3. My Fair Lady


Don’t sit at home bored come and hit some balls Open 7 Days & Nights regardless of weather


Great Selection of Sweeping Brushes Now in Stock


TALES FROM THE HARDWARE STORE It


seems that Spring is finally here and as the days are


becoming lighter, the birds are singing and we grab every possible opportunity to ‘peg out’ there is definitely an air of optimism bubbling through these troubled times. Ironically, in addition to doing brisk business with washing lines, pegs and props, snow shovels are once again on the shopping list of many of our customers. Now you might think that’s a strange thing for someone to want in April but this is one line which has become an all-year-round seller! Why? Simply because when the bad weather arrives supply cannot meet demand and many people are left without. It’s taken many weeks for us to re-stock this line, but now we are back in stock so don’t be surprised if on a sunny day you see someone walking through Padiham proudly clutching their new snow shovel! As many of our regular customers will know we are booking agents for Rigby’s Coaches. As always, Rigby’s have put together a very varied selection of days out, with pick-up points throughout the area. Both the Day Excursions and Mini Breaks are all competitively priced, providing real value for money, meaning that you don’t need to worry about driving, parking and petrol prices. If you haven’t got a copy of either the Day Excursion or Mini Break brochure please call in. If there is a trip which you are interested in, just remember not to leave it too late to book! I hate to see folks become disappointed when, clearly excited at the prospect of a day out we have to tell them that the coach is full. And please don’t worry if you have no-one to go with, many people travel alone….but soon find it’s a great way to make new friends. You may have noticed in our advert last month, that we have for sale copies of ‘Leg Before Wicket’ the first novel by local writer Colin Goodwin. Yes, it is a rather unusual line for a hardware store to be selling, but we don’t have a book store in Padiham so it’s a case of improvisation! Now I must tell you that a few weeks ago I read Colin’s novel and I found it to be very entertaining indeed with some rather interesting characters getting into all sorts of bother. Colin emphasised to me that the book is purely fiction but he must have got his ideas and characters from somewhere so I’m rather intrigued and now feel sure there’s more than meets the eye to the people of Read. Say no more. The book is easy to read as chapters are short, punchy and dare I say, littered with scandal! If you’re a regular reader this is a great opportunity to support a local writer, and if you’ve not read a book in a while… this is the one to get you started again. Available now, price £6.99 And keeping things local…you may recall last month when I told you about our fantastic new Woodburner, who I’d christened Wilomena, made locally by long established company, ESSE, in Barnoldswick. I’ve since discovered that Florence Nightingale was said to be passionate about her ESSE woodburner. I’ve always had great admiration for this wonderful lady as one of the first books I owned was a ‘Ladybird’ book about The Lady with the Lamp. When I went to see Chris, at The Fireplace Warehouse, to choose our woodburner, he never mentioned the Florence connection otherwise our Wilomena might have actually been named Florence! What’s yours called? Go easy on the Easter Eggs!


Carl Broadbelt.


This month’s column in memory of Alan Smith, who was a frequent traveller on Rigby’s Coaches, and always brought a ray of sunshine into The Hardware Store. RIP Alan


15.


Free Golf Lessons for juniors on Saturday Mornings Please ring for details: 01254 884222 www.lee-valley.co.uk


I was driving the other day when I saw an RAC van parked up. The driver was sobbing uncontrollably and looking very miserable. I thought to myself,


‘that guy’s heading for a breakdown’.


My wife was hinting about what she wanted for our upcoming anniversary. She said, ‘I want something shiny that goes from 0 to 150 in about 3 seconds.’


I bought her some bathroom scales.


DANCING ON ICE. In no particular order.


2. Man Of La Mancha.


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