If you’re thinking of becoming a volunteer in our shop (especially if you’d like to help with the cleaning some Sundays!), one of the perks would be that you could come to our Volunteers’ Meetings. We have just had one, and very entertaining it was too! Statutory Health & Safety training might sound boring, but the game we played at the meeting most certainly was not! It was broadly based on Snakes and Ladders, but, of course, without either the snakes, or the ladders, because both snakes and ladders would have been ruled out at the H&S Risk Assessment stage! There was one stage when I wondered whether the game would still be going on at midnight, after the team I was on got sent back to Start (again), but, no, it finished in good time. A good evening was had by all, and, hopefully, we all went home a little bit wiser.
If this month’s article had a theme, it would have to be ‘Old and New’. Winter has been, it has to be said, a bit grim this year. Not cold, but rain, rain, and more rain, which, of course, has dented shop sales. But – deep breath – now Spring is here, hopefully that will all change. The sun will come out and dry up all the rain, and, rather than Incy Wincy Spider climbing the drainpipe again, as the ditty suggests, we will see all you lovely customers coming into our shop and enjoying our wares. We hope to have the ice cream display freezer out again very soon, with its irresistible array of magnums (or magna for our Latin scholars?), splits, ice pops, calippos and the like. We have also just received a delivery of our ever-popular Stem Ginger cakes, Nevis cakes and Border biscuits. So, if you’ve got a sweet tooth, you know where to go …
We have some wonderful postcards of Findon in bygone years for sale. One shows the Sheep Fair, with Nepcote Green full of pens, with marquees down the sides. Fascinating! Another, shows sheep on Chanctonbury, with their shepherd. Standing with his staff – no quad bike in sight! Do take a look when you next come in, which will be very soon, if you read what I’m about to say next.
Now, I’ve had to say this before, and I had hoped that I wouldn’t have to say it again so soon, but the price of stamps is going up – again! On 2nd April to be precise. First class stamps will be £1.35, and second, 85p. So, what more do I need to say … Stock up now!
Talking of stamps, our Post Office is now effectively our local bank. As well as dropping off parcels, you can pay bills, get money out (much nicer and safer than a hole in the wall), and exchange money. And I’ve never known a PO open so many hours, and a Sunday too! It’s a brilliant service!
Jean Burden