Welcome.
Most local businesses need to keep a keen eye on their competition. However, as I was chatting to Peter Schoots of Mewo Restorations, it dawned on me that he had none at all in Greater Shepparton or the surrounding region.
The Schoots family business was originally established around 1960 when Peter’s father arrived from Holland. John Schoots was a coppersmith, and he settled in Shepparton because two of his brothers, Bill and Peter (Snr), had found it a good place to live. Some of you will remember Bill’s market garden, where he grew flowers to supply local florists. It was situated next to the golf club, where a housing development blooms today.
John arrived with a wife and 11 children; Peter (Jnr) was the 12th child and the only one born in Shepparton. The family’s business was Mewo Metal Products, and sometime later, they opened a retail store on Fraser St, Shepparton Copper and Brass Centre. The window was so beautiful that it attracted many potential customers; I remember it clearly because it was located between my retail store and the bank. Peter says that, for a very short period, they had some competition from a chain store. However, the retail arm was a successful operation throughout the 1980s. Then trends and interior decoration began to change; our homes became more relaxed and less formal.
(As I wrote that last sentence, I remembered a lounge room in one of my school friend’s homes. It contained ‘crystal’ cabinets that held their best teapots, cups and saucers, some silverware and a beautiful copper plate. There was also quality, but under-utilised, furniture — because no-one was allowed in the room. How our living styles have changed!)
Today, Peter’s business is Mewo Restorations, and he spends his days restoring family treasures. He loves it. He indicated that he probably won’t get rich doing this work; however, the happiness of his customers when they see the restoration is well worth his effort. “The joy on their faces is priceless to me,” he said.
Peter has done substantial business with regional churches, including the Bendigo Cathedral. One of his current jobs is restoring a silver carving set that has been handed down from the customer’s great-great-grandfather.
One of our readers had taken in a sad-looking teapot and found the place fascinating; she immediately suggested I have a chat with Peter.
I don’t know how many of you have seen it, but there is a television show I particularly enjoy called The Repair Shop. From all over England, people bring things to be restored; it might be an old record player, a music box, a toy or teddy bear, or a silver or brass item — anything at all that is of sentimental value to the customer. This show is gentle and loving, and people are so happy that their eyes fill with tears. (So, I usually take the box of tissues to the couch! It could be called ‘empathy’ or perhaps ‘stupidity’.)
It occurs to me that Mewo Restorations is a mini version of The Repair Shop. I doubted that Peter could help you with a teddy bear or a pedal car, but he could certainly help you with beautiful metal restorations. I mentioned this to Peter, and he told me that he had done repairs on other metal items, such as an old English tricycle, and reckoned he could do the same for a pedal car. Please don’t bring in a teddy bear.
At Mewo Restorations, there is ample evidence of Peter’s experience and skills; in fact, I saw artistry and a good heart at work — restoring the things that matter to his customers.
You can find him in Callister St, on that small side street, number 6, or give him a call on 0498 679 330.
Wherefore art thou spring?
It was very cold outside; I had been to check on the state of the rubbish bins and stopped to say thank you to the brave little jonquils. They are always the first harbingers of spring, despite the frosts and fogs of late winter.
They bent their sunshiny heads, probably embarrassed. However, one of them, standing upright, said — in a surprisingly deep voice, “Just doing our job, ma’am.”
Heading indoors to warmth, I walked straight past the daffodils. “What about us? We are doing our job also.” The voice was high-pitched, strident and angry.
“Well!” I replied. “There are not many of you — half the effort of last year.”
“And, may I ask? Whose fault is that? You are supposed to wait until our leaves have dried before hacking away. Don’t you know anything?”
“You finished blooming in August, and I waited until mid-October to prepare the soil for summer planting. How long am I expected to wait?”
“Until we are ready! That’s how long. You were only planting petunias, and no-one has ever written a poem about petunias, have they? ‘All at once, I saw a crowd, a host of golden daffodils.’ Wordsworth knew what he was doing. Who’s ever seen a host of golden petunias?”
“Oh, go back to sleep, will you?” Turning away, I tried my last shot. “Anyway, there was a song — about a lonely little petunia.”
They laughed! “Yeah! In an onion patch.”
The moral of this story is never to talk to a daffodil.
Scam warning
A friend of mine got caught in a costly scam recently — an elderly man, but one in complete control of his life and finances (usually).
He had a call from the National Broadband Network, except it wasn’t. The guy explained that they were putting copper in each connection in the area. My friend said there was nothing wrong with his internet as it is. There was an explanation about why copper would be better and why he was calling. Also, since the budget for the upgrade had been done, costs had risen; they were looking for a small contribution of $5.75 from each householder. (You’re alert now, aren’t you?) My friend said that $5 didn’t bother him in the least. Would he receive a bill? “No. Look, it will cost that much to send paperwork. We are hoping to collect it now.” There was more discussion. Would he please provide his credit card details? No. More discussion. “You see, if we collect all card details, we can put one transaction through — and it’s done.”
Yes! He gave this guy his credit card details — and an hour later, $2000 had gone from his card. It was on the day that, internationally, the internet was down for many shops, banks, etc. There was nothing my friend could do at that time to safeguard his card. The next day, however, he contacted the card supplier and closed the account. The following day, another $2000 was taken. (This was entirely the responsibility of the card provider. However, it upset my mate, and he has yet to get it back.)
He was devastated and embarrassed. How could he possibly have fallen for this? He isn’t an idiot, but he certainly felt like one. It seemed his vulnerability had upset him more than the loss of the money. It is difficult when you have trusted phone calls for decades; the person on the other end of the call sounds like a decent bloke, and all your objections are overcome.
There was much more to this call — it lasted a long time. I thought it was worth a mention because you never know — and we do have a tendency to trust.
Those of you who are about to start reading
I know a couple of you want to read the ‘Masters of Rome’ series. In case there are others I’m unaware of, a warning or two.
These books are not easy to find. Locally, Collins Booksellers is your best bet. They don’t appear to have any in stock, but they will happily get them for you. I ‘lucked in’ at The Book Inn (Wyndham St — immediately south of the RSL Club) — so that would be worth a search. If all else fails, try www.bookgrocer.com. When my husband was unwell, and I couldn’t get out of the house, I ordered from these people and received my book 46 hours later. They are in Tullamarine and seem to be trying hard. They have new and second-hand (in very good condition) and have most of the series in low numbers.
I’d also recommend that you buy one at a time. These books can be difficult to read at times — due to the characters’ names. For example: Marcus Livius Drusus Censor, his older son Marcus Livius Drusus, and his younger son Mamercus Aemilius Lepidus Livianus. As they are called by one or two of these names, it can be difficult to remember who is who. Obviously, I think the books are well worth reading. However, if you need anything else, please give me a call (or leave a message).
The Last Word
A gentleman called me yesterday regarding the increase in burial fees. He said, “I’ve only got one thing to say – if I’d known this was coming, I’d have died in June.” We both had a laugh. It’s my last word because I’ve heard from both our representatives – Wendy Lovell and Kim O’Keeffe — and they have both done what we expect of them in parliament and the press. However, I know they’ll keep trying.
That’s it for this week. May it be easy, my friends.
Marnie,
Email: towntalk@sheppnews.com.au
Letter: Town Talk. The News. P.O. Box 204. Shepparton 3631.
Phone: Text or call 0409 317187.