Shops are beginning to open in Harden to much excitement of the locals, one of which is Save a Bob or Two, Harden’s very own secondhand and computer repair shop. The shop manager, Darren Williams explains the background of the shop. “I had a friend help me originally, he’s got a secondhand shop, but me living in Harden there’s not many shops still open and hopefully it encourages other shops.” Due to the COVID-19 epidemic, many shops in Harden were closed down due to the harmful effects of the pandemic. Currently, significant sections of the shopping lane are abandoned and looking for new businesses to fill their places.
“We officially opened on Monday the 21st but we have had the shop open since the seventh.” “We had a sausage sizzle on for the grand opening. We didn’t get a chance to do much of an advertisement because we were still trying to get all the things into the shop. We’re just in the process of designing a flag for signage out the front. I’ve also designed some magnets to go on the side of the car so I can park my car on the main road with a big arrow directing down this way.” “Another step would probably be to talk to the other business owners and see if we can get Council to put up some signage at both ends of the streets so that we can direct traffic down this way.”
Darren initially worked in IT and has experience building and repairing PCs which is why the back of the shop does computer repairs. He has plenty of parts and tools to fix a range of problems in a flash. “Some people are finding it hard in these times. There are actually a lot of people around town who are struggling. I didn’t know COVID affected so many people. We’re happy to help out with anyone who is struggling and negotiate pricing. We want to help the community.” The secondhand shop sells DVDs, video games, vinyl records, furniture, tech and is always open to someone coming down for a chat over a cuppa.
Jack Murray
