A COMMUNITY shop at Cheriton Fitzpaine took another step forward on Saturday, January 6, when a turf-cutting ceremony was held at the location adjoining Cheriton Fitzpaine Methodist Church, where the shop will be located.

The day began with a live telephone-call interview with long-time village resident Ray Sanders being broadcast on BBC Radio Devon.

Ray was born in Cheriton Fitzpaine and has farmed in the area all his life. He talked about the many village shops he remembered in Cheriton as a boy and a young man.

He reported that there were two bakers, a butcher with an abattoir, a grocery store, a Post Office, several tailors and a saddlery that sold almost everything.

Since December 2016 there have been no shops at all for locals to use, although a group has managed to secure the vital services of a hosted Post Office in the Parish Hall twice a week.

As the day unfolded, despite the bitter cold and widespread flu in the village, a large crowd gathered at 2pm next to the Methodist Chapel to witness the cutting of turf for their brand new Community Shop.

Long-term residents Nora Bulled, Ray Sanders, Jean Carr, Ken Sandford and Margaret Steer were chosen to wield the ceremonial shovels, and each cut a turf in readiness for contractors to move in the following week to prepare a concrete slab. Between them their ages added up to an amazing 450 years and they have witnessed many changes in the area.

Elly Babbedge, a member of the Community Shop Group said that the Group Chairman Dave Plumridge, gave a very informative speech, announcing rather alarmingly that each of the “celebrities” had to shift half a ton of soil before they would be allowed to go home!

Elly added: “Also wielding a spade was talented artist Jemima Yeandle who had won last year’s competition to design a logo for the shop whilst she was a pupil at Cheriton Fitzpaine Primary School.

“Ray reported on Radio Devon that he felt the new shop had a good chance of succeeding as ‘many folk had put in a bob or two’ and indeed the count stands at 175 share-holders and several very generous donors.

“There is an extremely hard-working steering committee and four skilled Action Groups who work alongside many general supporters.

“When the shop is built there will need to be a pool of about 40 volunteers to help run it on a daily basis.

“Thanks to a Grant from The Princes Countryside Fund there will be money to employ a part-time shop manager in the Spring.

“It is vital that this is the right sort of person – not only skilled in all areas of retail (or willing to learn) but also enthusiastic about the Community aspect of this ‘not for profit business’.

“The shop will be run ‘for the community and by the community’ and as such it will need to work hard at listening to the population: stocking what they really need and opening at times that most can use it.

“It is hoped to buy as locally as possible and to support other small businesses. The building itself has been designed by local architect Ed Holden and is being supplied by Nick Guscott’s ‘All Timber Frames’ which operates from White Cross in the village.”

The Cheriton Community Shop Group started its journey to achieve a Community Shop in September 2016 and a Grand Opening of the newly-built shop is scheduled for April 2018.

Alan Quick