Please bear with me as I follow a theme. Last month I told you about the striking similarities between our village shop and the (fictional) Ambridge shop featured in the Archers. Well, disaster struck in Ambridge this month, when dry rot was discovered and the shop had to close and all the stock moved at incredibly short notice. (I did wonder how Ambridge managed to find a damp specialist able to start within a couple of days – either he’s a cowboy, or I would like his details!) Anyway, most of Ambridge seemed to turn out to help, and this heartwarming phrase was heard: “People love this little shop so much that they’re willing to turn out for free … to get us out of a hole.” That took me straight back to the day the shop closed in 2017 and most of Findon turned out to take action, giving both of their time and their money to set up the shop as we know it today.
Findon folk are still getting stuck in and doing their bit. We see the shop volunteers, who step in sometimes at short notice when the need arises, but there’s also a wealth of people behind the scenes: cleaning windows, testing the defibrillator, helping with deliveries, cleaning, updating the A board, collecting orders, and more. Thank you. We wouldn’t be here without you.
Of course, if you’d be interested in volunteering and doing something really worthwhile in and for our village, please pop into the shop and we’d love to have a chat and point you in the right direction. If you’re a techy, a handyperson, or a cleaner, we will love you forevermore. If, on the other hand, you are a tidier of cupboards, or have a keen eye for checking use by dates, well, that would be a dream come true!
We’ve got our regular stall at the Sheep Fair this year, where we’ll be selling a range of hot and cold drinks, together with our delicious sausage rolls, pastries and some wonderful farmyard biscuits. Do come and say hello – we’d be delighted to see you!
As a community shop, we like to contribute to local projects, and, recently, have been able to help both the school swimming pool, and also the preschool. The latter is having a new roof fitted – it was the thought of all those little tots sheltering under a tarpaulin from the howling storm around as they try to enjoy their drink and ‘healthy’ snack, or sing ‘The Wheels on the Bus’, or whatever they get up to nowadays!
Hasn’t it been a wonderful summer? Hot and dry, day after day. It’s unusual to be able to rely on this weather here, but there’s really been no need to go abroad this year. I hope you’ve managed to make the most of it. Judging by the number of visitors to the shop, lots of people certainly have chosen to staycation this year.
Jean Burden