A difficult job sometimes

[Buster121]

Fully understand where you are coming from Andy, for some folks shop people are the only ones they see all day and tend to indulge with conversation

[Buster121]

I think this is one of the great things about your high street independent shops. You don’t get it from the big stores or supermarkets. We have time to listen and get to know our customers. Many come to us with issues with their pets and very often we can advise and sort out problems they have without the need for them to go to the vets saving them a lot of money. With a lifetime of experience with many different types of animals and years in farming where I done most of my own veterinary work plus 20 years of experience in the pet trade I think we can give good advice.
We have a very diverse range of customers. We have film stars, tv personalities, sports stars and well know people as customers. We have a lot of Navy and Army as one of the housing estates is MOD. We have some very rich customers but we also have alcoholics, druggies and those without much money. We have old people who have to be helped in and out the shop or those served in their disabled buggies in the doorway. But all are treated the same with compassion and respect.

And that is it all in a nut shell

[Buster121]

We’re certainly not free from crime in the town but probably better than a lot. We have a big problem with drugs and drug dealers. The local Co-Op are often targeted, lead stolen off some of the old buildings etc. mainly down to a couple of families and those from other countries.
One night there was a massive fight that spilled out from the pub opposite consisting of around 30 people in the middle of the road. There are fights and arguments regularly outside the pubs both opposite and next door to us, mainly drug or alcohol related. We have no local police so it’s more often than not sorted itself out before the police arrive.
We have had a shoot out between police and an armed robber and a murder where the body was cut up and hidden at a local farm. But that’s over the 20 years we’ve been here so on the whole not too bad.

Sounds like here but on a regular basis not over 20 years