Saturday, May 31, 2008
31st May. The end of something good.
Each and every one of us is feeling exhausted, emotional and incredulous.
It seemed almost impossible to be rid of the last customers - still they kept coming through the door, finding things and then bringing them to the desk.
Joy and Peter had naturally done the duty on this, the last day, and were totally exhausted. Peter muttered "As soon as I have sorted the money I am going home".
"Oh no!" - we thought; perhaps they are thinking that we were all there just to start packing up; they might leave before we were ready.
Everyone, that is, connected with Rocking Horse Antiques Centre.
The shop is now closed.
The customers saved the best until last......today more sales sheets have been filled than on any other day in the 14 year life of the shop.
Amazing.
We were all there at the end - empty boxes at the ready.
Bill has sold that cabinet to Ian. It is a good cabinet that Bill bought from the person who had the space before he did. It would have been good to keep it perhaps ........ but where to put it, that was the problem.
My sad area! No those shelves were not decimated completely by customers today. I had filled 2 boxes with things that might be suitable later on for EBay or maybe a toy collectors' fair.
Horace - or Ho as we so often called him when Flo was alive and they shared a space together - brought in some bottles of bubbly.
Horace - or Ho as we so often called him when Flo was alive and they shared a space together - brought in some bottles of bubbly.
It seemed almost impossible to be rid of the last customers - still they kept coming through the door, finding things and then bringing them to the desk.
Joy and Peter had naturally done the duty on this, the last day, and were totally exhausted. Peter muttered "As soon as I have sorted the money I am going home".
"Oh no!" - we thought; perhaps they are thinking that we were all there just to start packing up; they might leave before we were ready.
But in the end we were able to make them a presentation of a garden bench with a plaque to be fitted to it - as if life will give them much time for lazing in the garden.
The bench, by the way, is not visible because it is still in the cardboard box awaiting Peter's diy skills to put it together.
Don't forget - Rocking Horse folks to click on the picture to make it bigger and better!
And so tomorrow is another day - a day of much more hard work for our already aching muscles.
It will be the first day for 12 years that I won't be able to have a little frisson of expectation, wondering if anything of mine is being sold at that very moment.
We have until Wednesday evening to empty everything.
Then many will gather together for a Chinese take away in the empty shop.
Other life goes on. Bill was with the physiotherapist this morning. It seems that the solicitors have told the physio that Bill may have 8 sessions, so I doubt that he will be signed off very soon. This is great - because Bill was badly in need of this treatment anyway.
We went to Blindley Heath after lunch for the car boot sale. I bought some books.
The best buy was a bundle of clothes for me - 6 items including a good quality black jacket for £1.70!
This evening we have watched the final of the competition to find a Nancy for the West End production of Oliver.
I was cross - the wrong person won!
We have got tickets today for the local amateur operatic society production of Oliver in October. You have to book up early.
Hopefully in the morning we will get to Pease Pottage.
And then it will be back to the shop for another session clearing shelves.
Goodnight.
