A Balfron woman in her seventies, who has run a village shop for 35 years, has decided it is time to retire.
Seventy-eight-year-old Elsie Andrews took on McFarlanes ironmonger's in Buchanan Street with her husband Jack, known as Jim, in the mid 1980s.
Her son-in-law Jim Burns said this week: “It’s not many son-in-laws that can say they have a mother-in-law in a million, but I can because she’s a woman with two replacement knees, a widower, an essential worker for the community throughout the pandemic, and gladly gives to, and fundraises for, charities all year round.
“Not to mention, she makes a great clootie dumpling.”
Elsie and Jim Andrews decided to trade under McFarlanes, the name of the previous proprietor, when they took over the business, which is thought to have been first established in the 1950s.
The new owners took over on Monday this week, December 6, and they are sticking with the name McFarlanes as well.
Over the years Elsie has been assisted by Betty Brown, Lois Holmes, Margaret Wardlaw and Marie Ross and her daughter Eileen as well as her two granddaughters.
Elsie has lived in Balfron for 48 years.She was originally from Kelvinside in Glasgow, but spent some of he formative years in Wick.
When she moved back to Glasgow she met the love of her life Jim Andrews, also known as AMFG (A man fae Govan).
Jim, an ambulance man, was stationed at Balfron in 1970s and the couple set up home in the village with daughter Eileen who was aged seven at that time.
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Eileen married Jim Burns in 1985, the year before her mum and dad took on McFarlanes.
Elsie has two granddaughters Amy and Jamie. She also has a great grandson Liam aged eight and great grandson Dylan aged three – and a two-week-old great granddaughter Erin.
Elsie is also involved with Balfron Parish Church and has been a member of the Woman’s Guild for decades.
Among recent fundraisers was £1500 collected at the shop for the RNLI lifeboat Agnes Barr, based in Invergordon, in memory of husband Jim who died in December 2014.
Son-in-law Jim will take Elsie and Eileen to Invergordon early next year to hand over the money in person.
