We’ve got everything you need for a snowed-in week, including fresh essentials: milk, bread, vegetables and eggs. (We’ve also got some brilliant Christmas essentials including mistletoe, angels for your tree, Ilmington Gin and the Special Christmas Edition of the Radio Times!) If anyone is struggling to get out in the icy conditions – and please […]

For birthday boy Kevin Johnson, the answer was our cosy Community Shop – for a mince pie with clotted cream and a cheeky glass of mulled wine. “This is a very quick birthday celebration,” says his wife Jo, “because we’ve got a puppy called Walnut and we can’t leave him for long. He’s a chocolate […]

Hannah O’Malley (left) and Jemima Welch, both 13, took inspiration from business classes at Stratford Girls Grammar School to make their own candles to sell to friends and family. On Saturday they brought their waxy wares to Ilmington Community Café and sold lots of pretty and perfumed candles for MacMillan Cancer. Their business is called […]

16:10 GMT Father Christmas spotted alighting from a blue convertible Mini with a large bag, contents unspecified 16:17 GMT Rudolph identified in Café trying to purchase mulled wine and a mince pie 16:30 GMT children seen aiding and abetting Santa for switch-on of Christmas tree lights. There seems to be a source supplying Haribo to […]

Thanks to our crack squad of Christmas decorators (try saying that after a double Baileys,) Ilmington Community Shop is awash with baubles and sparkles, garlands and stars. See Sarah and Ros pictured with their handiwork, and thanks to Wendy, too. The jolly mood goes up a notch on Saturday, with tastings of Christmas cake and […]