Country cooperation in Westbury
Outside Westbury Hardware on the Meander Valley Road are a few of the people working together under the roof of the old hardware store. From left: Rose Dean, Karen Chilcott of Café Verde Westbury, Wendy Kilroy, Vicki Casey, Craig Maney, Toby Ritter and Phil Steers of Westbury Lions, James Curtis and Bella Mercer.
Vicki Casey, owner of Westbury Hardware, Home & Co., is looking after her customers and the community by providing shelter for a diverse range of businesses under the one roof.
On a Friday morning Westbury Hardware is buzzing.
Mid spring, people are buying gardening gear, sugar cane mulch and plant stands.
Drifting over all the busy-ness is the tantalising smell of raisin bread cooking as it wafts from Café Verde Westbury.
As Westbury Hardware owner Vicki Casey tells it, the transformation from ‘a stagnant place of nothing’, from regular hardware store to a community hub, has taken about two years.
‘I bought it 14 years ago and it badly needed a change of direction. We needed a point of difference,’ she said.
‘I could see Westbury growing and a number of great, supportive people in the area.
I could see it had the potential to diversify into homeware.’
But that’s not everything that happened.
Vicki always had a vision for a café to complement the shop and her friend Peter Wright stepped in, with Verde.
‘Peter’s flair and knowledge and culinary skills made it successful, especially with the cakes and slices made on the premises.’
Artisans in the district have added their ironwork and obelisks to the giftware, homewares and garden furniture on sale, while an agreement with Mitre 10 means the essential hardware is not forgotten.
That’s not all.
Westbury Health has established its upcycled clothing store in Westbury Hardware, James Curtis the joiner leases two bays at the back of the shop and Craig Maney the lawnmower repair man has his own section.
Westbury Lions sell their sheep manure at Westbury Hardware and Rotary members sell Glebe Gold. Members of both service clubs help out when the store needs a hand from blokes in boots.
The thing is, it’s a joint effort. Everyone gives a hand, and has a few laughs on the way.
Vicki’s friend Annette Clark has given great interior design advice and a supportive shoulder, Ann Talbot from Westbury Garden Club does flower arranging, Emma Clark does the Mitre 10 ordering, Cathy Chilcott comes all the way from Bridport to do the accounting and book keeping, Rob Wilkinson is a sales assistant who’s a dab hand with the heavy work and a couple of schoolboys do tidying up and customer service.
‘I’m a bit of a dreamer,’ Vicki said, and Annette added, ‘Yeah, but you make it work.’
Creating this Westbury hub hasn’t all been plain sailing either.
‘If I get knocks, I put on my big girl pants and keep going,’ Vicki said.
Nothing stays the same forever and change is in the air for Westbury Hardware.
Café manager Peter Wright has now moved on to a new phase of life.
Karen Chilcott and her daughter Amanda have taken over Café Verde and are already building their own reputation as the go-to coffee stop in town.
Life is always action-packed at Westbury Hardware and Home.
