WITH only a few days to go until the start of the new school year, parents are busy getting school uniforms ready.

To make the last-minute rush that bit less stressful, Altrincham's Zip Yard is running a one-hour express service for minor alterations including hems, buttons and zips.

Even uniforms brought in this week can still be ready in time for the new school term, reassures the shop's owner, Shama Perveen.

The specialist garment and alterations centre in Lloyd Street is giving away a free mobile phone ‘pop grip’ with every uniform alteration and stocks of the popular gadget are running low as a result of the campaign’s popularity.

Zip Yard owner, Shama Perveen, said: “We’ve had such a lovely summer this year that people are making the most of the last few days of the school holidays and have put off shopping for new uniform until as late as possible.

"Our pop grip promotion has gone really well, but we’ve kept some back for the last-minute rush, so nobody will be disappointed.”

Each year the Zip Yard’s in-house professional seamstresses sew their way through a mountain of school uniform items and bags needing alterations.

Many of the shorts, blazers, skirts and trousers brought in are brand new, but staff are always happy to see second hand and hand-me-down garments.

The Zip Yard encourages customers to up-cycle, instead of throwing away perfectly good clothes.

The centre has individual private changing rooms and a dedicated bridal suite where the Zip Yard’s trained seamstresses can pin up alterations in situ.

From dress re-styling and taking in or letting out garments to bridal-wear fitting or formal wear alterations, The Zip Yard will do it all.

Thanks to the 1-hour express service for zips, hems and minor repairs, shoppers can buy a garment in the morning and have the alterations done in time to wear the outfit that evening.

The Zip Yard is open 8.30am to 5.30pm from Monday to Friday and 9am to 5pm on Saturdays.

To find out more about the Zip Yard visit www.thezipyard.co.uk