LETTERS

CHRISTIAN AID

A very big thank-you to everyone who helped to make the collection so successful this year.  We raised the grand total of £1210.04p. Bawdeswell and Foxley £195 46p  Lyng Easthaugh  £58 70p Lyng  £326 98p.  Lyng Shop £72 13p  Sparham £345 11p.  Elsing  £201 71p.  Thank -you once again Margaret Keeler.

FOXLEY OPEN GARDEN

The weather was occasionally overcast on our second ‘Open Garden’ day but the brilliant colours of roses and herbaceous borders were a cheerful sight.  Surprisingly our memories coped well with the “What’s that plant?” enquiries, and one visitor commented “A stroll round your garden is better than a tonic.” 

Visitors were also invited to see the meadow in full flower at nearby Old Hall Farmhouse---an added bonus.

Many thanks to all the people who, in their individual ways, have helped to raise £250 so far.  Although the window in Foxley church has now been repaired we have a long way to go to cover the cost.

Sadly we cannot bottle our ‘tonic’, so come for a visit: our next date is Tuesday 3^rd July.  If anyone is unable to come during ‘Open Day’ times but would like to see the garden, please let us know.

  John & Mary Fletcher    (01362 688 629 )

BAWDESWELL STORE

We were all sad to see Shirley and Andy leave the Bawdeswell Stores. None of us like change and therefore I have waited before writing this letter in order to ensure that it is objective. In the past my family and I have bought a major proportion of our weekly consumables in the shop - approximately £30-£50 a week on bread, cold meats and cheese, fruit and vegetables, animal food and stationery

Whilst a village store must of course provide the "treats" which are enjoyable but not essential to a family budget, the balance seems to have swung away from the basic necessities we all need.  

The balance of goods stocked has swung to items of poor nutritional content which at best should be occasional treats. The long term viability of the shop is in doubt if other families’ pattern of local spending has changed as dramatically as my own. We are currently spending less than £10 a week there as it no longer meets our needs.

I hope that the manager (who I still have not met) listens to the views of local residents. We all want to support him and his staff and to see the shop continue to thrive, but I for one will not be buying sweets, soft drinks or ready meals to extent that I used to buy basic commodities.        (Name and address supplied.).