End of an era

It will be a bittersweet moment for the owners of a popular music store when they shut up shop for the last time.

Husband and wife Ken and Karenne Ham are set to close the door on their Blenheim business after 35 years.

After more than three decades of being Marlborough’s go-to music shop, Ken Ham’s Music Works on Scott St will close at the end of the month.

And unless a buyer can be found before then, the closure will be permanent, making Marlborough the only region without a music shop, Ken Ham said.

For Ham and wife Karenne the moment will be especially poignant as they prepare to say goodbye and begin retirement in the Marlborough Sounds.

Thousands of customers and friends have crossed the store’s threshold over the years; some looking to buy, some looking for advice.

For the husband-and-wife team, it has been much more than a business.

‘‘It’s been a horrendously hard decision to make. Walking away from this is hard; there have been lots and lots of nice people we’ve met through the shop, from associates to best friends,’’ Ham said.

‘‘We supply the lifeblood to musicians here and they rely on us. Music’s a passion and we feel very sorry for the music people in the community who will no longer have a place to meet, to get advice or to just drop in for a chat.

‘‘There has always been a music shop of one kind in Marlborough for the last 80 years and now there won’t be one – making Marlborough the only province in New Zealand not to have one.’’

Legally blind since birth Ham lost all vision by the age of 25 and said piano lessons stopped when he was a child and his father discovered he could no longer see well enough to be able to read music.

The self-taught keyboard player said while being blind was not the reason he learned to play, it had played a small part.

‘‘I couldn’t just go and play rugby or race bikes like all of my friends were.

‘‘I was a shy and quiet kid and music was my thing,’’ he said.

The couple, who have been married for 44 years, have sold their Blenheim home and are looking forward to the next chapter in their lives.

For pianist, violinist and flautist Karenne, a quieter pace of life was something she was looking forward to.

But the shop and the people she had met would always be special, she said.

‘‘The friendships we’ve made and the clients who became our best friends are what’s made this so special.

‘‘We won’t forget them and I hope they keep in touch with us too.’’

SCOTT HAMMOND/ STUFF Ken Ham plays the keyboard in his Scott St store which will shut its doors at the end of the month.