retail manager, Nicky Hammond, 53, has thanked artist Dave Nash for the incredible mural and reflected on the incredible achievement the business has made.

She said: “N.Shelley is a fixture of Billericay High Street, the high street has changed so much and we has lost so many businesses but we have remained, we get people coming from all over to see us which is important with a shortage of independent stores.

“Nora made such a brave choice at her age to open the shop and our current owner, Sarah Palmer, is the third generation to take over the shop.

“We have had a centenary window done and next week we are going to have photographs of past year and past staff members out on display, people keep our outfits and we have really dedicated customers.

“So many people have even chosen to be buried in our outfits.”

Nicky added that the mural has been massive success for the business and has attracted people from elsewhere in Essex to get photo opportunities.

“It was all done in freehand, and Dave has similarly done murals for the crown pub and café on the other end of the High Street,” Nicky added.

“It is so incredible; it was designed by Laura Phipps and she had the idea of putting Nora in the sky along with the writing.

“She is looking down on the business from up there, it is just incredible and there is no shortage of people stopping and talking about it.”