Geograph - photograph every grid square

Farewell Mike the Shop

SJ1605 : Castle Caereinion Shop. SJ1605 : Not open all hours SJ1605 : NOT 'Open all Hours'......
In the midst of the coronavirus lockdown, I attended my first 'Zoom Funeral' this morning, broadcast, on a poor connection (Castle Caereinion has never had a good signal), from a position just outside the churchyard of St Garmon's church, about where John Firth was standing to take this photo.
SJ1605 : Castle Caereinion Church

I could hear the church bell tolling, see the vicar and the well-spaced-out mourners and hear a hearty rendition of 'Calon Lan'. I'm told there were people spread out down the street to give their farewells.

I only lived in the village for a year but made some good friends there. I knew Mike the Shop more from the pub than the shop he had run for many years. He'd threatened to close it when they took the Post Office away - a great economic blow to many a village shop - but he soldiered on.

One of the village characters, he is seen on the left in this photo, taking part in the obstacle race at the village fete in 2009, racing against Lembic Opik, the local MP at the time, and Glyn Davies, who beat Lembic, not only in this race but also at the next election.
SJ1605 : Obstacle race at Castle fête

Mike died from a heart attack on 20 April 2020.