31/03/2026
A final thank you and farewell to all of our customers, its been an absolute pleasure to serve you and we will miss you all:
The shutters sigh… before they fall,
A metal hymn… against the wall.
Thirty-five years… in every groove,
In every scratch… in every move.
In North Town… on North Lane’s line,
Where days were marked… by time and sign,
The Star Offy… glowing warm and bright,
A steady beacon… in the night.
The bell above the door… still rings,
Though no one new… it brings today,
Just ghosts of evenings… coins, and things
That time… has worn away.
Behind the counter… worn and true,
Pat… with her smile… that saw you through,
Deborah laughing… quick with change,
Annette… who kept it all in range.
Hands that knew… just what to do,
Stocking shelves… the whole night through,
Cans lined up… and bottles of wine,
A quiet ritual… time after time.
Children grew… in aisles of sweets,
Pocket money… small defeats—
“Not enough?… Next time, yeah?”
Kindness stored… like cabernet.
Seasons turned… in crates and cans,
Regulars became… old friends,
Stories shared… in bits and starts,
A corner shop… of countless hearts.
Now empty fridges… hum goodbye,
Labels fade… the years pass by,
The Star Offy dims… its light,
Closing doors… for the final night.
But in the bricks… and in the street,
In echoes soft… of passing feet,
North Lane keeps… what words can’t say—
A light… that won’t fade away.
