A busy Redgrave Day, delivering newsletter around the village, signing up with Video Box Office 93 videos, meeting with fellow neighbours as a private briefing and then addressing a meeting of Redgrave Parish council with some 50 or so local residents present
Another early start to our normal routine. Wiggly had used Chris Howes’ photocopier to reproduce large quantities of newsletters for Redgrave store and after dropping me off at the shop she set about delivering them all round the village.
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I had chosen a style of content which was very blunt with the people of Redgrave and the problems of running their village store and I was concerned how it would be received but nevertheless decided that we needed a good turn out for our meeting with the council and local residents in the evening.
On arrival, I liaised with Sarah about the accounts books to make sure we got the financial handover correct and then it was soon time for the return visit of Gerry of the Video Box Office.
I got Sarah to join me and we completed the forms and committed to a 1m video stand that would arrive with 93 videos, 9 top titles including Lion King and Disclosure.
Wiggly was back in time to join me for the meeting with Menzies where we concluded our contractual arrangements to sell newspapers and magazines.
We had also produced some sheets and a clipboard for customers to register their interest and they were already calling in to return their feedback slips and sign up accordingly.
Just time afterwards to clarify the Redgrave cash book entries before having to make a quick change of clothes and shave in the empty post office cottage.
Our first meeting was with our fellow residents and neighbours which I had arranged as a private briefing to tell them about our plans.
hey saw no problems with our business changes, longer hours and shop lighting etc; nor with my subletting of parts of the building to tenants but they were concerned about the possibility of a new house being built in the garden.
I left them with the assurance that I would show them any such plans before they were submitted. Directly afterwards to the Mission Hall where I was due to address a meeting of Redgrave Parish council which had been opened to members of the public for the purpose of hearing my talk on the Future of Redgrave Village Stores.
I got Wiggly to put round the ACRE ‘Use it or Lose It’ brochures and a copy of the newsletter for the parish councillors and as I prepared for my talk, the whole steadily filled up with local residents until we had some 50 or so there, far more than we expected.
I briefed them on the background to my involvement including the financial problems of the stores and what we needed to make the shop viable.
I was willing to make the investments if they were willing to commit their business of newspapers and videos and I also outlined what the parish council could do to help as well.
Amongst the audience was the postmaster of Botesdale, Charles, and Mrs Farrant, the owner of the paper shop there.
Mrs Farrant was upset about my plans to sell papers and had taken offence at the content of my newsletter where I had said that I would give first refusal to existing paper boys and girls in the village.
There was also a feeling amongst residents that my newsletter had been too blunt in providing information about Freda and our finances and possibly too negative and demanding in tone
. On the other hand we got very many expressions of support and our newspaper video interest sheets grew so that I did not regret the tone I had used.
Our next newsletter will be more friendly and positive for at least the entire village knew what was now needed.