... Does another one open?Well the deed is done. At 5:30pm last night, we closed our shop door for the final time. After seven difficult but at times thoroughly enjoyable years our hopes and dreams disappeared into the cool damp evening air with the turn of a key.
I'm not sure how I feel about it at the moment. My immediate emotion is one of great sadness. Not just sad that the business failed, but sad at the service we have withdrawn from a very tight knit community. Sad at the thought of not spending time chewing the fat with our regulars. Sad that our small row of village shops now has more closed than open. Of course all these feelings of sadness and nostalgia will quickly evaporate when the creditors start closing in, but for now I'm allowing myself a few melancholy blues.
Unfortunately we were unable to liquidate all of our stock, so over the next few days we're going to have to return to the shop and load up my van with what's left. I sense more than my fair share of car boot sales coming on in the next few months.
On a positive note, though the past few years have taught me to not get over excited too quickly, the owner of an established shop in another part of town has asked to arrange a viewing of the shop as he's looking at downsizing his business and would like to relocate it to the village as that's where he lives. I didn't have the time to show him around today, but we're meeting tomorrow afternoon. For those of you who have been following my blog and my journey on some of the debt forums, you'll realise how significant finding someone to take over the lease is at this present moment in time. As I said, I won't get too excited as we're not accustomed to anything going right for us in the past couple of years.
I also contacted the benefits agency today to make our claim for jobseekers allowance. All in all a fairly painless exercise and the young man I spoke to was most helpful, very pleasant and extremely patient. You have to remember he was dealing with a man who had never claimed benefits since he left school 32 years ago. My wife and I have an appointment with the benefits office on Friday afternoon to complete the claim, so hopefully we will be somewhat better informed as to what we may be entitled to.
Another slim ray of sunshine in an otherwise dull kind of day was the offer of a job for my wife from one of the few remaining shops on our block. It's only for 12 hours per week, but with the possibility for more to cover holidays etc. Of course the immediate problem with this is the effect it may have on our benefits, something we won't know until Friday. I guess it's too much too ask that my wife could work part time and us not be penalised regarding our council tax benefit and our 'support for mortgage interest' benefit.
Finally for today, I've been a little naughty and need to confess my sins. My wife and I have experienced a very frugal way of life for the last few years and in particular the last 18 months where we've pretty much lived hand to mouth without enjoying any of lifes little luxuries such as new clothes or the occasional Indian take a away etc. So with willful abandonment I took my wife to Matalan and with the remaining £200 left on our one and only credit card which will go into default very shortly, we treat ourselves to some new togs and a slap up meal at Mrs Miggins pie shop on our way home.
I know it was irresponsible, I know I'll feel bad about it in the days to come, but for just one brief moment while we were trying on different clothes and tucking into a lamb balti, the world seemed a better place. I'd forgotten how therapeutic retail therapy can be...
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