Her name is Betty Friday – but everyone knows her and endearingly calls her Miss Betty – because that is the southern sign of love and family. While she may not hold an official office here in town, she is certainly the matriarch of Oxford, and is truly Uniquely Carolina.
Miss Betty grew up around these parts. As time marched on, Miss Betty went away and had a successful career in finance working Fidelity Bank and others, first in Sumpter down near Charleston, then down the road in Cary.
But as retirement approached, Miss Betty knew it was time to come home. For someone as outgoing and approachable as Miss Betty, it didn’t take too long for boredom to set in. What started as part-time hobby quickly turned into a full time love when in 2008 she opened Oxford’s famous "This and That," a delightful shop that sells well…..this and that.
"We have a little bit of everything," Miss Betty likes to say. "I tell people we have new, used, old, and older." From gifts to furniture, you can find just about everything in her store. This and That also caters to the locals. Not just as shoppers, but for products as well. Inside the shop, you will find many areas that showcase soaps, purses, honey and more; all crafted by local artists. Among Miss Betty’s personal favorites are the crocheted products.
Placing a "style" on the products would be hard and a disservice to the store. Some may call it country, others would say farmhouse. Miss Betty would inject the word quirky. But then referring to This and That as a store would also be a disservice. Most would consider it the front door to a friend’s house.
Any visit to This and That is greeted not with a hello, but more often a mutual hug. Many are just stopping in to grab a pack of crackers and a drink — other shop owners, lawyers from down the street at the courthouse, just simply neighbors — they say they are just taking a break. But what they are looking for (and finding) is their daily dose of love and warmth and to simply see how see how things are going with Miss Betty (just fine, thank you).
The lure of This and That has spread far and wide. Partly because the charming destination highlights so many North Carolina products. Party because they just don’t make them like This and That anymore. But mostly because of Miss Betty herself. Friends (can we really call them shoppers?) come from not just down the street, but from down the road in RDU and across North Carolina and southern Virginia.
Tucked in along the row of stores on Main Street in downtown Oxford, This and That continues to serve as a welcoming door to the town. There is often a chair out front. Yes for sale, but also just for sitting if you choose. But make sure to make your way inside to greet the lovely staff, and see what Miss Betty might have to show you that day. You will probably find something you love. You will certainly find a warm heart.
To visit this Uniquely Carolina store, find your way to Main Street in Oxford. The store is located at 125 Main Street. You can visit online at www.thisnthatoxford.com or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ThisNThatOxford/.