PRESS RELEASE JAN 21/09: WORK BEGINS ON NEW MELLS VILLAGE SHOP

Thanks to the support of local villagers and the first tranche of community grants, work has begun in earnest on the bigger, brighter and community-owned Mells Village Shop.

Whilst the shop building is closed for refurbishment, basic needs will continue to be served by postmaster Robin Tindale from the adjacent portacabin.

The Post Office and prescription service will function as normal, and newspapers and a basic range of groceries will continue to be available.

The shop is open:
Monday - Friday 8.00am - 4.00pm,
Saturday 8.00am - 12.00am
Sunday closed.

"It is thanks to the generosity of local people, both with time as well as money, that we have got this far, and we hope that they will also bear with us during the next few weeks of building work," says chairman Bobby Hanscomb. "Mells is very lucky to retain its shop and Post Office when so many have gone".

It is hoped that the refurbished shop and Post Office will re-open for business in mid-March, which will give the village and surrounding community the benefit of a wider range of stock and services than was formerly possible. Suggestions and ideas from local people are welcome, and can be given to Robin, or posted at the Mells Shop blog; mellsvillageshop.blogspot.com, where latest news about the project will be reported.

As well as local share-holders AND OTHER SPONSORS, Mells Village Shop is grateful for the support of the Somerset Aggregates Levy, ViRSA (Village Retail Services Association) and the Co-Op.

by Jo Plimmer

POST OFFICE UP & RUNNING IN THE PORTAKABIN - WEDS JAN 14

Shop & Post Office Latest: (as of Weds 14th)

The Post Office is up and running.

The Shop has virtually no space - there is a drinks cooler and some crisps, but once the remaining stock has gone the feeling is that there just won't be enough room to make it worthwhile to stock the shop, apart from bread and milk.

Newspapers will start again as normal on Thurs Jan 15th, both reserved and to buy.

The Lottery is working normally.



Wendy and Robin ready for business on the first day of the PO - Portakabin Office.



getting organised ...

THEN & NOW: OLD VIEWS

These two images come from Radstock Museum, which has kindly given us permission to reproduce them. (click on them to enlarge)





The Mells Cross photo (credited to Nick Stickland) seems to be from the 60s or 70s, the panorama from much earlier. If anyone can shed light on either image, for instance when they were taken, or if you have any other old images of the shop you would like to share, please click on 'Comments' below and let us know.

There's another old photo here from c1950.

And here, from 1907.

And a couple of contemporary views from flickr.com, here, and here.

NEWSPAPERS - LATEST

There will be no newspapers at the shop on Monday 12, Tuesday 13 and Wednesday 14 January.

Beyond that things are uncertain as the Portakabin is small and Robin is not yet sure how space will be allocated.

As soon as I have any news I will post it here.

PRESCRIPTION SERVICE TO CONTINUE

Robin Tindale wants to reassure the village that the prescription service which operates between the Mendip Country Practice and Mells PO will continue uninterrupted during the current refurbishment.

THE PORTAKABIN HAS LANDED !

Shortly after 10am on Thursday 8th Jan the Portakabin arrived and was installed on its plinth beside the shop.

Opening Hours from Wed 14 Jan until further notice will be:

Mon - Fri....8am - 4pm

Saturday.....8am - 12.

MELLS’ HELPING HAND SAVES SHOP AND POST OFFICE

Welcome to the Mells Village Shop blog. We've started the blog to help publicise the shop, and as a way of bringing information about the shop to those who care about it and use it. If you would like to comment on anything in the blog, please click on the word 'Comments' beneath the post.

To bring you up to date, here is a Brief History of the last year in the life of the shop, by June Costelloe.

Early 2008: Mells Sub Postmaster Robin Tindale decides to give up running store.

April 2008: Group of villagers plan campaign to save store and Post Office.

July 2008: 120 people attend meeting in Tithe Barn; unanimously pledge support. Mells and surrounding villages leafleted with membership forms for ‘Mells Village Shop’.

Summer 2008: Applications to join MVS received from cross section of Mells and wider community. Donations range from £5 to £1,000. Friends and relations from further afield also join. All 208 members receive complimentary jute bag with MVS logo. Bids prepared for funding bodies and sponsorship sought.

August 2008: Mells Village Shop Ltd registered as limited company under Industrial & Provident Societies Acts. Plans drawn up to gut, refurbish interior and update Post Office equipment.

September 2008: MVS awarded £30,000 grant from SALSF.

October 2008: £20,000 raised from community in 4 months; MVS awarded loan of £20,000 from Co-op, with match-funding of £20,000 from ViRSA. Further grants add up to nearly £120,000. Plans can go ahead.

December 2008: Robin Tindale decides to retire as Postmaster as well and Mells man Mike Phypers appointed Manager/Sub Postmaster designate from 1 March 2009.

January 2009: Building work begins. Post Office and newspapers move in to next door portakabin.

March 2009: Work should be finished; plans underway to build on coffee shop. Fund-raising events to be organised; appeal still open.

11 April 2009: Grand Opening of Mells Village Shop!

To become a member of Mells Village Shop, call June Costelloe on 01373 812 199.

The picture below shows Robin Tindale, left, and Clare Asquith, underneath a banner indicating the success of the fundraising effort.