Durin and co.

Chapter One

Ereth. A rural town that combined new and old. Its cobbled streets mixed with smooth tarmac roads. Quiet and generally peaceful, the people went about their daily lives the same everyday. Routines had sunk in and changing them was out of the question.  Everyone knew everyone, and everyone knew everything that was happening. 

With town centres miles away, the only shops around where the ones on Middle Lane. There was corner shops, garden centres, clothing outlets and cafés up and down. And if you were to travel up the road, you would come across a rather old looking shop. It had been there for years, you could tell by the way the paint had faded and started to peel, on both the sign and two large windows. But still the large, bold letters read out 

Durin and co.

   A little bell chimed, alerting staff of customers. A large desk stood proudly at the back of the wide, rectangular room, with its little till and charity donation tubs. Towards the front, by the left window, was a range of jewellery, both men's and women's.  Necklaces, hair pieces, bracelets, bangles,  earrings, all hand crafted by the workers. 

Next to which was a stall of gems and jewels, accompanied by a smaller desk. Customers could pick  ring base and then the stone for the centre. Found in mines in a close by town, all of the rings were put together in shop, in a matter of weeks.

They also bought in coats and boots. Making sure that each one was produced locally, not just so that it was better for the environment, but also as they found local traders more reliable. Half of this stock was in their back room, the rest out on rails and racks. Being it a rural town, many residents came to them for good quality outdoor-wear.

And finally, to widen the age range of customers, toys and gifts. In the right window they stood, seen by those who walked past. Most wooden and carved by hand. Very sweet looking and appealing to children.

The shop had stayed in the same place ever since it was founded, all the way back in 1890. And it stayed in the same bloodline the whole time. The Durin's owned and ran the shop, and they did so very well. 

The actual building was owned and rented out by Smaug Buildings. As were all the shop buildings on Middle lane. Most shop owners called them selfish and others called them things that would be far too rude to repeat. Disliked by most for their rent prices that grew and grew, year by year.

One year they became even more egotistical than usual. Raising prices by huge amounts. Amounts that Thorin, owner of Durin and co. , just couldn't afford. Being short of a few hundred pounds, they turned to Mirkwood. This was a wealthy gardening shop that they were close in trade with. Thorin tried to borrow money from them, even promising to pay back more than they lent. But Thranduil, the well polished owner of Mirkwood refused. Saying that in tough times, it was every business for themselves.

Unable to pay, Durin and co. had to move to a smaller shop, futher down the lane. And there they stayed for years, making more and more money to someday reclaim their old shop. Smaug businesses was incapable of selling the building that had once belonged to the Durin's. And so it remained empty.

The time then came when Thorin could once again afford to pay for his old building, and so he did. With the help of 12 other of his relations, they moved all their stock back to its original home. They employed also a business adviser, Gandalf Grey. Who suggested bringing in an employee from outside the family, Bilbo Baggins was his name. Thorin and they others were reluctant at first, they wondered what their ancestors would think or say if they were still alive. They came round to the idea when, after trialing Bilbo's services, they found themselves making a larger profit.  

Although the bond between two businesses was well and truly broken. A grudge was held by Thorin and his family. Gandalf, in an attempt to pull the two companies back together, organised a party for all those who worked in Middle Lane, all at the town hall. 

Whether it would work, he was still unsure.