Morton Park Fisheries on Stonegarth has been serving fish and chips to the people of Morton and beyond for at least 30 years.

It seems likely that 2017 will bring new ownership.

And possibly a new direction.

Rob Connelly has owned the shop for the past 10 years.

He is about to put it on the market.

“It will be going up for sale just before Christmas,” he says.

“I’ve been here for 10 years.

"I’m looking for a different lifestyle now.”

Trade has not yet returned to its pre-recession level.

But the shop has plenty of long-time and more recent customers.

“We’ve kept our prices as low as possible and we’ve added to the menu.

"We now also sell chicken, beef and bacon burgers.

“That brought extra customers in.

"We’ve got customers from Thursby, Dalston, and all over Carlisle.”

But Rob is convinced that the shop has more potential.

He feels this will be realised to its full extent if the next owner branches out into other types of takeaway food.

“The young ones go more for the trendy food – kebabs and pizzas – than fish and chips.

“I have considered expanding into kebabs and pizza.

"But it’s down to the cost of doing that.

“It’s all about potential.

"The position of the business is ideal.

"There’s a hell of a lot of houses around here and a lot of new ones are going to be built.

“This is a fantastic place for somebody who is willing to invest in kebabs and pizzas and doing deliveries.

“Fish and chip shops don’t tend to deliver because it’s difficult to keep warm.

"I think with kebabs and pizzas and delivery, it would work really well.”