the store as it was when we bought it.

To read from the beginning of this petmoir series go to https://irenewaters19.com/trog-other-animals/

Barrington is a small hamlet six kilometres from Gloucester and the last petrol for seventy-five kilometres for those travelling west.  It was also on the route to the only road which went right through the Barrington National Park, a world heritage listed area. (Photos below some of surrounding countryside)

© irene waters 2014

© irene waters 2014

© irene waters 2014

© irene waters 2014

© irene Waters 2014

© irene waters 2014

© irene waters 2014

The General Store was the hub of the community although at the point we purchased it, there were few customers. The French-man we bought it from was a superb chef. In fact he used to own a French delicatessen in the suburb of Sydney my parents lived and I had often had his famous meat pies. He was however burnt out and simply could no longer be bothered. His customer relations suffered as a result and so did his marriage. Not only were the customers scarce but the place was in need of a total overhaul.

The shop itself consisted of a restaurant, the shop and an attached house. We hired canoes and transported them to the river, we filled gas bottles, served fuel, ran a café style coffee shop of a day and, after we had done things up a bit, a silver service restaurant Friday and Saturday nights and other nights by request. We did take away food, were the post office, supermarket, camping store, hardware store, accountant and bookkeeper. We had the best supply of topographical maps in the area and I am proud to say the best lolly shop in the area.

© irene waters 2014

Initially, we did this just the two of us and Mungo suffered. Trog of course made herself at home both in the shop, preferring to sit on top of my computer in the office, and the house whilst Mungo was kept behind a kiddies stair gate which we put between the shop and the house-kitchen. He would sit in there looking longingly at us, not understanding why, for the first time in his life, he could not be with us.

As our customer base built up so did his loneliness. He took to being an escapologist finding any weakness in the fence. Panic struck, one of us would leave the by now busy shop to scour the neighbourhood looking for him. We were always worried he would be skittled as he had no knowledge of roads with numerous large trucks and cars on them. He often made his way to Barrington Orchids where a Border Collie lived, so we believed he was looking for company.