WHEN Darrell Ottery had to undergo a second liver transplant it was touch and go for not only his health but the gaming shop he ran with his wife.

In order to be by her husband’s bedside as he underwent treatment, Becky had to pay for someone to cover her role as manager at the shop.

But their incredible determination to keep their business going paid off on Saturday night as the couple were crowned with the highest honour at the Reading Retail Awards.

To cheers and a standing ovation Becky and Darrell were awarded the Retailer of the Year gong for their business Eclectic Games.

“We are amazed,” said Darrell, 41, “So shocked.”

The couple from Coley Park opened Eclectic Games now based in Market Place eight years ago after Becky, 36, had spent three months working in another game store and realised not only did she like it, but she was quite good at it.

“We had a small amount of capital to invest in a business and people whose experience we could draw on,” recalled Becky.

With Darrell working in IT they had a steady income while they pursued the venture.

“We set up on a short shoestring and abused the goodwill of our friends and family who came and helped,” said Becky.

The couple, who have been married for 10 years, continued to learn the retailing business as they progressed but it was Darrell’s health that put their faith in themselves and the shop to the test when his first liver transplant rejected nine months after his operation.

Becky added: “We had to employ someone to do my job and somehow keep paying the bills. It was a little bit fraught. But the community was brilliant.

“They were very supportive of our shop in our absence and the number of best wishes was amazing.

“I was committed to having to be at the hospital up in London and coming back to make sure the administration was being done.

“It set the business back in terms of growth by about two years.”

But on Saturday night at the Hilton Hotel in Reading, their determination and commitment paid off as the independent retailers were awarded the gong.

The shop which runs a diverse range of games has experienced year-on-year growth with a turnover averaging five to 10 per cent and employs three local people.

And they run gaming nights five times a week which can attract up to as many as 50 people to a session.

“We can use games to reach anybody on a common ground and have a diverse range of customers from the 17-year-old to the 45-year-old accountant, the stay-at-home mum to the OAP who fought in the war,” said Becky.

Comedian Bobby Davro presented the award to the pair who were picked as winners by judges.

The award ceremony, held at Reading’s Hilton Hotel, was a glitzy affair, with more than 250 guests dressed in tuxes and glamorous evening dresses.

Hostess for the evening was Sangeeta Bhabra, anchor woman of Meridian Tonight, the ITV local news programme.

The awards were judged by Daniel Galmiche, chef at the Vineyard at Stockcross, Fiona Brownfoot, partner at Hicks Baker, Bobby Lonergan, manager of the Reading Business Improvement District, and Miriam Braham, group director of marketing and communications for Activate Learning.