New dawn for shop that refused to die

And for the volunteers of Humshaugh, it comes as no surprise if multi-millionaire racehorse owner Graham Wylie strolls in for his morning papers.

One particular broadsheet springs to the former Sage computer mogul’s mind.

According to the shopkeepers, he doesn’t like being called a recluse in the Hexham Courant – a title so often awarded to him in writing

Notorious for not giving interviews to the press, Mr Wylie, I am told, is simply a modest man who refrains, where possible, from blowing his own trumpet.

But he’s not been shy in coming forward with regards to his village’s community run shop, where I recently spent a morning behind the counter.

“He’s donating a computer, data software and a printer for the shop,” said Humshaugh Community Ventures chairman Dick Moules.

“At the moment I’m typing all the newspaper orders and stock lists at home and bringing them to the shop in the morning. If only people knew the generosity of folk like Mr Wylie.”

Like most of the district and beyond, the millionaire has been captivated by the spirit of these villagers, who battled to save their shop after the post office counter was cruelly axed last January following a controversial review.

A determined campaign to save the post office service failed, but the villagers used the momentum that had built up to launch the bid to run the shop themselves.

On November 1 it officially opened as a community run venture, following the retirement of the previous shopkeepers Pat and Rob Gray.

The shop’s directors – dubbed the ‘magnificent seven’ – include former Corbridge Larder owner Dick Moules, public relations expert Barry Roxburgh and TV producer Steve Robins.

Heavyweights in their own fields, the directors have brought their professionalism and flair in abundance to the village facility, which earned a commendation at the Pride of Tynedale awards, just weeks after opening.

Credit must, of course, go to the 40 volunteers who have agreed to man the shop during opening hours.

In fact, it was in a volunteer’s guise that I took to the shop floor at a very unsavoury 6.30 in the morning.

Pitch black outside, I was drawn to the village’s only illumination. The light inside the shop was on and inside was Dick and two of the volunteers, Jack and Jan Chown, rustling away at the morning’s newspapers.

“You’re just in time to sort the Courants,” said Dick. “Of course they’d all have been picked up by now had your deliveries arrived on time last night!”

The fact is, the volunteers extended their opening hours from 4pm until 6pm on Thursday to cater specially for the arrival of their favourite weekly newspaper.

It seemed a shame, therefore, that the publication failed to arrive on time and customers waiting patiently were forced to traipse home empty-handed.

Then I realised I couldn’t have chosen a worse day to come to work at the shop.

“I waited two hours for my paper,” one irate resident told me. “I hope this isn’t going to become a habit of yours?”

I tried to assure him that, as a mere reporter, I was not involved in the hold-up. In an instant, I wish I had delivered those papers on Thursday afternoon by hand!

As rush-hour began, between 7.30am and 9am on Friday, the three musketeers (and I) had already sorted the papers and magazines ready for the flurry of customers on their way to work or school.

Poor Jan had to rush away, because she was going to work at nine o’clock. Believe me when I say it takes a lot of goodwill in order to work a two-hour shift, not-for-profit, before putting in a full day’s work.

But Jan takes it in her stride, and was looking forward to working her weekend shift as well!

Both she and Jack were getting ‘trained up’ by the chairman ready to take over the running of the shop once a month on a Sunday.

“I’m doing a lot of the running of things at the moment,” said Dick. “I managed the Larder for a lot of years, so I’ve got experience on my side. But once all the volunteers are confident enough to sort the papers and operate the till, the directors and I can take a back seat.”

Dick is full of good ideas and hopes one day to introduce a ‘crop for the shop’ scheme, whereby volunteers grow a selection of vegetables that can be sold from the premises.

He said: “It’s a way of involving even more people from the community who can’t give up their time volunteering in the shop.”

Customers are in awe of the volunteers, saying that without them the essence of village life would risk being lost forever.

“I’ve been coming to this shop for 50 years,” said Humshaugh resident Geoff Elliott. “It was a disaster when the post office closed and the post van just isn’t the same. Without these people we wouldn’t have a shop.

“It’s vital for the village and without it the place would die out. Elderly people don’t have their own transport and the public transport here just isn’t good enough – they often can’t get to Hexham for their shopping.”

During my shift, one customer from the village came in to buy an elderly gentleman his groceries as, due to poor health, he could not leave the house.

She wasn’t a relative, but he was a neighbour in need, and it was her charitable efforts that revealed to me how keenly rural communities look out for one another.

Half an hour later she returned to the shop and, with a heavy breath, said: “Right – that’s his shopping done. Now I can start on mine!”

The volunteers already have big things planned for the year ahead. They have put enough of the shop’s original funding from various organisations aside, in order to refurbish the shop’s interior and transform it into a self-service unit.

However, director Steve Robins assured me that the original fitted units on either side won’t be going anywhere.

“This used to be the village drapery,” he said. “They would have shelved all the fabrics and hand-made shirts here. At one time we had a butcher and a bakery, but that’s all gone now.”

With the future of village shops under threat, the example set by Humshaugh could be the blueprint for other communities to follow.

Dick added: “The pub’s up for sale and we’re worried we might lose it. If it goes then there’s no real place for the villagers to meet. Half the reason people come to the shop is to catch up with friends and neighbours.”

After ensuring the fridge was brim-full, I asked Dick how he keeps his stock topped up on a regular basis.

“It depends where the good deals are,” he said. “I pick up a lot up from the cash and carry, but sometimes Tesco has a two for one offer on that’s even better.

“I know Tesco is competition, but they’ve actually been very supportive of our campaign to save the shop. They’ve promised to donate a new fridge and freezer once the refurbishment is complete.”

I know now why so many people say, don’t go for your papers after lunchtime. The reason is, shopkeepers have been up since the crack of dawn, and by 2pm they’re liable to be sick of the sight of you!

I only stayed until 10.30am, but still I felt the tiredness kicking in. It was closing time for me, but I hope the shop is open for years to come and continues to be the cornerstone of Humshaugh’s steadfast community.

Published by http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk