A LONG-standing Molong business has been given a new lease on life, with Caldwell Molong reopening its doors after years of closure.
Sitting in a prime highway location on the edge of Molong, the eclectic antique and collectables store has returned to its roots, filled once again with pre-loved treasures.
The business, known as Caldwell Molong, is run by Stewart Caldwell who said the shop had been trading for around 40 years before closing during the COVID-19 period.
After what was intended to be a short break, the closure stretched into years.
“I hadn’t had a weekend off for 30-odd years… then I had one and thought, gee, this is pretty good,” Mr Caldwell said.
Now reopened, the store is being run with his great niece Haylee Gallagher, who recently returned to Molong after living in Byron Bay and inspired him to re-open the business.
“We caught up, had a beer and talked about opening the doors again, and that was it,” she said.
To mark the occasion, the pair are preparing a garage sale-style opening weekend on August 1 and 2, complete with a sausage sizzle.
The owners say the response from the community has been overwhelmingly positive, with locals welcoming the return of the much-loved and distinctly Molong icon.