Century of service to village

Century of service to village
MATT RILKOFF
Last updated 05:00 31/03/2011

Egmont Village shop
ROBERT CHARLES/Taranaki Daily News
SHOP SHOCK: The Egmont Village shop is closing tomorrow after more than 100 years. Loyal customers Doris Dixon, Andrew Bellringer, Marlene Busby and Blue the kelpy have been left wondering just where they will get their newspapers, milk and pies.
Relevant offers

After more than 100 years of continuous service the Egmont Village shop closes its doors tomorrow.

And although this means the community centre will get its pie warmer back after shop owner Lois Dixon borrowed it when hers went on the fritz, it also means the village loses what many see as the centre of their community.

"So many times when I come in here there are three or four people here and this is where we have our conversations," Egmont Village resident and regular customer Marlene Busby said.

"I come in here and get my paper, I come and get my pie.

" I won't be able to do that anymore. I will have to go without. We're going to miss the place so much."

Owner Lois Dixon will not miss the work she has spent the last 37 years doing but she will miss the people.

Not only is there Marlene, but also the pie-buying blokes from across the road, Andrew and Bill, and her mother-in-law Doris Dixon, 94, who stops by for a coffee just after 9am each day.

"A lot of them I have known all my life," Mrs Dixon said.

But throughout that life few things have stayed the same and with business takings down and two grandchildren to love, the time was right to shut up shop.

"When I first took it over things were very different.

"I used to stock everything and people would buy a lot more here before they went into town. There were different rules then too.

"On Sundays you weren't allowed to sell washing powder," Mrs Dixon said.

The Government has since dropped such laws and Mrs Dixon has been able to sell almost anything she wanted in recent years including the one product she still cannot believe she stocks.

"I just never thought I would sell bottled water. I mean, everyone can get it out of the tap for free."

Any stock that is not sold today and tomorrow will go into her own pantry while the lollies and icecreams will be doled out to Mrs Dixon's grandchildren at sensible intervals.


- Taranaki Daily News