Former teacher and mum of two Ruth Holmes,of Earswick, was presented with a bunch of flowers and a bottle of champagne for being the first customer when the store officially opened at the Vangarde Shopping park at Monks Cross on April 10 2014.

Today she told The Press how she was "gutted" and "disappointed" at the shock news it was to close.

She said: "I am gutted and have emailed about it. I am so disappointed. We were all so excited when it was announced that John Lewis was coming to York.

"I remember that first day so well. It was a spring day. I took my Kindle to the shop to wait for it to open - I had no idea there would be such a fanfare, cutting the ribbon, and I got a fabulous bottle of champagne and a beautiful bunch of flowers.

"I think they also put me in their in-house magazine and I was on local radio as well as in The Press."

Ruth says it is especially sad to see the store go because it offered more than just a shopping experience.

She said: "Staff have been there since it opened - it's not just a shopping experience. They say hello to you and you get to know the staff.

"Even though it was a superstore it never felt like it was. You always got a really nice and friendly, warm, Yorkshire welcome."

Here is our story from The Press following the store's grand opening on April 10, 2014...

YORK’S new £90 million shopping centre welcomed bright sunshine and bustling crowds as the Vangarde shopping park opened to the public.

After a year under construction, the ribbon was cut on the new centre next to Monks Cross, with John Lewis, Next, and Marks & Spencer also opening their doors for the first time.

Between the three brands, 580 new jobs have been created in the city, with more to join the park when six restaurants open on site next month.

The opening of the £15 million John Lewis, which marks the brand’s arrival in the city and the creation of 300 jobs, saw a queue of more than 100 people.

Crowds queue ouside John Lewis at the opening of their new store at the opening of the Vangarde Shopping Park. Picture : Garry Atkinson.

First in the queue was primary school teacher Ruth Holmes, 47, from Old Earswick, who waited since 8am. She said: “I’m looking forward to seeing the variety of things on offer here. It’s exciting for York to get a store of this prestige.”

Robert Garnish, York John Lewis manager, who along with his staff all wore Yorkshire white roses for the opening, said: “I’m hugely honoured and proud today. It has been a fantastic journey to be able to see the building grow out of the ground, to pull together a fantastic team of staff, see them develop to the point where we are all ready to welcome our first customers.”

The store was opened by representatives from the first three charities in the store’s Community Matters scheme, which are Independent Domestic Abuse Service (IDAS), Arc Light, and Accessible Arts and Media.

Crowds queue ouside John Lewis at the opening of their new store at the opening of the Vangarde Shopping Park. Picture : Garry Atkinson.

The sun brought out crowds of shoppers throughout the morning with the 1,340-space car park filling rapidly. Deborah O’Donnell, centre manager at Vangarde Shopping Park, said: “The opening day has been absolutely fantastic. This has been anticipated for years and it’s finally here, and it has been amazing to see the number of people turning out.”

Melanie Dyson, store manager at Next, said: “The team have been working very hard for the past few weeks in preparation for this.” Hilary Wilkinson, store manager at the new M&S, which boasts the brand’s largest delicatessen, added: “This morning has been amazing, I’m so proud of the team and what they have delivered today.”