Woolton Village has seen a number of new businesses open their doors in the last couple of years
Many new businesses have arrived in Woolton Village in recent years(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
Whether you’re a tourist visiting for the first time or someone who has lived in the leafy suburbs of south Liverpool for years, it’s likely that you have been told of the rich history that can be found in almost every crevice of Woolton Village. However, recent closures have provided a launchpad for new businesses to move in and breath new life into an area so steeped in history.
For one businessman in the village, John McCool, 45, it was trips to Finland which first set the ball rolling on him opening Float Life. He told the ECHO: “I used to use floatation therapy myself before I opened Float Life, mainly when we went to Finland, most years we’d do it there. Then the shop became available and I thought it’d be a good idea to open a floatation centre in the suburbs.”
Floatation therapy has become an ever-growing trend across the country in recent years, with multiple centres popping up around the city. However, for those who are unfamiliar with floatation therapy, John said they’re a place where you can “switch your mind off”.
He said: “Floatation therapy is a sound-proof pod or tank, and it’s 10 inches deep with water that’s saturated with around about 500kg of Epsom salts. The amount of salt in the water allows your body to float on the water effortlessly and the water is also heated to the same temperature as your skin.”
John McCool opened Float Life in 2024(Image: John McCool)
He added: “The idea is that after a short period of time, your body regulates to the heat of the water and matches it, and because there’s no sight or sound, it really switches your mind off.”
But, his decision to move to the village was more than just a commercial one, his connection to the area long pre-dates the opening of his floatation concept.
He said: “We were from Macket’s Lane originally and then we moved to Woolton as a teenager. So I’ve grown up around Woolton and used to go to the Woolton baths. And, where the Loft restaurant is now, that used to be a toy shop when I was a kid and we used to go in there and they’d let you play with the Lego for hours.”
While the residents of Woolton Village see the area changing around them, John said it is something they have embraced. He said: “The feedback that I’m getting is the local businesses and the local people are really happy there’s something unique and different in the village. It’s bringing a lot of people to the village.”
As the future of Woolton Village continues to be moulded by new businesses making their roots in the area, another one of those providing a “unique” proposition for locals is Brockante, an antique furniture and coffee shop just across the road from Float Life.
One of the newest businesses to open their doors in Woolton Village is Brockante(Image: Tom Brock)
Before moving to Liverpool 10 years ago to live with his girlfriend, Tom Brock, 36, originally worked side by side with his dad, David Brock, 67, in their antiques shop in Devon. However, after working across a number of hospitality roles, his dad’s decision to move to the city and combined with the availability of 59 Allerton Road, the dad and son didn’t think twice before joining forces again to open Brockante.
While they had inevitably considered a number of options before deciding to open their Woolton Village location, Tom said the village goes hand in hand with what they’re trying to achieve.
Speaking to the ECHO, he said: “It lends itself quite well to antiques, it’s a Georgian village with lots of historical buildings, so we just felt that it would be perfect for something like antiques.”
Tom said that a number of their clientele have become regulars since they opened in May this year(Image: Tom Brock)
Opening their doors for the first time in May, Tom said he has been blown away by how much and how quickly the local community have embraced the vast array of taxidermy and antique furniture.
He said: “I didn’t expect to have so many regulars, because you have it in pubs and places like that, but in retail, it is quite unusual to have regulars. Everyday we have numerous people coming in that we now know quite well, so that’s really nice.”
As Tom and his dad David watch on as their loyal customers peruse for everything from their taxidermy animal heads to antique coffee tables, Tom has even noticed how it’s seen a positive change to the shopping habits of some Woolton residents.
He added: “A few of our customers have said it’s changed the way they’re buying Christmas presents and birthday presents because beforehand people said they’ll always buy stuff online.
“As I say, we’ve got a lot of regulars who’re coming and when we bring new stock in every week, and it’s changed the way that they buy.”