I spent a wonderful morning in Bishops Castle today. I went into a beautiful coffee house that was also a book shop and observed a tiny little market town thriving with locals and tourists like me, mooching around the ancient streets and enjoying a little sunshine.
On the way back we stopped for lunch in Aston on Clun near Craven Arms. Before going into the excellent Kangaroo Inn, we popped into the village shop next door. Today that shop closed for good.
Purely, by chance, we were the last customers ever. We had no idea and just walked in to find the shop keeper closing this lovely village shop for the last time.
Feeling compelled to buy something, my husband bought a bag of Maltesers and so that made him the very last customer to purchase something from that wonderful village shop. It was very sad, and for some reason we couldn't quite eat all of those Maltesers, just wanting to hold on to a few so we could remember how it felt - and tasted!
I had never been there before and will not have the chance to do so again but it made me think about all the chances that we have every day of our lives. Sometimes it's the last chance, or maybe it's something new that is worth pursuing, because we never know how long that opportunity will last for.
I felt quite emotional seeing a lovely village shop closing but I guess it may open the door for something else.
Village Shop - Aston on Clun, Shropshire
It is sad about that little shop in Aston on Clun, I've used it a lot of times. Apparently the old lady who use to run has been in hospital and has had her leg amputated. But before this happened, she really was a character.
ReplyDeleteShe'd hobble around serving customers, often scaring them. My son went in there to buy some cigarettes and she warned him of the dangers of smoking. But what she did, she sold cigarettes far cheaper than anywhere else - her reason being, I'm not out to make as much profit as anyone else - this is a village shop. A truly amazing lady.
It is sad Sue, so many tales of the owners behind all these places.
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