A DRESS shop owner from Chipping Sodbury is bidding a fashionable farewell to the High Street she has worked in for 30 years.

Lesley Wood first opened her ladies’ fashion store Lesanne on June 30, 1982 and over the past three decades has built up her business attracting female fashionastas from across the region.

Lesley, 65, is retiring in June and is closing the shop as she cannot bear to hand over her much-loved business.

Said Mrs Wood, who lives in Chipping Sodbury: "Lesanne comes with me.

"I can’t bear the thought of anyone else having it. It has been a very successful road for me and I have lots of friends, the whole thing has been a wonderful experience and I just think it should come with me."

Mrs Wood, who has three children and four grandchildren, always nurtured a love of fashion having watched her mother run a dress shop in Bristol as a child.

And when she took over a former antiques shop in Broad Street, she quickly set about bringing fashion and colour to Chipping Sodbury both inside and outside the shop. "When I first took it over it looked quite sombre with grey walls and few other shops down this end of the High Street," she said. "But as a gift I was given my first hanging basket and that inspired me. I got three troughs and lots of baskets and other people said how nice it looked. It started a flower festival and now of course we have Sodbury In Bloom."

Mrs Wood has used her time in business to raise thousands of pounds for charity, having helped fund the Jack and Jill unit at Frenchay Hospital after her brother died of a brain tumour. She has also organised two fashion shows in Chipping Sodbury Town Hall each year raising more than £60,000 for the BUST breast cancer unit at Frenchay Hospital since 2002. "I have loved my time in business and I will miss it," she said. "But I have other things to do and I believe after 30 years it is time to move on.

"I have become a trustee for BUST and want to help out there more with fundraising and administration.

"I have had a wonderful time dressing ladies for weddings, parties and christenings and going on to dress their children. Without them I wouldn’t still be here so I want to say thank you to all my amazing customers who have become my friends. We are like one big family."

Lesanne is holding a 30th anniversary and farewell party on Saturday, May 26 when there will be cakes and champagne.