Queen of Home-Made: Kirstie Allsopp opens re-vamped Fleetsbridge B&Q store

1:30pm Friday 1st March 2013 in News By Faith Eckersall

Kirstie Allsopp declares the re-vamped B&Q store open Kirstie Allsopp declares the re-vamped B&Q store open

THERE was plenty to celebrate at Poole’s B&Q today when Britain’s Queen of Home-Made, Kirstie Allsopp, rocked up to open the re-vamped store..with a little help from a Daily Echo reader.

Helped by Mrs Pat Coulstock of St Leonards, who won a special competition to be there, Kirstie, famous for her Home-made Home and Location, Location, Location TV series, performed the official ceremony at Fleetsbridge by cutting a piece of wallpaper.

“Everybody who works for this store wants to find a way to help you love your home,” she said.

“When times are tough, they want you to walk in your door and feel that your home is a happy, warm, comfortable place to be.”

Mrs Coulstock was accompanied by her husband, John. “We are not great DIYers but we do the painting, stuff like that,” she said.

“I was delighted to win because I love seeing Kirstie on the TV and in real life she’s really lovely and down to earth.”

How down-to-earth she was soon became apparent as Kirstie was mobbed; by B&Q staff, RNLI volunteers who had been invited to collect for the charity on the special day, and by members of the public who wanted her to sign their copies of her book and to enjoy a chat.

The newly-designed store is just one of three in the country which has been selected to trial B&Q’s innovative, trend-led product development and layout, making it easier to shop with more help and advice centres and DIY workshops from £5 as well as a vibrant new collection of home accessories and solutions.

It’s also bought a welcome jobs boost for the town, as Mayor Carol Evans explained. “They have taken on 60 more people as a result of this,” she said.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity and I am very proud that B&Q chose Poole to help launch this new concept.”

Comments(17)

SnakeDoc says...
1:08pm Fri 1 Mar 13

And don't the Senior family kids look chuffed to bits to be meeting old what's-her-name!

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nobbythesheep says...
1:37pm Fri 1 Mar 13

SnakeDoc wrote:
And don't the Senior family kids look chuffed to bits to be meeting old what's-her-name!
Haha, I was just thinking its a good job they got that picture before it got worse.

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Holes Bay Curve says...
2:25pm Fri 1 Mar 13

If we all sign the NEW petition to re-open the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway - I'm afraid that the new garden center will be annexed from the shiny new store as the railway passes straight through it.

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LordLilliput says...
3:06pm Fri 1 Mar 13

This is not a story it's an ADVERT!

A three and a half minute video telling me about B and Q's products.. What a joke!

An quite why it was recorded over a siren going off is anyone's guess..

News? I don't think so.

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b26b says...
5:38pm Fri 1 Mar 13

Bodge it Quickly, full of spotty kids, failed tradesman. Women dragging their fellas around to look at lovely wallpaper and paint. Hell on earth!!

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lelbel says...
6:45pm Fri 1 Mar 13

This store was open tuesday, omg its bloody awful too and expensive,think they have put the prices up to pay for their revamp

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Telscombe Cliffy says...
7:40pm Fri 1 Mar 13

SnakeDoc wrote:
And don't the Senior family kids look chuffed to bits to be meeting old what's-her-name!
They will if old Holes Bay Curve above gets his railway back through the garden centre.

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Letcommonsenseprevail says...
7:46pm Fri 1 Mar 13

b26b wrote:
Bodge it Quickly, full of spotty kids, failed tradesman. Women dragging their fellas around to look at lovely wallpaper and paint. Hell on earth!!
Is that a chip on your shoulder?

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BIGTONE says...
7:49pm Fri 1 Mar 13

Who's miss allslop?

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Peggy Babcock says...
11:04pm Fri 1 Mar 13

I wonder if ms allsopp got a screw when she was there?

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Yankee1 says...
11:10pm Fri 1 Mar 13

My UK (Christchurch to Poole) friends and I are having a barbecue here in sunny Florida. where we 'winter'. A few minutes ago, we were laughing at American 'Tea Party' folk in their tricorner hats and ever expanding waistlines. That could NEVER happen in the UK!

Then we saw the photo accompanying this story, and reflected: the two cultures really are the same.

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Dr Strangelove says...
12:19am Sat 2 Mar 13

BIGTONE wrote:
Who's miss allslop?
She is the daughter of former chairman of Christie's, Charles Henry Allsopp, 6th Baron Hindlip. She's connected privileged and gets paid a fortune for being posh.

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BIGTONE says...
7:27am Sat 2 Mar 13

Dr Strangelove wrote:
BIGTONE wrote:
Who's miss allslop?
She is the daughter of former chairman of Christie's, Charles Henry Allsopp, 6th Baron Hindlip. She's connected privileged and gets paid a fortune for being posh.
I know someone who is connected,privileged and gets paid a fortune for being a sloth.
They often appear at the Other B&Q (the benefits queue)
Ahhhh the good O'l benefits system.

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Dr Strangelove says...
8:43am Sat 2 Mar 13

BIGTONE wrote:
Dr Strangelove wrote:
BIGTONE wrote:
Who's miss allslop?
She is the daughter of former chairman of Christie's, Charles Henry Allsopp, 6th Baron Hindlip. She's connected privileged and gets paid a fortune for being posh.
I know someone who is connected,privileged and gets paid a fortune for being a sloth.
They often appear at the Other B&Q (the benefits queue)
Ahhhh the good O'l benefits system.
I'm lost on the benefits thing what's the issue with benefits?

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Poole Citizen says...
5:16pm Sun 3 Mar 13

I can't believe the negative comments placed on the ad against a company who seenm to be trying. Whilst companies are unfortunately falling by the wayside or letting staff go in this difficult climate we live in we decide to attack a company that seems to be investing into their business & people.
I've been in the store myself & can only say the staff seem very happy, always offering to help. As for their price I've always found them cheaper than Hombase & Wickes, lelbel? We should be celebrating investment into our town embracing change which creates jobs. I think its about time we had some good news, well done B&Q, a British company flying the flag.

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paul.p says...
7:56pm Wed 6 Mar 13

Holes Bay Curve wrote:
If we all sign the NEW petition to re-open the Somerset & Dorset Joint Railway - I'm afraid that the new garden center will be annexed from the shiny new store as the railway passes straight through it.
I sooo like that idea!
A couple of bridges replaced, the removel of some houses and the B,stone sports centre and they could be rolling on...or B,stone to Upton - Hamworthy?

Anythings possible!

B&Q sucks...

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Andy-Of-Poole says...
10:36am Thu 7 Mar 13

been to the store today and they have ruined it, the old store was useful and had a good range of stuff, today i couldn't find what i wanted (a post box) the layout of the store is really bad now. so i gave up . unfortunately this is a big company that squeezed out the small family run businesses and removed local choice.
ordered online be with me tomorrow, i think thats the way to go in the future. online shopping.

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