A POPULAR village shop has reopened with a big celebration event.

South Wonston Village Store, on Down Road, reopened on Saturday, September 7, with a massive opening ceremony.

Dozens of South Wonston residents came along to see the re-opening of the shop, which featured a performance from the Hampshire Caledonian Pipe Band, as well as a barbeque and some free samples.

The shop was officially reopened by deputy mayor Sudhakar Achwal, who cut the ribbon.

Hampshire Caledonian Pipe BandHampshire Caledonian Pipe Band (Image: Chris Atkinson)

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He said: “I want to welcome everyone to this new venture. It is lovely to see you all here this morning.

“The whole Springvale Stores team have really worked hard. As some people might know, they have already won the local unsung hero for the work they have done at the Worthy Down shop they have. This is a new venture for them, and I’m sure it will be a great success.

“In these days of the internet, when the whole globe is connected with each other, we still feel lonely sometimes. A local hub, a local shop, is the right place for people to come together. It is going to be a place where neighbours can come together, they can talk to each other and share stories, and also it’s a business, so it is a perfect addition to the village.

“I’m glad everyone is here to celebrate this, and I’m really pleased to be here to open the shop.”

After cutting the ribbon, Cllr Achwal then completed the first purchase at the shop. Local residents were then invited inside to look around and make their own purchases, with the queue to get in soon stretching out the door.

The shop is being run by a partnership consisting of Tom Nalpat, Jude Varghese, Lee Tom, and Joyson Joy. The four already manage the Springvale Stores shop in Kings Worthy.

Customers queuing out the door to get into the shopCustomers queuing out the door to get into the shop (Image: Chris Atkinson)

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Mr Nalpat told the Chronicle: “We’re really proud. We changed everything in the shop, everything is new; the shelves, the floor, the ceiling.

“We’ve got a mix of things; off-licence, groceries, chilled food. Everything you would get in the supermarket. We’re also planning to get the post office back as well. We’re in the middle of the application process, so hopefully we’ll get it soon. We want to bring most of the services to the community.”

He continued: “We’re so happy with what we’ve done so far. The community has been really helpful. The day we took over, they came to us as said ‘Do you need any help?’, and today a lot of people came over to support us. That’s a good sign, and we’re looking forward to working with the community like we did with the other shop in Springvale.”