WOORE, England -- This small Shropshire village in the Midlands of England is set in countryside that, even in the 21st century, keeps a picture postcard quality. Although it is near the thriving towns of the Potteries, and is on a major highway to the ancient cathedral city of Chester and the rugged hills of North Wales, Woore retains its country identity. It is an unlikely place to find a young couple who a few years back were residents of Tokyo. Andy and Karla Morris are the new owners of the village shop, Woore Country Store.
Neither Andy nor Karla had Woore connections until they moved here early this summer. Andy had driven through the village sometimes when, a student of law at Chester College, he visited his parents. At that time the parents were newcomers to this part of England, living at some distance from Woore. Andy said: "I always liked driving through this village. The square with the black-and-white post office and all the hanging flower baskets is very picturesque. But more than that. After I left the motorway, I drove through several small villages, all pretty and quiet with no one about. Woore seemed to be full of character, a little place with a lively air."
Andy began life in Kent. He attended university in Cardiff, south Wales. When he entered Chester College he intended to be a lawyer, but came to realize that a lawyer's life was not to his liking. "I decided to get out of law," he said. "My brother introduced me to the City. I went there to make a fast buck and to have a better quality of life."