HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 1988-11-16, Page 22PAGE 22. THE CITIZEN, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1988.
Blyth to get new book store in the spring
A new business will open on
Blyth’s main street next spring, a
direct result of the presence of the
Festival Theatre and its current
expansion program.
Lloyd and Charlotte Allen, pro
prietors of The Book Shop in
Listowcl, have purchased Lyle
Youngblut’s Plumbing Supply shop
where they will open a branch next
May, also to be called The Book
Shop.
“We've been watching the
growth of the theatre with great
Theatre Review
interest,’’ Mrs. Allen said, “Any
thing that attracts more than 40.000
people a year has just got to be good
for business!”
Shesaid that the new shop will
employ at least one person, and will
have one-day access to the complete
stock of the Listowel Book Shop, but
will likely carry more cultural and
theatre-related books than does the
main store. Both stores will have
access to most Canadian publishers,
aswellastomanyAmericanones
through a Chicago brokerage.
The one thing the new shop won’t
do, Mrs. Allen promised, is to
duplicate the stock carried in other
local stores, a policy designed to
make “good sense and good neigh
bours.”
The stock of the Blyth shop will be
determined by local demand, she
said, as will the hours of business,
and the store will likely remain open
until 8 p.m. on theatre nights.
The Allens take possession of the
Youngblut store in January and will
begin work on it as soon as possible,
although the project must take a
"Progress' good laugh therapy
back seat to a major move at the
Listowel store the same month;
when The Book Shop moves from its
present Main Street location around
the corner to Wallace Avenue.
Both Lloyd and Charlotte Allen
have an extensive background in the
arts, and have worked in Montreal,
Toronto, and Vancouver prior to
purchasing the Listowel Book Store
in 1986. Mrs. Allen has a degree in
'Journalism and has written exten
sively on afreelance basis, while Mr.
Allen worked as a professional
musician in Vancouver.
The new store could be open as
early as late March or April, but the
official opening is planned for May.
are pleased to announce
their marriage
which was celebrated on
October 14, 1988
We invite
our Family and Friends
to an
OPEN HOUSE
Sat., November 19/88
3-5 p.m.
BY KEITH ROULSTON
In the gloom of November when
the sun seems to shine once every
three weeks (if you're lucky), when
the crops, already stunted, sit
unharvestable in the fields, when
you’re stuck indoors at the mercy of
endless advertisements where polit
icians call each other liars, a good
laugh break can be a lifesaver.
That’s just what the full-house
audience got Saturday night when
Rod Beattie brought Walt Wingfield
back to Blyth Memorial Hall in
“Wingfield's Progress".
The one-man play tells the
continuing saga of Walt Wingfield,
the former Bay Street Stock Brocker
whomovedtothecountry totry to
seek out a living on a farm in
Persephone township, somewhere
north of Toronto. All the characters
that were in the original “Letter
from Wingfield Farm" are back
along with a few more. There is the
added story of the big time Toronto
lawyer who tries to build an
expensive condominium develop
ment across the road from Walt’s
farm. Walt, is unable to convince his
neighbours of the danger this poses
to their rural life. As one puts it, the
fact he has a century-farm sign on his
front gate simply means a whole
century has passed without one
decent offer to buy his farm.
Walt thinks something has to be
done about the situation. In one of
Watts sell funeral home
Continued from page 2
was purchased by Mr. Rann.
Max and Barb Watts raised their
own six children in Brussels as well
as twofoster children, and have been
closely involved with community life
and activities for nearly 20 years.
Their home has always been open to
people, and their business always
came first, serving people in their
time of need.
“Both our (Funeral) Homes have
an excellent record, I think, and our
clientelle has always been made up
of good, solid country people - it’s
the people that have made this our
home, ’ 'Mr. Watts said. “We’ve
always been happy here.”
The Watts Funeral Home in
Brussels in unique in the business in
its decor, carrying through the
period theme of Belleview House
and furnished with authentic
antiques. Restoration of the home
and the decoration of the chapel has
been an ongoing project with the
family, and the business was
featured on the cover of the industry
magazine, National Funeral Ser
vice, which gave it an excellent
write-up last August, according to
Mr. Watts.
He added that the current sale had
“been in the works” for many
months, but was kept quiet because
he and Barb “didn’t want to upset
people.”
“The funeral business is very
demanding -1 think we have only had
three holidays in the 33 years we’ve
been married,” Mr. Watts said.
“We’re looking forward to getting
away - but who knows, we may get
bored and be back before we’re even
missed.”
Sunshine UCW unit meets
Continued from page 3
aprons. Appreciation for the co-op
eration of Sunshine members in this
unique project, and by those who are
unableto attend many meetings,
was sincerely expressed.
Co-leader Evelyn Smith reminded
members that Sunshine’s duties for
kitchen maintenance and church
decoration are scheduled for the
received in five minutes time the
promiseof24piesfor the supper.
Other details were discussed.
During fellowship after the close
of the meeting, Vera Hesselwood,
Dorothy Daer and Lenora Davidson
served sandwiches with relishes and
tea.
the play’s best sequences he visits a
township council meeting to protest
the action and, after waiting until all
other business for the evening is
completed, is finally asked to speak
his case. The argument gets bogged
down in the talk of the councillors
going over the intimate history of
both the farm where the condomin
ium development is to go up and of
Walt’s own farm. When council
finally confirms they can’t do
anything to help him, Walt decides
to run for council himself.
His neighbours, grudgingly
agreeing to be his campaign team
tell him the best thing he can do is to
disappear until the election is over
and let them handle everything
because the less known about the
fact he comes from the city, the more
chance he has to be elected. One
gives him sage advice that he
shouldn’t be running at all: “You
only run for council when you run out
of stupid things to do at your own
place, and you’re only just getting
started.’’
The thing that makes the Wing
field story so delightful is the
outstanding performance of Rod
Beattie. He switches from one
character to another and quickly lets
you know just which of the Perse
phone characters he is portraying by
the unique characterization he has
developed. And always there’s a
twinkle of pure merriment in his eye.
It’s one of those outstanding
performances that helps keep one-
man shows alive when there are so
many lifeless bodies as evidence just
how hard it is to successfully mount
one character shows.
The other star of the show is Dan
Needles’ script, createdfrom the
newspaper column he wrote when he
was editor of a weekly newspaper in
Shelburne. The good news for those
who need this dose of humour is that
yet another Wingfield story is on the
way with workshopping on the script
done this summer at the Blyth
Festival. By the time the winter and
the election are over, we may need it
badly.
BLYTH
FESTIVAL
CHILDRENS
FESTIVAL OF
ENTERTAINMENT
ON SALE NOW
KIM & JERRY BRODEY
Saturday, November 26, 2pm
AT BLYTH MEMORIAL HALL
Tickets $6.00
At the Door $7.50
CALL BOX OFFICE 523-9300/9225
BLYTH
FESTIVAL
SINGERS
presents
AN INTERNATIONAL CHRISTMAS
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS: MITCHELL CHILDREN’S CHOIR
AND KNOX HANDBELL CHOIR
SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 27th
3 p.m. and 8 p.m.
AT THE BLYTH MEMORIAL HALL
Tickets: $5.00 Adults; $1.50 Children
Call Blyth Festival Box Office 523-9300/9225
& The Saga
month of December.
The social committee mentioning
the catering for coffee break, lunch
and supper on Nov. 22 for a
conference of 110 Presbytery mini
sters and laymen at Blyth Church.
On August 27, 1973, a hailstone
weighing 290 g and measuring 114
mm across fell at Cedoux, Sask. Its
massonimpactwas estimated at 450
g. - the largest hailstone ever
documented in Canada.
LONDESBORO
LIONS
MEN’S EUCHRE
Friday, November 25
8 P.M.
LONDESBORO HALL
For tickets cail Art 523-4462