Two sisters are carrying on a family tradition by running their own business in Witney.

Maria Sawitzki and Ali McKendrick have opened an independent shoe shop, McSaw, and hope to be as successful as their father, Maurice Golder, was with his.

"Our father ran a very successful business here for many years," explained Ms Sawitzki, 40.

"He owned Terma Kitchens and a few years back sold it to my brother-in-law so it is still very much in the family."

With a passion for shoes and for business, the two sisters - Mrs Sawitzki formerly worked as a nurse, while Mrs McKendrick, 38, was a music teacher - decided it was time Witney had another shoe shop.

Mrs Sawitzki explained: "At the moment most people go to Oxford or Swindon or even Cheltenham to buy shoes, so we hope this gives them another option.

"There are only two other shoe shops in Witney so we feel there is a gap in the market."

Located in the town centre, the shop is housed in a listed building which the sisters purchased.

"It used to be the old ironmongers, Leighs," explained Mrs Sawitzki.

"It's a beautiful old building and we are trying to preserve it as much as possible."

The sisters travelled to Germany last summer to buy some of their stock.

"That part was great fun," Mrs Sawitzki recalled.

"We really loved that, although it was a challenge."

Mrs Sawitzki hopes McSaw - a combination of the sisters' surnames - will offer a great variety of shoes.

"It's going to be mainly women's shoes, some men's, but no childrens," she said.

"It is aimed at a younger market, and we have quite different and funky stock ranging in price from £30 to £90."

She continued: "We have lots of nice colours - green, reds and purples - in for the spring, some quirky off the wall shoes and then some more conventional ones too."

According to Mrs Sawitzki, they have been waiting a long time to get started.

She said: "We bought the building last summer but there was a lot of time wasted trying to sort out planning permission which was quite frustrating."

Although the sisters both have young children, they will both be working full-time at the shop.

"The children go to nursery, but as it's just the two of us here, our husbands will have to become house husbands!"

She continued: "Everybody will be mucking in and our mother will help out too. Word has spread around town so I think people are quite excited."

n Contact: McSaw, 01993 774437