GAZETTE & HERALD: HUNDREDS of supermarket shoppers flocked to the opening of Morrisons in Chippenham last Thursday to see the new-look store.

The public watched as staff from all departments counted down from five and cheered as cashier Margaret Diment, who has worked at the store since it opened in 1995, cut the ribbon.

The former Safeway outlet has been transformed as part of a rolling, three-year conversion programme that will see three Safeway stores each week changing to Morrisons.

General manager, Ian Foster, has been managing Safeway stores for 24 years, and is looking forward to the changeover to Morrisons.

"I'm very pleased with the store and I'm very proud of it. I think that Chippenham customers will be happy."

Archie Maidment, 94, came to Safeway every day of the week and he knows all the staff by name. He said: "I stocked up on my shopping before they closed, then I stayed at home. I would not go anywhere else. I like the new store but I've got to get used to it."

"I think it's great," enthused Maggie Griffin. "It's really nice. The fish counter is lovely and I've heard their own bread is very nice. It's nice and light and there's lots of variety."

But one customer Lin Godfrey said: "I'm not impressed with having to pay a pound for a trolley. I don't bring a purse with me when I come shopping and I thought, if I forgot it, I wouldn't be able to get a trolley."

Elaine Davis said: "The new trolleys are deeper but I don't like the idea of having to pay a pound for them because it means you've always got to have a coin on you."

Friends of the Earth demonstrators, Derek Quinn and Alan Whear were outside the store from 8.50am. Mr Quinn said: "We're not demonstrating against Morrisons, it's every supermarket. They have too much power.

"Farmers often find it hard to cover their costs of production because of unfair trading terms imposed by supermarkets."