Retirement looms for Peter

The Grenfell Newsagency is set to close soon with the retirement of Peter Lowcock on November 28. Peter and his wife Helen moved to Grenfell in July 2007 and took over the Newsagency in August that year, where they worked together for fifteen years. Unfortunately Helen died six days before their 50th wedding anniversary and Peter has continued on to the present day working at the Grenfell Newsagency, but not really alone. "As our customers all know Elyse has been behind the counter for almost all that time and has earned her own special place in the shop’s history," Peter said. Looking back, Peter said they made the decision to go into business in the first place as he and Helen thought they had more to do in life. "Our kids had started lives of their own and the idea of just sitting around and getting old didn’t appeal," he said. "I had not long retired from working for an organisation that printed and processed the huge volumes of mail generated by banks and government departments. So in a roundabout way I stayed in the print industry." Helen had worked in retail for many years and they figured that they should have a go on their own. "There have been a couple of health hiccups along the way however these did not lead to thoughts of quitting and without Helen the idea of retirement is something that I have been able to push into the background. However sooner or later reality bites and for me the time is right to call it a day," Peter said. "Like me, many country Newsagents have grown old and quite a few towns have no newsagencies now. "It will be sad that Grenfell Newsagency will be gone too but our customers are a resilient bunch and they will adapt and move on," he said. Peter said he will always have the memories: wet seasons and dry, good times and bad, laughter and tears; getting to know people who take pride in what they do; standing in a canola crop taller than him , sitting in a header and seeing it fill with wheat. "Thanking customers for pickles, relishes and chutneys, fruit and vegetables and baked dinners in a dish. Cakes and slices at Christmas time, a bottle of scotch for no special reason – the list is endless," Peter said. As well as the good memories he's made at the Newsagecy, Peter said there have been sad times as special people grew old and frail and left us - and that list is far too long. "Lotteries will remain in town and I have spoken with the Newspaper publishers and know that they are putting solutions in place so that newspapers will still be available." "Ironically I guess it will soon be my turn to come up the street to put on my Lotto and buy the paper," Peter said.