DAVID and Fran Payne say it has been a privilege to be booksellers as they bid a final farewell to the Gateway Bookshop and hand the keys to its brand new owner.
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For 34 years, the husband and wife duo have been supplying school children with a variety of fun and educational books, all while keeping the doors of their South Town Walk store open.
Now, they're preparing to settle into a new chapter in their lives - one where a book isn't too far from hand.
"A lot of people want to know what you're doing in retirement," Mr Payne said.
"I'm going to read a lot. Reading and relaxing."
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The Paynes took on the small local business in 1987 - when invoice books, fax machines and the manual credit card imprinter were crucial to everyday operations.
Since the store's inception in 1968, it has always been a go-to resource for local schools and teachers.
As former librarians, they did not possess a great deal of retail experience, but it was their passion for literacy that laid the perfect foundation. "We had a big part to play," Mrs Payne said.
"Sometimes it was an emergency for parents to help their children write an essay or get some study notes."
Mr Payne added: "The schools in the region have been quite loyal to us ... we wouldn't have survived without their support."
Their passion for literacy was so positively influential that both their daughters, who had grown up around the store, went on to pursue meaningful careers in teaching.
But, three decades in a bookstore had also come with its fair share of unique and notable memories.
"Those Harry Potter launches where you weren't allowed to sell the book beforehand," Mrs Payne said.
"We had to sign legal documents to say that you wouldn't even open the box, you weren't allowed to check the stock, you weren't allowed to take one home."
Mr Payne laughed: "I don't know how they would have known if you did."
But now, at retirement age, both husband and wife agreed that it was time to call it a day and for the store to change hands.
Former teacher Louise Blanchard has always admired the store - having first encountered the Paynes during their librarian days as a school student.
With 30 years of teaching experience, she brings a devoted love of reading, which has left the outgoing owners confident about the store's future.
"It's a lot of responsibility, but it's also a massive honour," Mrs Blanchard said.
"I hope I can continue the great service that [the store] has provided to the Wagga community."
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