The Hardware Shop

Was in town for a short while this morning before going to the office.

The owner of this hardware shop was just setting up as I took this.

He was initially concerned that I was from the council. Every morning he gets all the buckets, spades, boxes, bins, watering cans, hoses and much more out onto the pavement. I explained I was just looking at the patterns and colours within the random arrangements. He used to get grief for encroaching on the pavement.

Every night he puts it all back in the shop - Must take ages. I told him that his little shop is a real point of interest in the town now - very much a hive of business and activity.

You go inside and it is crammed floor to ceiling with all kinds of tools and fixing etc. It's the kind ofplace that its difficult not to find something that you've always wanted. Rarely do I come out without having not bought something believing its going to be really useful sometime in the future.

Its a shame that most towns have now lost this kind of store to the B&Q's of this world. I hope the council don't try and get this moved - It's a real business working right in the centre of town.