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Closure of "Wendy's" - our village shop - June 2007

page created May 2007, amended/updated Monday, 19 November 2012
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Report by the webmaster, May 2007
End of an era

Wendy and Peter Redman recently announced their retirement and the closure of the shop they have run for more than 31 years - the Post Office Stores, more commonly known simply as "Wendy's". Post office services will cease on Wednesday 13th June 2007, and the shop will close on Saturday 16th June. They had hoped to sell the business, but with the uncertainty over the Royal Mail and the Government's plans for closing rural post offices, that had not proved possible.

Carole Connor, who for more than 20 years years has braved all weathers to delivery newspapers and magazines and many other things too, has also retired, so that service will cease as well. (A correction to my original posting: Carole has not had to contend with the flooded Wash Road; it was Peter that had to do that, or make the long detour when it was too deep, to deliver to premises on the other side of the Wash.)

Is is always a sad event when a community looses its shop and postal facilities. In our case we have been especially lucky to have been served by people who did a lot more than just run a shop and deliver our papers. They provided all sorts of unpaid "behind the scenes" facilities, one of which was handling prescriptions on behalf of many patients of Upwell Health Centre (and for several years Wendy handled the bookings for the Parish Hall).

And here there is some good news. Details are not yet finalised, but it seems as though prescriptions may now be dealt with by Delph House, our local care home that most locals probably know as Marifa Lodge. Mr Graham Rainbird, co-owner of Delph House, has responded favourably to an approach by one of the Welney representatives of the Upwell Patient's Participation Group, and he is actively discussing arrangements with the Health Centre. We'll post further details soon.
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Acknowledgements.
text © Peter Cox.
drawing by Elaine Sweetman.

If you think this report is incorrect, incomplete or unfair, please e-mail the webmaster, and your response will be added.

2012 update: Prescriptions: The Delph house arrangement has now ended and home delivery is now available direct from Upwell Health Centre via their pharmacy's own van to Welney (except premises east of the washes) and Tipps End.

A mobile post-office (van) visits Welney (near pub) every weekday afternoon for about an hour.
Related pages on this website
Wendy's shop what it means to us
Presentation from Tipps Enders
Presentation from Welneyites
Current postal services
 
Related pages on external websites
 
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