The Humbleton Onions A highstreet parable

©RRONEILL 2024

In a quiet, forgotten town nestled between rolling hills and old factories, there lived a man named Trevor. He had recently returned to this town, Humbleton, a place that held fond memories of his childhood. But the town had changed since then. The once-bustling high street was now lined with shuttered shops, and the factories that had once been the lifeblood of the community stood empty and forlorn. The media referred to Humbleton as a “former industrial town,” and some even more unkindly said it had seen better days. Which to be fair it had, it was once a town where factories had hummed with life and bustling shops had lined the high street. But those days were long gone. Now, the factories were silent, and the shops were closing one by one. The streets were often empty, and the town seemed to have lost its spark.

Yet, there was one person who had not given up hope. Her name was Lisa. Lisa owned a small gift shop that had somehow managed to stay open while many others around her had shut. She had a knack for marketing, a gift she had once used in the corporate world before moving back to her hometown. But even Lisa was beginning to wonder how much longer she could keep going.

Trevor, however, unfazed by any of this had found a small, cosy bungalow with a garden and cheap rent, which suited him just fine. Upon moving in, he was visited by an old friend, Gary, who was known throughout the region as an eccentric gardener and a passionate advocate for onions. Gary, with his usual flair, spoke of onions as the unsung heroes of the kitchen, the king and queen of all vegetables, adding flavour and depth to every dish imaginable.

As a housewarming gift, Gary handed Trevor a small packet of onion seeds. “Plant these,” he said with a twinkle in his eye. “You never know, even you might be able to grow some onions.”

Trevor wasn’t much of a gardener, but he followed Gary’s instructions to the letter. He prepared the soil, planted the seeds, and watered them diligently. To his amazement, the onions not only grew they flourished. These weren’t ordinary onions; they were the size of footballs, with a few even shaped like rugby balls. Their sheer size and vibrant colour were something to behold.

Word spread quickly. First, it was the local newspaper that picked up the story. Then came the regional TV channels, followed by social media influencers who were always on the lookout for the next viral sensation. Soon, everyone was talking about the giant onions of Humbleton.

Lisa saw the buzz around the onions and sensed an opportunity. She approached Trevor with a proposal. “Why don’t you display those onions in my shop window?” she suggested. “Let’s give people a reason to come into town. We can even make a little business out of it.”

Trevor, intrigued by Lisa’s enthusiasm, agreed. Lisa’s gift shop window became a local sensation, with the giant onions drawing in curious crowds. But Lisa didn’t stop there. She convinced Trevor to collaborate on a line of T-shirts with slogans like “I ❤️ Humbleton Onions” and “Bigger, Better, Bolder Onions!” And “Eye watering fashion sense”

The T-shirts sold out within days.

Inspired by the success of the T-shirts, Lisa came up with more ideas. She persuaded local cafés to feature onion-based dishes on their menus: onion soups, onion pies and cakes, and even onion-flavoured ice cream! The cafés were packed, with locals and visitors alike coming to taste the onion-themed treats.

Seeing the town come back to life, other shop owners joined in, new shops opened. Farmers began to grow more onions to keep up with the demand, and soon, Humbleton was known far and wide as “Onion Town.”

The town’s revival didn’t stop there. A famous chef featured Humbleton onions in a popular cooking show, and tourists started flocking in to experience the “Onion Town Festival” that Lisa helped organise. What had started as a simple act of planting seeds had grown into a movement that revived an entire town.

The people of Humbleton learned a valuable lesson: sometimes, the smallest things can make the biggest difference. The town had once been defined by what it had lost, its factories, its shops, its spirit. But all it took was one person with an idea, another with a willingness to plant a seed, and a whole town ready to embrace a new opportunity.

And so, Humbleton thrived once more, not because of some grand plan or outside investment, but because they learned to see the potential in what they already had.

After all, even the humblest of vegetables, when given a chance, can turn an entire town into a place where people want to be. Every town, business, or person has something unique to offer, even if it seems ordinary at first. Sometimes, all it takes is a fresh perspective, a bit of creativity, and the willingness to believe in the possibilities. Don’t underestimate the power of small things to bring about big changes.

Or as Lisa would say, “When life gives you onions, make a town famous!”

#storytelling #highstreet