St Mary Bourne Community Shop and Post Office
Post Office
The Post Office closes for lunch between 1pm and 2pm, Monday to Friday. It is closed all day on Sunday.
Village Shop is "Bourne"
In the 1960''s there were at least four shops serving the communities of St Mary Bourne, Stoke, Binley and the local hamlets. However, these shops declined over the years and the last survivor ceased trading in 1998. For three years the Post Office was maintained in a resident''s garage at The Mead.
The Parish Council responded to the village''s expressed willingness to use a shop and support it financially. This was confirmed at a public meeting in 1999. Ron Heron was commissioned to design a new shop opposite the Village Centre on Parish Council land. Planning permission was obtained in April 2000 and Bullock Bros were employed to build it.
Building costs were £55,000 and the whole project to opening was budgeted at £90,000. Local people responded massively and £29,000 was given or loaned and almost 200 people became members of the St Mary Bourne Village Shop Association. Finance was secured through a number of grants and construction started in 2001.
By August the building was finished and stock arrived from Londis for the shop to open on Monday 3rd September.
Support for ''The Village Shop'' was magnificent from the start and turnover was near budget. The post office was fully integrated, the alcohol licence was obtained and the fresh baked bread became available. There were many orders for turkeys and meat for Christmas. By then turnover exceeded budget.
In October the Post Office was ram-raided! Nothing was stolen and the shop opened just a little late that morning. A few days later the damage was repaired (thanks to the Bullocks) and, thanks to Bill Noyes, Sub-Postmaster, the Post Office reopened after a week when there were queues.
By April 2002 the shop has many more lines of stock and is trading with a surplus. It supplies a village need and is a social centre for a large number of customers. The shop has a full time manager, who is helped by two part time employees and a growing number of loyal volunteers.
The business will continue to provide a service to all, being open long hours, seven days a week.
Information from the shop website
Village Shop Refurbishment 2008
In 2008 St Mary Bourne Village Shop secured a grant from the Hampshire County Council/SEEDA funded Village Community Grant Scheme (VCGS) to help cover costs for refurbishment of the existing shop premises.
The maximum award was granted in November 2009 and the shop closed for three days to allow for refurbishment.
New refrigeration was installed, new lighting added and new flooring was laid. The electrical supply was improved and a take away coffee machine added. An outside display area for produce was put in place, plus a bunker for charcoal and wood fuels.
Along with the new refurbishment, the shop also gained new management and an attractive new range of stock, including: dry goods, household goods, fresh produce, newspapers, alcohol, freshly made sandwiches from Enham, ice cream, barbeque summer packs and local produce. The shop provides a dry cleaning drop off service, has a photocopier and supplies foreign currencies (from the Post Office with advance notice).
Future plans for the shop include improving external signage and gaining a retractable awning. These require planning permission and it is hoped permission will be granted in 2011.
Information from Hampshire County Council
www3.hants.gov.uk/business/rural-initiatives/villagegrant.htm