The owner of a gaming shop in Lincoln said it was the hardest decision of his life to close the store for good next month.
Gotham Games first opened in the Cornhill Market in 2010 with a range of retro and modern consoles, games, DVDs and merchandise.
Having worked in the store, Tom Riley then took ownership of the business with his wife Hannah and moved it to a shop on Guildhall Street in September 2015. He employed one member of staff – Joshua Galvin – to work inside the store with him.
When he decided it was time to move on for a new career in teaching, Tom initially tried to find a new owner for the business but the coronavirus crisis put a stop to that.
The store will close at the end of July. The exact closing date has not yet been confirmed and will depend how much stock there is left to clear.
Tom Riley, who owns Gotham Games with his wife Hannah, is moving on to a new career.
Tom will start teacher training through a PGCE in secondary mathematics in September and is looking forward to the next chapter in his life.
He told The Lincolnite: “I’m looking forward to a new career. The 10 years I have been involved with Gotham Games have been amazing, stressful, hard work, tiring but still amazing and I wouldn’t change that experience for anything.
“There are so many great memories over the years and it’s hard to single anything out.
Gotham Games is situated next to Rock Retro on Guildhall Street in Lincoln. Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite
“One of my favourite memories is when friends and family rallied together when I purchased the shop five years ago and moved it to Guildhall Street.
“We closed the market stall on a Saturday evening and worked throughout the (August) Bank Holiday weekend to get it moved, furnished and stocked in time for the Tuesday. It was a crazy thing to do but we pulled it off.”
Joshua added: “I’ll miss working at Gotham Games but it’s been a brilliant journey with a lot of great memories and interesting characters.”
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