by
Sue Gudgeon
In 1996, two London business people bucked the trend and bought and refurbished the failing village shop and post office in Charlton Horethorne, Somerset. Over the following seven years, Sue Gudgeon and her husband Keith turned this struggling business into a successful, viable venture which became the hub of the village community.
“The Other Side of the Counter” recounts the highs and lows of resurrecting and running a village shop, with many personal anecdotes and insights into Somerset village life at the turn of the 20th century. In an easily-read style, the author recalls the events - ranging from the humorous to the horrendous, from the bizarre and to the heart-warming – which encompass a village shopkeeper’s life.
This book will appeal to those with an interest in West Country rural life, those who know, or knew, the village shop in Charlton Horethorne over the years, those who are contemplating running a shop themselves or to anyone who would like an insight into what the life involves.