the Mells Village Shop blog

A BIG THANK YOU...

2012-01-16T04:02:00.000-08:00

...to all the loyal supporters of Mells Village Shop who voted for us in the Daily Telegraph Best Small Shops in Britain awards.
You will be pleased to know that MVS is on the shortlist in the Best Corner Shop category.
The winners will be announced at a reception hosted by Mary (Queen of Shops) Portas in London on Wednesday 22 February and there will be a big feature on the winning shops in the Daily Telegraph Magazine on 25 February.
Just to get on the shortlist is magnificent publicity and the MVS Management Team is very grateful to all our supporters who made this possible.

COW ON ROOF OF MELLS VILLAGE SHOP

2011-12-05T13:00:00.001-08:00

Santa and his reindeer may be planning a visit to the rooftops of Mells shortly but Mells Village Shop Manager Mike Phypers and his customers were not expecting to find a cow up on the roof of the community-run Shop last Thursday lunchtime.

They were disturbed by the noise of trampling overhead and rushed out to find a cow on the roof of the old cottage which serves as the village Shop and Post Office.

The herd of cows was being driven down Park Hill towards Woodlands End in Mells when one of them made a bid for freedom, turned right and leapt onto the shallow catslide roof on the same level and only a yard away from the low driveway wall to Rock House behind the Shop. The cow eventually slid off the roof into the inaccessible gulley between the back of the Shop and the wall and had to be winched to safety by a tractor.

The cow was happily unharmed after its experience; the shop roof, however, suffered a number of broken tiles which have already been replaced.

Mike commented, "It’s a testament to the original builders of the cottage that the cow didn’t come right though the roof ending up in our stock room!"

by June Costelloe

Kevin McCloud on Frome TV

2011-08-28T03:55:00.000-07:00

Channel 4's Grand Designs housing guru Kevin McCloud recently gave a talk in Mells Barn in aid of our Shop and Cafe on Homes & Housing in the 21st Century. You can view Frome TV's video of the event here:

http://www.frome.tv/2011/08/kevin-mccloud-support-mells-community-cafe/

VICKY BRATT, Mells Cafe Manager - INTRODUCING MYSELF

2011-07-29T03:04:00.000-07:00

This is me on my first day as Mells Cafe Manager and I’d like to thank everybody involved with Mells, its Café and Shop for the incredible welcome and support I've received.

The team and I are hoping to put Mells Café on the map of great places to eat and drink in Somerset. We 're offering inspirational breakfasts, tasty lunches, delicious homemade cakes and Somerset cream teas, inspired from my experiences overseas but using as much local produce as possible. During the summer holidays we will be catering for the little ones with packed lunches and kids' teas.

The Café and Shop is the best place to meet people in Mells. And all we do would not be possible without support from volunteers so if you’ve a spare few hours we would love you to join our team of helpers. Just have a word with me when you're in the Shop.

And if you've a glut of fruit or veg in your garden I'd be very grateful for a donation which I can put to good use in all those lovely dishes I'm cooking up.

Vicky Bratt

DON’T FORGET – MELLS OPEN GARDENS ON SATURDAY 4 JUNE

2011-05-23T05:42:00.000-07:00

St Andrew’s Church bells will be ringing to celebrate a record 17 lovely gardens, including 4 new ones, open for your enjoyment on Saturday 4 June from 11am – 5pm.
Why not make a day of it and have coffee, lunch and tea either in the Cricket Pavilion, laid on by Mells Shop volunteers, or in newly opened Mells Café? And, if you get inspired, you can buy some of the plants you have seen at the Plant Stall outside Mells Shop. All profits go to community-run Mells Village Shop, where you can buy tickets with map (£5, accompanied children free) in advance or on the day.

MARY BERRY OPENS MELLS CAFÉ

2011-05-11T01:33:00.000-07:00

Mells Cafe opened in a blaze of sunshine to the click of cameras on Easter Saturday as TV Chef Mary Berry cut the ribbon on the terrace door. Introduced by the Earl of Oxford & Asquith, who also thanked the Management Team for their work and praised architects Llewellyn Harker and builder Dave Fishlock for the handsome building, Mary Berry told the crowd, "Tell all your friends about it because it is very very special."

The large crowd of well-wishers expressed their delight that the wait for Mells Cafe was over. It gives people jobs in the local area, they said, it brings people together and is great fun for the village.

Mary Berry chatted with the crowd, and after that it was business as usual at the Cafe, serving drinks and meals to a steady stream of customers. As well as a changing menu of breakfast, light lunches and cream teas to eat in or take out, the Café offers a range of locally made gifts, such as the distinctive earthenware pottery from Phillip Wood of Whatley; kiln-fired glass from Emma Wells and the Mells Mug designed for the village by Steven Jenkins, potter and calligrapher based at the Black Swan in Frome.

If you have time to spare and would like to volunteer a few hours of your time every week or month, perhaps in conjunction with a friend, please contact Liz O’Sullivan on 01373 812 201 osullivanmells@gmail.com. The 30 or so volunteers who already help out in the Shop or Cafe enjoy meeting lots of new people and making a positive contribution to the community.

Here is Frome TV's video of the Cafe Opening :

Mary Berry opens Mell's community cafe from Frome.tv on Vimeo.

MARY BERRY TO OPEN MELLS CAFÉ

2011-04-11T04:38:00.000-07:00

TV chef Mary Berry, judge on BBC’s Great British Bake Off and author of the indispensible Aga Cook Book, will open newly-built Mells Café at 12 noon on Easter Saturday, 23 April – the culmination of the community’s campaign to secure amenities and a social hub for Mells and the surrounding villages.

Mells Village Shop has gone from strength to strength with a full range of basic groceries and household goods as well as fresh produce and delicatessen items. Its aim as a community shop is to provide what its customers want and to source it locally if possible.
And now the villagers’ dream of a café has become a reality, providing a much needed focal point for the local community and facilities for walkers, cyclists and tourists. Thanks to generous grants from local funding bodies including the RDPE’s Community and Social Enterprise Fund, a doorway in the Shop leads into the stylish beamed café serving delicious local food. The space will be available to local people out of hours for clubs, meetings and small parties – contact Manager Mike Phypers on 812 251 or mvshop@btconnect.com for details.

Mary Berry

MELLS COFFEE SHOP UNVEILED

2011-02-11T07:12:00.000-08:00

Scaffolding came down in mid February from the new Mells Coffee Shop to reveal its oak and stone structure to the outside world for the first time – the first new building at the eastern end of Mells’s historic Selwood Street for at least 2 centuries!

The moment was marked by topping out the annexe with an evergreen oak bough. MVS Chairman, Bobby Hanscomb expressed the Management Team’s appreciation of architect Martin Llewellyn ‘s much admired design and of the hard work put in by Dave Fishlock and his workforce who are set to finish construction on schedule.

The new 20-seater Coffee Shop is scheduled to open to the public on Easter Saturday with an all-day menu serving high-quality coffee, cream teas and locally-made food, including soups, snacks, salads and sandwiches. A small terrace with seating will look out over the Lutyens designed Horner memorial shelter next to the duck pond opposite, where more benches for sitting out are to be found. Further retail space in the Coffee Shop will offer guides, maps, local history books and locally sourced souvenirs.

MVS Chairman Bobby Hanscomb topping out Mells new Coffee Shop while architect Martin Llewellyn, builder Dave Fishlock and the Team look on.

RDPE’S FIRST SOMERSET GRANT AWARD GIVES GO AHEAD TO MELLS COFFEE SHOP

2011-01-17T09:37:00.000-08:00

The construction of Mells Coffee Shop is now underway thanks to a grant of £48,000’s worth of funding from the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE) Community and Social Enterprise Fund. This is the first project in Somerset to be funded by this grant. A coffee shop was high on the community wish list when plans for refurbishment were first mooted and its construction was taken into consideration when the Shop layout was reconfigured.

Like the Shop through which it will be accessed, Mells Coffee Shop will be staffed by a mix of paid employees and volunteers, offering a simple range of basic, reasonably priced hot and cold food and drink for up to 20 people at a time. It will be a venue for locals to get together, a lunch base for business people and will provide refreshments for the many passing walkers and cyclists. The room will be also be available as an informal meeting room for clubs and small parties.

A disabled WC, which will be accessed from the Coffee Shop, was completed last year, thanks to a grant of £1,000 from Mendip Housing (now Flourish Homes) and funding of £12,000 towards the project has also recently been granted by the Somerset County Council Rural Services Fund. In addition the Mells & Vobster Trust has given a further grant of £10,000 towards the project.

A design in stone, oak and glass has been chosen to complement Lutyens’ memorial shelter opposite and the adjacent old stone buildings. The tented scaffolding surrounding the site should enable work to continue throughout the winter and it is expected that the Coffee Shop will open for its first customers in the spring.

Below is a view of the area to the side of the shop where the coffee Shop will be located, and a front elevation from the plans.

by June Costelloe

'MEN OF IRON - The Fussells of Mells' by Robin Thornes

2010-11-05T03:36:00.000-07:00

'The impact of the Fussells on the East Mendips was such that even in their own lifetime they and the edge-tools that they made took on a mythical quality. Their businesses lasted for more than 150 years, spanning the period of the Industrial Revolution. They made their appearance in the historic record in the time of water-powered craft industry and their exit in the age of steam-powered mass production. In that same period the Fussells made the transition from village craftmen to gentlemen with country estates and mansions. Although best known as makers of agricultural edge-tools, they also had interests in the woollen industry, coal mines, railways and canals'.
This is part of the introduction on the back cover of the newly published book by Robin Thornes. It is a fascinating account of the area and the people living and working locally. Names and places are easily recognizable.
'MEN of IRON - An illustrated talk' will be held in Mells Barn on Friday 19th November at 7.00pm. Tickets £5.00 can be obtained from Mells Village Shop and Robin is very generously donating all proceeds to the shop fund.
Doors will open at 6.30. Wine will be served included in the ticket price. There will be an interval during which refreshments will be available and also the opportunity to purchase a copy of this excellent book.

MELLS LITERARY LADIES PRESENT COLERIDGE AND THE WORDSWORTHS IN SOMERSET

2010-09-10T02:17:00.000-07:00

Susan Date and Helen Wynter’s literary performances have acquired a devoted following over the past 6 years and Mells is delighted to welcome them to their home territory in Mells Barn on Saturday 16 October for An evening with Coleridge and the Wordsworths in Somerset, July 1797 – September 1798.

Some of the finest work of Coleridge and Wordsworth was produced during the short period they lived in Somerset. Drawing on published and unpublished work of the period and letters and reports made by later generations, extracts will include prose and a selection of their poems.

Helen Wynter trained and worked at the Central School of Speech and Drama, retiring as Senior Lecturer. Susan Date’s background is theatre, television, radio and film. She was Assistant Principal and Voice Coordinator at Guildford School of Acting.

The programme will begin at 7.00 p.m. and lasts about 2 hours, including an interval. Doors and bar will be open from 6.30 p.m. Tickets, priced £6 (to include a glass of wine), are on sale at Mells Village Shop, to which all proceeds will be given.

For further information please contact June Costelloe junecostelloe@yahoo.co.uk 01373 812 199

FUND RAISING CLAY PIGEON SHOOT - 19 JUNE

2010-05-14T01:32:00.000-07:00

MELLS GARDENS OPEN ALL DAY ON SATURDAY 22 MAY

2010-05-11T01:57:00.000-07:00

14 of Mells finest gardens will be open from the extended hours of 11 am to 5 pm on Saturday 22 May, following our successful first open gardens afternoon last year. On display are 5 gardens open for the first time this year and the historic formal South Court at Mells Manor will again be opening its garden gate.

One of the gardens on show:

The gardens featured range from traditional cottage gardens, large, medium and tiny, a river-side garden, a hill-side garden, a walled garden growing commercial cut flowers, a small holding with animals and several gardens with chickens.

Lunches, teas and home-made cakes are being served at the ancient Mells Tithe Barn, where there will also be a plant stall.

The proceedings will be accompanied by the ringing of bells from the fifteenth century St Andrew’s Church, courtesy of Mells Ringers.

Mells Gardens are being opened in aid of the community run Mells Village Shop which will also be open for business. Tickets with a map at £4.00 are available in advance and on the day from Mells Village Shop and Post Office, Woodlands End, Mells. Accompanied children under 16 go free.

For further information, please contact June Costelloe: junecostelloe@yahoo.co.uk 01373 812199

Volunteers Wanted for Daffodil Day - Monday 5th April 2010

2010-02-22T02:07:00.000-08:00

The Daffodil Day Committee have organized things a bit differently this year in terms of proceeds from some of the various activities. It means that any money made from within the Manor House grounds will come directly to the shop. Therefore, we need to do our best to raise as much as possible.

Firstly, we will need volunteers to man the entrance gates. We plan to ‘do’ teas in the corner of the North Court with a string trio to lend a little light music! There could then be children’s games on the lawns nearby.
We are hoping that there can be pony rides in the paddock, a fortune teller (a traditional figure in times gone by!) and there is plenty of room to allow space for any other bright ideas!

Would you be free to help on the day? If so could you gave me some idea of the times that would best suit you and which activity you would most like to help with.
Could you bake some cakes? Would you like to serve teas?
We will need a small gazebo for the fortune teller to give some protection from the elements!
If we need tables and chairs would you be able to loan some?
Do you have any garden games which might be fun and suitable? Perhaps a set of boule? We do have some other things already.
Time marches on and although the event seems a long way away it is only a matter of weeks. Let us hope that the sun will shine!

With many thanks. I look forward to hearing from you.

Liz O’Sullivan 812201 or s-eosullivan@hotmail.co.uk

2010-02-08T01:40:00.000-08:00

Advent Concert CD Available

2010-01-15T05:45:00.000-08:00

The CD of the Royal Middlesex Orpheus Advent concert (see post below) is now ready and can be purchased by sending a cheque made out to Peter O’Toole to:

1, Springfield Road
Teddington
Middlesex
TW11 9AP

The price is £10 including UK p&p. If you have any questions, please contact Peter on 0208 977 0998 or by e-mail at; peter_otoole@lineone.net

2009-12-04T13:58:00.001-08:00

Sassoon Poem to feature in Fund-Raising Concert in St Andrew's Church, Mells

2009-12-04T13:51:00.000-08:00

The village of Mells, outside Frome, is the location of poet Siegfried Sassoon’s grave. It is thus especially appropriate that St Andrew’s Church in Mells should be the venue for the second performance of a setting of Sassoon’s poem ‘Everyone Sang’ by Oxford-based composer John Duggan.

On the 19th December, the Royal Middlesex Orpheus will bring this new work to Mells as part of an Advent concert in support of the community-run Mells village shop and also the church. It will be performed together with Duggan’s setting of the poem ‘Requiem’ by another World War One poet, Ivor Gurney.

Royal Middlesex Orpheus music director Matthew O’Sullivan, whose own composition ‘Advent: White Full Moon’ will receive its world premiere at the Mells concert, said of John’s work: “I was immediately taken by John’s imaginative approach to choral texture, which creates the kind of transparency that one comes across all too rarely in new music. The way the music works in reminiscences of both very new and very old styles of music, while always remaining accessible, makes it a delight for the listener.”

The Royal Middlesex Orpheus is a choir of young singers, most of whom met as choral scholars at Cambridge University, and who now enjoy singing to a professional standard while pursuing careers in other fields. In May 2008 the men of the Royal Middlesex Orpheus took part in the 3rd Bratislava Festa Choralis, competing against choirs from all over the world, where they were awarded first place in the male voice section. On 19th December they bring male and female sections together in a programme where the very newest works rub shoulders with Advent classics from the 11th to the 20th century.

Tickets cost £8.00/£6.00 conc. and are available in advance from Mells Village Shop or by contacting 01373 812201 or 812320. The concert begins at 6.30.

Journalists: For further background contact Matthew O’Sullivan on 07812 019776 or matthewos@sky.com

Latest MVS Minutes Available

2009-08-13T07:21:00.000-07:00

You can view the Minutes of the MVS AGM on GoogleDocs by clicking on this link:

http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0ATXQWUQXaYoNZGdrejViYm5fMWQ5M2Yya2Q4&hl=en

Latest MVS Accounts Available to View

2009-07-31T12:07:00.000-07:00

Please have a look at Mells Village Shop Ltd's Annual Report and Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2009 which is being circulated at our Annual General Meeting to be held in Mells Barn at 6..30 p.m. on Tuesday 4 August. All members have been invited to attend.

You can view the Accounts by clicking on the link below (apologies for the length):

http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0BzXQWUQXaYoNODdkOTZkZGEtMTE5Ni00MjM3LWIyY2QtZTcxZWI0NDNlZWQ1&hl=en

SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY AT THE ‘PICNIC IN MELLS PARK’

2009-07-06T03:45:00.000-07:00

Garden lovers, architectural and political historians and Beatles enthusiasts will have a rare opportunity to explore the delights of one of the most exclusive country houses in Somerset which is opening its grounds to the public for the first time this century on August 1st this year.

Mells Park, on the edge of the picturesque village of Mells, near Frome, is set in extensive parkland surrounding a large lake. One of the star attractions is the stone temple, newly restored from an ivy clad ruin, fronting an stunning five sided walled formal garden, designed and planted by Martin Lane Fox.

Times: Sat Aug. 1st
5pm: GATES OPEN
7pm: Sgt Pepper’s Only Dartboard Band - first set
8pm: 60s fancy dress competition for U14s
8.30pm: Sgt Pepper’s Only Dartboard Band - second set
11pm: Close

In the late 1980s Mells Park House was the unlikely setting for the drawing up of the blueprint for the end of apartheid in South Africa during a series of secret meetings between the ANC in exile and leading Afrikaners. These events were recreated in April in the Channel 4 film, Endgame, researched at Mells Park but filmed elsewhere.

The 1920s Lutyens designed house and Gertrude Jekyll gardens have been renovated and restored over the past few years and visitors will be free to wander around the parkland, explore the temple and temple garden, and picnic by the lake.

Apart from enjoying the stunning surroundings, picnickers will be able to relax to music from Frome’s very own Beatles tribute band, Sgt Pepper’s Only Dartboard Band at 7.00 and 8.30 p.m.. Frome’s very popular Milk St Brewery will be running the bar tent, and for the under 14s there will be a 60s fancy dress competition at 8.00 p.m. with prizes for all entrants.

Gates open at 5pm on Saturday August 1st and the evening closes at about 11pm. Tickets at £10 (children under 14 free) are now available from the Tourist Information Office in Frome and from Mells Village Shop. All proceeds are for the development of the community-run Mells Village Shop. Ample car parking will be provided.

For further information, please contact Jane Mann on 01373 813681 or jane@oldprospectfarm.co.uk

VOLUNTEERS STILL NEEDED !

2009-05-15T04:02:00.000-07:00

The shop still needs volunteers to work certain blocks of hours. The periods we need cover for are:

Saturday afternoons
Thursday morning

People to help with deliveries, buying supplies etc would also be useful. So if you have some time on your hands, and would like to help your local shop, please contact Liz O'Sullivan on 01373 812201, or contact the shop direct on 01373 812251. On the job training with till, lottery etc is provided.

PHOTOS FROM OPENING DAY 2 - TV's Kevin McCloud launches MVS

2009-05-15T03:56:00.000-07:00

OPENING DAY PHOTOS

2009-04-11T10:35:00.000-07:00

Chairman Bobby Hanscomb addresses crowd and produce

The throng enjoys free food and drink

The crush inside

Raymond Asquith salutes Robin Tindale

The National Press clamour for a view

EASTER WEEKEND OPENING TIMES

2009-04-08T04:03:00.000-07:00

Note: These hours only apply over the Easter Weekend.


The Shop:

Wednesday 8th:  Closed for re-stocking
Thursday 9th:   Closed for re-stocking
Friday 10:      Closed for re-stocking
Saturday 11th:  Open 8.30 - 4.00
Monday 13th:    Open 9.00 - 5.00

Post Office:

Wednesday 8th:  9 - 12
Thursday 9th:   9 - 12
Friday 10th:    Closed
Saturday 11th:  9 - 1
Monday 13th:    Closed

MELLS VILLAGE SHOP & POST OFFICE OPENS 11 APRIL

2009-04-07T07:15:00.000-07:00

Mells Village Shop & Post Office will be finally opening its door again for trading on Saturday 11 April at 10.30am, working towards the Official Opening on Saturday 9 May.

The interior of this former cottage has been transformed into a traditional village shop stocking basic groceries and locally sourced delicatessen items.

Mells resident Mike Phypers, our new Manager and Sub-postmaster, assisted by Wendy, Jeanette and a number of volunteers, are looking forward to serving the needs of the community of Mells and the surrounding villages.

Opening hours:

Shop
Mon to Fri: 7.30 – 7.00
Sat & Sun: 8.00 – 4.00.

Post Office
Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri: 9.00 – 1.00, 2.00 – 4.00
Wed: 9.00 – 1.00
Sat: 9.00 – 12.00.

The Shop will be stocking local vegetables, fruit, fresh bread, hot pies, cakes from local kitchens and featuring Mells Kitchens home baked dishes. You can pay by card on purchases over £5. And while you’re buying your groceries, why not treat yourself to a cup of coffee or tea and some cake and enjoy the view over the duck pond from our new tables and chairs?

Mells Village Shop Ltd is grateful to those listed below who have made a significant financial contribution to the regeneration of the shop as a village co-operative:

-  the people of Mells and the surrounding villages
- Somerset Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund
- The Village CORE Programme (Plunkett Foundation)
- Mells and Vobster Community Trust
- The Co-operative Loan Fund
- Mells Parish Council
- The Mells Estate
  - And to those many local businesses and individuals who have supported the project financially or with practical help.

SHOP OPENING CEREMONY

2009-04-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

MELLS VILLAGE SHOP OPENING: 10.30 a.m. SATURDAY 11 APRIL

- Presentation to Robin
- Grand Draw for Mells Village Shop Members of 4 jute bags filled with groceries
- Ribbon cutting
- Cider tasting, squash, balloons
- Beer and food

PLEASE COME ALONG AND SEE FOR YOURSELF WHAT’S ON OFFER!

COLLECTION FOR ROBIN TYNDALE

2009-04-07T06:50:00.000-07:00

If you would like to contribute to a retirement collection for Robin Tindale, our Postmaster for over 18 years, to be presented at the Village Opening on 11 April, please send your donation to June Costelloe, Hatherleigh, Mells Green, BA11 3QP, or put in the marked box in the Talbot bar .

DATES FOR YOUR DIARY

2009-04-07T06:40:00.000-07:00

9 May at 11.00 a.m.: Official Opening with Kevin McCloud of Channel 4’s Grand Designs. Members’ Reception.

6 June 2.00 p.m. – 6.00 p.m.: Mells Open Gardens.

1 August: Picnic in Mells Park.

16 October – Barn Meeting: discover how to research the history of your house for a forthcoming booklet.

MELLS OPEN GARDENS AFTERNOON SATURDAY 6 JUNE

2009-03-16T03:29:00.000-07:00

Mells will be opening its gardens to the public in aid of Mells Village Shop Ltd on Saturday 6 June. Is this the first time ever? (please let me know!)

We already have a number of residents who have kindly volunteered their gardens for this event but we would be happy to have more, particularly from Fairview and Longfield. Please consider volunteering to help the Shop. Gardens don’t have to be Wisley standard and to judge from front gardens around there are some keen gardeners in Mells.

We are also looking for volunteers (including Shop Members from surrounding villages) to help with serving teas at the Barn, to bake cakes, to sell tickets for the event and to sell plants. Green-fingered volunteers are also requested to start potting up plants to sell at the Plant Stall – things that will look good in June, please.

To offer help or for more information, please contact June Costelloe on 812 199 junecostelloe@yahoo.co.uk.

by June Costelloe

MELLS VILLAGE POST OFFICE MOVES BACK TO SHOP

2009-03-13T02:49:00.001-07:00

The Post Office will be closed on Tues 17th & Weds 18th March, and will reopen in the main shop on Thurs 19th March, offering all the current services.

POST OFFICE CLOSED TUES 10TH

2009-03-06T03:21:00.000-08:00

The Mells Post Office will be closed all day on Tuesday, 10th March.

YOUR VILLAGE SHOP NEWS - WINDOWS & DOORS IN !

2009-02-23T03:49:00.000-08:00

As you can see, thanks to the generosity and hard work of local people, Mells refurbished Village Shop is rapidly taking shape with the new windows now in place. Internal building work will be finished by the end of February and the Shop is on course to open in April.

The shop's revival is a community venture, and in order to succeed, the Shop and Post Office will continue to need the goodwill and help of everyone within the Mells, Vobster and Great Elm area. If it does well in the first year, we will be able to add a café by the summer of 2010, and if it continues to flourish we should be able to sell it on as a thriving business.

What does the shop need from you?

Your financial support. Thanks to a huge communal effort, we have raised £120,000 from local people and from various grants and sponsors. But this is still £10,000 short of the sum needed to restock, refurbish, and maintain the shop for the first two years. So if you are not a member of the Village Shop co-operative please become one, for as little as £5.00. (Please phone June Costelloe on 812199/ junecostelloe@yahoo.co.uk), and encourage others to do the same.

Your voluntary help. The Shop needs as many volunteers as possible, to help behind the counter, fetch supplies, deliver sandwich rounds, clean and maintain the premises - just a few hours a week will make a great difference. We are also looking for a part-time paid assistant. Please phone 813763 to offer help or for further information.

Your ideas. If you know of good local food producers or useful suppliers or anything else that you think will improve the shop, please write your suggestions in the book in the Post Office portakabin or make a comment here on the blog.

Your custom. We also need to know your top priorities, the things you would most like to see on the new Shop counters, either in the suggestions book or on the blog.

Your goodwill. Throughout this year there will be various events and entertainments to raise further funds for the Shop. We hope you will join in and enjoy them and perhaps think up some fund-raising ventures of your own.

ATTEMPTED BURGLARY AT THE POST OFFICE

2009-02-13T23:23:00.000-08:00

The Somerset Standard (Feb 12) is reporting as follows:

'Police are investigating an attempted break-in at Mells Post Office on Sunday evening. The Post Office is being run from a temporary cabin while the building is being refurbished and raiders cut wires leading to the alarm. They then forced a padlock on the door, but police say they did not enter the building.'

LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK

2009-02-13T09:58:00.000-08:00

We are keen to know your views on anything to do with the Shop - or this Blog. All you have to do to is to click on the word 'Comments' at the end of each post.

A new window will open, with a blank 'Leave your comment' field. You will be prompted to create a Google identity, if you don't already have one, by choosing a username and password. Then simply type your comment and click on PUBLISH YOUR COMMENT.

SHOP ASSISTANT and VOLUNTEERS NEEDED !

2009-02-06T09:35:00.000-08:00

A part-time assistant is needed for the new Village Post Office. 20 hours a week, experience and flexibility an advantage. We are also looking for volunteers for all aspects of the shop business.

Please contact Clare Asquith at clare.asquith@gmail.com

PROGRESS REPORT - SHOP RENOVATION ON SCHEDULE

2009-02-06T09:27:00.000-08:00

The Shop in the snow.

The building work on the shop has been going well, with work ahead of schedule. The new windows are on order, internal demolition is complete, the ceiling rafters are in place, and plastering is under way.

MELLS VILLAGE SHOP in the MENDIP TIMES, Feb 2009 issue

2009-02-06T01:42:00.000-08:00

To download the February issue of MENDIP TIMES, go here

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

2009-01-22T13:39:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-14T02:12:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-13T06:17:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-11T01:53:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-10T14:09:00.000-08:00

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 !

2009-01-09T09:30:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-09T08:30:00.000-08:00

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.