It’s amazing how quickly the unusual can become the norm. Just a few weeks ago we were welcoming all to the shop, for a natter, a coffee, a paper, a fishing license and even some to do a bit of shopping. Dogs got free biscuits; now we find ourselves occasionally barking at people to keep their distance as they approach the shop, for our safety and theirs. But we’re all adapting.

We now have in place two teams of volunteers, working on separate days from each other and providing a delivery service five days a week (we take a break Sundays and Tuesdays). We aim to deliver all orders received before 12 noon on the same day.

We will be taking orders and delivering on Good Friday and Easter Monday.

If you’re placing an order there are a few things you could do to make our lives easier:

• ideally, place your order the evening before the day you would like to receive it
• always include your address (including postcode) and contact phone number with your order even if you’ve ordered before
• send your order to shoporders@hambledonsurrey.co.uk please don’t use other email addresses you have for the shop

Finally, we are running out of boxes. If you have boxes to return and are placing an order, please leave them outside your house and we’ll collect them during our next delivery to you. Or, when it is dry, leave them at any of the following locations: outside the Shop, outside the Village Hall, Hydestile Bus Stop Shelter, by the grit bin on Beech Hill, in the Merry Harriers car park, on top of Martin’s van.