It is a real institution in Mortier, in the entity of Blegny in the province of Liège. In the center of the village, just opposite the church, there is a small business that has existed for 62 years. Jeannine opened it with her parents in 1961, but it is closing its doors this Tuesday, January 31… The manager is retiring at 85. In question ? The current situation (price increase, energy crisis, etc.) and following health concerns.
“I end, not rejoicing, and even with a certain nostalgia, but I believe it is time, at the present time, to stop… Given the situation, I believe it is time “confides Jeannine Clerdent.
For customers, this will obviously leave a big void in the village. “Jeannine is Mortier’s monument. There is only Jeannine left, and Mortier will unfortunately be a little sad without the small business, exchanges, etc. that came to be made. The patience she has with the people who came to sit on the chair and listen…”says Nelly, a loyal customer.
The inhabitants of the village of Mortier, but also of all the surrounding villages, regularly came to stock up at Jeannine’s. With the closure of Jeannine’s business, a whole neighborhood activity is dying out. A problem that concerns more and more villages. “We have the same situation with other villages, where local and local businesses, that is to say the places where we create social ties regardless of the product or service that we are going to look for, are gradually disappearing. little”regrets Marc Bolland, mayor of Blegny.
This Tuesday evening, the official closing day, neighborhood associations and municipal authorities are organizing a small event to celebrate this emblematic figure of the village. The organizers expect nearly 200 people.