Well, I’m very tempted to start this month’s chat with, “I told you so!” You probably don’t recall that a few months ago I told you that a friend of mine had asked me to tell you all how delicious Hutchings’s chicken and ham pies are. I did warn her of the probable consequences, but would she listen? Well, you obviously took her recommendation to heart and started buying them in great numbers, because now they’ve always sold out before my friend gets there. So now follows a request to please stop buying them – all a big mistake, they aren’t delicious at all! I’m sure the steak and stilton, steak and guinness, or even the traditional steak and kidney are just as tasty!
Well, now I’ve got that off my chest, I can turn to other matters. Sales were good over the Christmas period – thank you to everyone who supported us, customers, volunteers and staff. I would like to mention one volunteer in particular, a certain Dorothy Barber, who has just retired after celebrating a very significant birthday. Always committed, Dorothy even braved ice and snow at 6.30 in the morning to do her final shift. She will be very much missed!
We are aware that we are a community shop, here to serve you all. We were very pleased to be able to completely fund the production of Cinderella, put on by Rainbow Theatre Company at St John’s School. (And don’t start saying “Oh, no, you didn’t!” We really did, and that’s an old joke anyway.) By all accounts, everyone thoroughly enjoyed it – well, definitely the staff did and the children tolerated it! I jest of course, in the true spirit of pantomime!
Mindful that it may be difficult to get out, or carry goods home, especially over the winter months, we are happy to offer a delivery service to your front door with a £10 minimum spend. Of course, the flip side of this is that we need volunteers who could deliver said items. So, if you like driving and feeling you’re doing something really useful, please don’t be shy to offer your services. The more the merrier!
There’s a lot of flu about this winter, so we want to assure you that we are doing all we can to keep you all safe, by providing masks and hand gel, and implementing an enhanced cleaning programme.
Do take a look at our website. We’re in the process of updating it, and it’s looking good and very informative (BTW, quick plug: our wonderful Post Office is open until 5pm on Saturdays and 12pm on Sundays). We do need some up-to-date photos, however. If you have any showing shop life, do let us know (no children, and with the permission of anyone in the photo of course).
Well, that’s about it for this month – take care, keep warm, and support our shop!
Jean Burden