Beattie daughter's name joy
The daughter of James Beattie today welcomed fresh hopes the famous family name could remain above the Wolverhampton department store he founded.
Vicky Redshaw joined thousands fighting to save the Beatties name amid fears it could go after a takeover by House of Fraser, which said it had "no resonance" with shoppers. After big opposition bosses said it was still under review but there were no immediate plans to change.
Mrs Redshaw, of Bridgnorth, thanked shoppers for their "amazing" support and said: "I am so grateful the new owners seem to be listening to the heartfelt pleas from the people of Wolverhampton.
"We can't jump up and down and shout 'hallalujah' just yet but it is certainly a step forward and so far so good. I just want to thank the people who have supported this campaign.
"Their response has just been amazing and overwhelming."
Civic leaders including ex- Wolverhampton mayor Phil Bateman and Councillor Malcolm Gwinnett were also pleased over the news about the name.
Fears for the name started in 2005 as Beatties was sold to House of Fraser. House of Fraser was then taken over by a consortium led by Icelandic investment group Baugur.
Their 38-year-old boss, Jon Asgeir Johannesson, said that he wanted to sweep away traditional names such as Beatties, Rackhams and Army & Navy from House of Fraser. It was claimed that a name had "no resonance with shoppers".
His comments triggered opposition from Beatties supporters and led to House of Fraser chief executive John King visiting Wolverhampton in December in a bid to win over shoppers.
At the time Mrs Redshaw said: "It is like watching a beloved friend slowly die and we are all grieving."
