Historic windows from a famous Whitehaven shop have been rescued and restored to the original owner’s family.

Peeney’s Fish and Chip business, in the town’s Market Place, was bought in 1905 by Louisa Peeney.

Along with her husband, Giovanni, she moved to England from northern Italy, establishing an ice cream business in Blackpool before setting up the shop in Whitehaven.

Now, its decorative windows have been handed back to the family with one transformed by Louisa’s great-granddaughter, Melinda McNicholas, and displayed at her home.

The windows have been preserved as part of the town’s renovations part-funded by the Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) which is financed by the National Heritage Lottery Fund and Britain’s Energy Coast.

Melinda said: “Louisa was well known for her generosity, particularly during the depression in the 1920s. Although less than five feet in height, she stood no nonsense. She was known to leap over the counter and deal with any trouble makers!’’

In 1924, the shop was gutted and rebuilt with bay windows upstairs. When the fish and chip business was established, it was carried on by Louisa’s two sons: Louis and Joseph and their families.

Both the fish and chip shop, and the ice cream businesses, were run by the two brothers and their families until the start of the Second World War when Joseph and family took it over permanently.

Joseph and his wife Mary had four daughters: Louisa, Mary, Joan and Melinda’s mum, Dolores.

Melinda said: “The shop was extremely popular and there are still many times when my mum and Aunty Joan go into town and are stopped and reminded of the days when you could go into Peeney’s and buy a ‘mixture’.

“This was when customers would bring in a basin for a ladle of mushy peas topped with a spoonful of chips which were smothered in salt and vinegar. These memories remain vivid to this day and my mum and aunty are always extremely appreciative of the generous comments.’’

Melinda now has one window in “pride of place’’ in her living room. “It’s there at the moment with some fairy lights round it. I love it!’’

Another of the preserved windows also looks set to be kept in the family when it heads to Melinda’s cousin, Angela Parker, nee Worsley, who lives in Wales.

Copeland councillor Michael McVeigh, who is a member of the THI board, said: “The THI was set up with just this sort of thing in mind, buildings whose very fabric forms part of the history of the town.

“In a historic area like the Market Place it’s wonderful the THI is able to bring buildings like this back to life. I’m particularly delighted that these distinctive windows have been saved and reunited with direct descendants of the Peeney family.”

Ken Ng, owner of the Market Place building, said he was delighted that the windows, removed by Brickwork Solutions of Cleator Moor, were being saved and returned to the family.