Important - This is the last time we'll be able to send this out the old way, so please click on the invitation to subscribe to our mailing list that has been sent to you in a mail earlier today.

Hi everyone

Here is November’s Shop Newsletter, there is lots to say as we move towards Christmas…

1. Christmas shopping opportunities
2. Christmas Raffle and 150 Club winners
3. Order anytime now for Christmas
4. October financial results
5. Come and play games on Sunday

1. We have a great display for Christmas this year. We have wrapping paper, gift boxes and bags, chocolates and other sweets, candles, stocking fillers, last minute gifts, smelly stuff, gingerbread and stollens, Christmas puddings, and the biggest box of Jaffa Cakes you’ll ever see. The 2012 Thriplow calendars are also in stock now. We also have small bottles of the most popular spirits in case aunty comes to stay and you’ve run out of rum!

We will be having a late night opening for customers who work during the day to view our offerings, watch out for more details but it will be on the evening of November 30.

2. The November 150 Club draw, the first of the new year of draws, was won by Sue Whitmore in the shop, well done to Sue – just don’t do it again or the customers will think we fix it! Thanks to everyone who bought a ball in the 150 Club, there are a few still available if you missed out.

Christmas Raffle tickets are now on sale for £1 each, there is a list of prizes with first prize being a huge hamper – several people have said they are going to win this already!

3. We are now taking Christmas orders for:

- Stilton cheese
- Brie cheese
- Stamps (if you want loads, just let us know a day or so before)
- Meat from Leech’s
- Vegetables from Fieldgate
- Champagne and special wines (watch for the list of wines on offer)
- and we’ll be doing a re-run of last month’s wine club round

We are now also stocking logs, coal and kindling – one of these days, it’s going to turn cold, so be prepared! We can deliver these if you want us to.

We had bad news recently, the supplier of our lovely ham had his operation burnt down, but fortunately they have resumed supplies now. Maybe the ham is slightly more smoked than it was before! – only joking. Russells Meat in Meldreth have also closed so our bacon and sausages will now come from a new supplier.

4. October was a good month. We made sales of well over £15,000 and it is looking like 2011 overall sales will be some 14% up on last year. Thanks to all our customers, staff and volunteers for helping this effort along – we are truly proud of the shop and how it is performing now. We have seen Fowlmere lose its shop, Russells Meats go under, various local pubs close down, and all of this shows how fragile a village business can be. We are grateful to Daffodil Weekend for helping us and we hope that we will be able to carry on giving you good service in Thriplow.

5. Speaking of pubs – we are supporting the Green Man in their Board Game afternoon and evening, which will happen on Sunday afternoon and evening this weekend. Come along at 4.30pm with the kids for a bit of good old-fashioned entertainment that doesn’t rely on a computer. Or after 8.30pm without kids so you can embarrass yourself without them seeing you! Or bring your own games and let others take you on. It’s informal and free, all you would pay for is any food and drink you buy.

That's all for now....

TVSA

PS Remember to click on the link in the other email!