New look makes Dobcross Village Store an even bigger hit

DOBCROSS’ Village Store and Post Office has unveiled a bright new look and aims to become an even greater part of the community.

The Woods Lane shop is run by a co-operative after people took it upon themselves to save it.

Now a year after throwing open the doors, the results of a refurbishment – with new shelves, fridges and lighting giving it a modern feel – can be seen.

But for manager Tim Newbold, the introduction of the ‘cosy coffee corner’ – an area where people can sit down and have a cuppa – will make that bond with those around it even stronger.

Games like Jenga and Connect 4 are there for the younger ones, or maybe some competitive older ones.

And as well as the many local lines it stocks, the store’s link to Saddleworth can be seen from the photos that are now literally part of the furniture as they cover the walls.

He said, 12 months to the day since it first opened: “The aim is to have it here for the village, the store’s a village asset and we just want to keep it here for the village.

“When we came last year, we talked about having the cosy coffee area – now it looks the part.

“I’d say the shop so far has gone better than we thought – but the aim isn’t to make a lot of money.

“There’s been a percentage increase, but that was also due down to the fact that we re-merchandised the whole shop.

“We changed it around a little bit and we added new lines – some of which are very local, we try and keep local produce in.

“Where we can bring in any local product, we will, and the photos of Saddleworth now go all around it, they’re really nice and they really make a difference.”

Amazingly, the whole project was done in 10 days and the store did not actually close. Instead, a pop-up facility was set up.

Former shop owner and postmaster Brian Hodgkinson, whose retirement led to the setting up of the co-operative, was back behind the counter as he regularly helps out.

An Easter Egg hunt proved popular as children scoured the store for chicks and lambs hidden around it.

And everyone associated with the store could not be happier with the work, done by Diggle-based Saddleworth Kitchen Extension.

Tim, who did some of the wallpapering and painting, added: “It was just absolutely full on, it was amazing. They took it right back almost to the brick, so everything you can see is new.

“We told them what we wanted, they did the drawings for us and then we had to okay them.

“We knew exactly what we wanted and then we told them, they put it on paper.

“And while the shop was shut, we opened in the nearby church. We did a little pop-up shop in the church. There was no way we could just close, it’s a community venture.

“Once parts were finished, we stood back and thought, ‘Well that aint going to work, and that isn’t going to work.’  So then we just tweaked it, adding a few extra lights here and there.”

Radio DJ Mike Sweeney cut the ribbon on the new shop while Saddleworth MP Debbie Abrahams also took a look, as Dobcross Youth Band entertained customers.

And the thrill of seeing how Dobcross VIllage Store and Post Office has become such a vital part of the community makes Tim’s decision to get involved all the more rewarding.

He told Saddleworth Independent: “I’m at retirement age but I couldn’t do nothing. I would be bored.

“I think I’d give up if I didn’t do anything. It’s really good fun because you’re meeting people all the time.”