City business to close
After 42 years in the Cairns jewellery business Kevin and Narelle Shorey, the couple behind Kevin Shorey & Co, are shutting up shop on Christmas Eve. One of the first businesses to move into City Arcade in Grafton St, the Shoreys opened their business in 1974 and say their clientele has become part of their lives. “For me, it’s a bit like our involvement with the theatre and choral society all these years — the shop has been family,” Kevin said.
THERE will be no Boxing Day sales for Kevin and Narelle Shorey this year.
After 42 years in the Cairns jewellery business, the couple behind Kevin Shorey & Co are shutting up shop on Christmas Eve.
“We’ll have Christmas Day off and then go back the week after to disassemble the shop and empty it of 42 years of gathered accoutrements,” Kevin says.
One of the earliest businesses to move into City Arcade in Grafton St, the Shoreys opened their business in 1974 and say their predominantly local clientele has become part of their lives.
“For me, it’s a bit like our involvement with the theatre and choral society all these years – the shop has been family,” says Kevin, 70.
“There’s been three generations of people go through in many instances and it’s been that sense of connection.
“Some of our clients have come in here in tears saying: ‘You pierced my ears, my daughter’s ears, my grandchildren’s ears – you sold me my wedding ring, you sold my daughter her wedding ring and engagement ring’.
“I’ve known all these people, watched their children grow up, watched them have children and there is a sense of involvement and caring.”
Narelle said their shop had become a gathering point.
“A lot of times people come into the shop and say, ‘it’s busy in here’, and I say, ‘those few there are customers, the rest of them, it’s social’.”
Narelle, 73, and Kevin first met as teenage thespians at Cairns Little Theatre. Later, they travelled to Sydney together, where Narelle – a draftswoman – worked with the State Planning Authority and Kevin learnt every aspect of the jewellery trade at Sydney’s Bruce and Walsh.
“We knew things were happening in Sydney, we were very passionate about theatre and being exposed to it, and going to Sydney allowed us the opportunity to do that,” Kevin says.
Narelle moonlighted as a singer in clubs, while Kevin – a former radio announcer – picked up acting work in television series such as Delta and You Can’t See Round Corners.
Returning to Cairns, Kevin managed Crofton Clausen’s jewellery store before he and Narelle went into business for themselves, initially in a Shields St arcade.
“We were lucky because the suppliers, who I had known for a long time, said, ‘we’ll stock you and you pay us when you can’. We were able to pay for all the stock at the end of the first month – we had such an immediate response,” Kevin says.
“It’s going to be really hard to say goodbye. People don’t just become customers. They become family. We’re on first name terms with so many people and I’ll miss all of that.”
I’VE KNOWN ALL THESE PEOPLE, WATCHED THEIR CHILDREN GROW UP, WATCHED THEM HAVE CHILDREN AND THERE IS A SENSE OF INVOLVEMENT AND CARING KEVIN SHOREY