A SALISBURY independent business is celebrating 125 years of family ownership and 60 years as a post office, extending across five generations.

Hardings at Fifty-Six High Street has belonged in the Hardings family since 1895, when cabinet maker Richard Harding bought the site from shoemaker Bernard Newman.

Richard and his son Leo used the premises to run a successful antiques business, and 65 years later Leo’s daughter, Leonora, opened the current Post Office and gift shop with her husband.

When her husband died, Leonora returned to her maiden name of Harding and with her son Peter, named the business Hardings.

Peter’s daughter Nicola Saddler (previously Harding) later joined the family business and is now the current owner, managing a team of eight, the continuing gift shop and the last-standing Post Office in the city centre.

Following the two milestones, Nicola said she is "immensely proud" to continue the family business and to celebrate its "history and achievements over the generations".

She added: “Family businesses on high streets are becoming a rare occurrence nowadays, but our success is thanks to our loyal customers in Salisbury and the tourists who continue to shop with us.

“I’m also very grateful to my team; they all work so hard and without them I wouldn’t be able to open the door tomorrow.”

To mark the occasions and to thank Salisbury shoppers for their support, customers of Hardings will be given a commemorative shopping bag while stocks last.

Salisbury BID director, chairman of Salisbury Indies and owner of Casa Fina, Susi Mason, added: “These are such fabulous milestones to be celebrating; many congratulations to Nicola.

“It’s anniversaries like this that remind us of the importance of shopping local and independent.

"We want to continue celebrating independent businesses in Salisbury in years to come, and we can only do that if people continue to shop local.”