Barrasford Shop Is Open All Hours Again
Published 22/12/06
The shop in Barrasford has opened for business once more after closing its doors to customers nearly four years ago.

Gone is the Bacon Slicer and freshly cut cheese served to customers by the Johnson family, Sheila Hepworth, Kathy James and Sara Bell in decades past.

This has been replaced by a swish modern retail unit allowing customers to browse the shelves before choosing from a contemporary array of produce, including alcohol!

Barrasford shop is now open until 7pm and has already proved a hit with locals for the convenience of being able to nip out and buy a newspaper without having to pay costly rates to have your local paper delivered through your letterbox after you have gone to work.

Two of the first customers to Barrasford Shop included a Dalek and Father Christmas, rich praise indeed for an essential local service open to serve the expanding population of the village. Despite these famous endorsements the shop remains a local shop for local people - you'll have no trouble here finding all your essential groceries, cigarettes, beers and other items.

Hopefully the shop will once again provide employment for local residents once Clive and Sue Oddy have settled in.

It was reported in the Hexham Courant on 22nd December 2006 that:

BARRASFORD village shop re-opened under new ownership on Saturday, after closing almost four years ago.

New owners, Clive and Sue Oddy, plan to run the store with family help alongside their already established shop at Scots Gap.

Parish records show the people of Barrasford have had a shop in the village since the early part of the 18th century.

The Reed family ran this during the earlier years, until it was taken over by the Johnsons.

Grace Johnson and her late husband Alan, along with their sons Malcolm and Robert, took over the business in 1957 and continued to run it as a family concern until early 2003.

Ill health forced the family to close the shop, but Mrs Johnson has remained in the village ever since.

Mrs Johnson was invited to perform the re-opening ceremony, and reminded people that in bygone days the shop sold everything from peaches to peat salt, as well as the paraffin that kept lamps burning around the village.

A good number of local people gathered to wish the new owners well, and to see Santa and a full-sized Dalek make an appearance, armed with treats for the children.

Mrs Oddy said: “We felt that having given almost 50 years service to the village, the Johnson family should be at the centre of the occasion. We were thrilled to have Grace accept our offer to be guest of honour on the day.

"It was a very emotional affair for us, as we can appreciate just how much hard work they had put in over the years.”

The totally refurbished shop offers local people access to newspapers, magazines and grocery items, including fresh bread delivered daily from Rothbury, with fresh fruit and vegetables being supplied from Otterburn.

An off-licence service will also help villagers get the festive season underway, without having to travel to pick up the essentials over Christmas.

Mr and Mrs Oddy took over the running of the village shop in Scots Gap, with help from their son David, in 2003. Later they were joined by daughter Debbie and it became a family run business.

Mr Oddy said: “We understand how important it is that village shops survive as they play a vital roll in the community.

“Not every family has a car or access to regular public transport that allows them to pop out and get basic everyday items such as bread and milk.

“We anticipate the new shop at Barrasford will initially be run by us, along with David, but once established could offer part-time employment for someone locally.”

If you have a story about Barrasford please contact us.

Back to News Index

If you have a story, photograph or any other information to add please contact us.

Contact Barrasford.net