For one day only our Peebles store will close early. On Saturday 23rd May we will be shut at 3:30pm with opening hours resuming as normal on Monday 25th May. Meanwhile our Harrogate staff will be taking the opportunity of the Spring Bank Holiday to get out and about themselves and consequently the store there will be closed on Monday 25th May. Here's hoping for some decent weather and hoping that you all have time to enjoy some outdoor adventures too.
In November 1992 we were working hard to get our shop in Peebles opened. We were living in a draughty old shepherd's cottage in the Moorfoot Hills at the time and one day, our landlady remarked that there was a famous mountaineer coming to give a fundraising talk in aid of the village hall. It seemed unlikely but yes, Chris Bonington was coming to Carrington. It proved to be a memorable evening that people still occasionally mention to us today. Standing room only with an eclectic audience of school children, Women's Institute stalwarts, elders of the kirk and a smattering of outdoor enthusiasts. It probably wasn't the kind of gathering Bonington was used to speaking to but his professionalism and communication skills ensured that his stories came alive for everyone in the room. At the end of the presentation we joined the scrum of autograph hunters and got his signature on a poster which we hung in our new shop on the day it opened. It stayed on the wall for quite a few...