A popular Inverness antique shop will close its doors this month.
Barbara Crook, 63, owner of Old Town Curiosities on Bank Street, has decided it is time to retire and travel around Scotland with her husband Steven, 68, who also helped her at the shop.
Speaking to the Press and Journal, she said: “My husband is now 68 and I’m not that far behind, so I’ve decided we need to get out more on beautiful days like today.”
A former lawyer fed up with the “misery” of legal work, she opened Old Town Curiosities to “bring happiness” instead.
Now, six years later, her adventure comes to an end, but she will be taking all the “lovely memories” with her.
“What I’ll miss the most is the people,” she said.
Inverness Old Town Curiosities to close down
Barbara and Steven moved up from Preston to the Highlands nearly 20 years ago after falling in love with the Cairngorms on a hiking holiday.
She explained: “I booked a lot of walking holidays in the Cairngorms and that was it, we just fell in love with Scotland.
“In a very short period of time we packed our jobs and moved to Scotland, and we’ve been here ever since.”
Tired of her work as a solicitor, she took over the beautiful Salvation Army building by River Ness.
Mrs Crook explained: “We had driven past the building many times and it had been to let for ages, so I went to have a look at it.
“It was falling into a bit of disrepair and the roof needed work, but my husband and I rolled our sleeves up and made it what it is today.”
The couple uncovered many original features and said they are proud of “having saved a nice building for Inverness.”
Mrs Crook explained that being an antique dealer “is in her DNA” as she used to go with her grandad Bill to antique auctions back in England.
She describes the shop as a “rehoming centre for stuff”.
“I love my job because we take what someone has treasured and looked after in the past and then showcase it until someone else looks after it.
“It’s just nice when someone finds something special and that makes me happy too.”
‘Nobody needs anything when they come into my shop but it’s amazing what they get out with’
When asked what she will miss the most, she said: “The people”.
She explained she has a lot of regular customers and people who come to the shop every time they are in Inverness.
“I’ve got a train driver who does the LNER London to Inverness route and has been coming in for years.
“She’s lovely and desperately tries to work her shift the days I’m open and always takes back lots of stuff in her carriage.
Mrs Crook explained that one of the nicest moments at the shop was when they reopened after covid.
“On the very first day after the big lockdown an elderly lady who lives across the bridge came in as soon as we opened.
“She said ‘I’ve missed coming here; I was so looking forward to coming back’.
“I thought, that’s really lovely; you don’t realise how much happiness you can bring to people sometimes.”
A human-size army mannequin ‘weirdest thing’ she has had
Mrs Crook explained that the most bizarre item she has ever had at the shop was a human-size army mannequin.
She said: “I used to have a human-size mannequin; he probably came from a museum as he was like an army soldier with his uniform on and looked like a real person,
“I brought it home before taking it to the shop and I can remember my husband saying, ‘Why have you bought this?’
“Even my dogs didn’t like him they used to growl at him; he was quite scary and the weirdest thing I’ve ever had.
“But we put him at the front door of the shop and people loved him and many used to take photos of him because he looked like a real soldier standing there.”
Meanwhile, regarding the oldest thing she currently has at the shop, she revealed this 1791 silver whisky decanter label.
Old Town Curiosities owner retires to ‘finish her bucket list’
Old Town Curiosities will close its doors for the last time on Monday, October 28.
Mrs Crook told The P&J that she hopes the building will carry on “being some kind of retail space”.
“I hope someone else takes it on and looks after it as I have looked after it.”
The couple now plans “to do a lot of walking”.
Mrs Crook concluded: “There is still so much we haven’t seen or done, and I have decided now it’s the time; I need to finish my bucket list.
“We have lived in Scotland for 20 years next year, and there’s still so much we want to see.”
Conversation