ADVERTISING FEATURE
Stay local for your 2011 Christmas shopping
W
HETHER you are stocking up for Christmas, seeking out unusual gifts and stocking fillers or shopping for everyday essentials, you can save yourself precious time and efffort by keeping it local.
Small independent shops - many of them family owned - are the lifeblood of our village communities - and at this time of year, we tend to rely on them more than usual. With so much to do in the run-up to Christmas, it is heartening to know that there are friendly local retailers at your service without having to venture too far afield. A good mix of shops and essential services within easy walking distance would be near the top of the list for most of us, if we were asked the question 'what are the qualities which make for a thriving village?' Our village centres offer a convenient first port of call with small independent stores and service industries standing firm in the face of fierce competition from the bigger firms and famous name superstores. Fresh produce, clothes and shoes, crafts and toys, cards and gifts, you’ll find all of these and much more besides. Local traders offer customers the benefit of their specialist knowledge and expertise, which in many cases has been built up over many years., even decades. Andrew's Greengrocers, Holmfirth, has offered a vegetable box delivery service since 1945. In the 1930s the shop was a florist and during WWII managed to get hold of apple and banana vouchers from Manchester. The shop used to be owned by Mr Barnes who was a close family friend, who then decided to change to a greengrocers because of demand for fresh fruit and veg. In 1975 Andrew Bray and his mother took over and have grown the business ever since. The shop has always been at the heart of the
community and always active in community affairs. Generations of customers continue to enjoy the benefits of fresh veg supplied direct to their door. With the boom in online shopping, larger retailers have introduced a similar service - but Andrew's is still the first port of call for many shoppers with a fine choice of organic or non-organic produce. If you are tired of the endless queues at the big store checkouts, our village centres are definitely worth a closer look. As well as offering a more convenient alternative to the larger supermarkets and out of town stores, browsing traditional shops in pleasant surroundings at a nice steady pace is much more relaxing. Regular customers can vouch for the consistently high quality of goods and services. If you tend to shop elsewhere, you don't know what you are missing - and more importantly, you never know when you might need them, especially during the winter. Village shops tend to come into their own when roads are closed and communities are cut off by snow and ice. When it comes to quality, service and sheer convenience, local shopping wins hands down - not just in the winter, but all through the year. Take a look around the villages in the Huddersfield area and you will find an amazing variety of traditional shops and galleries, specialist traders, essential services and great places to wine and dine, not forgetting, plenty of options to make the most of your leisure time, from sports centres, gyms and swimming pools to village halls, libraries and community centres. The Zone, on the outskirts of Huddersfield town centre, is a great place for kids to play and parents to meet up, including a 'drop and shop' on Thursdays, where parents can drop the kids off and go and do their evening Christmas shopping. Santa's grotto will be open on selected dates. More information at www.thezone.uk.com
Christmas At
SANTA
IS COMING TO THE ZONE!!
Sat 17th + Sun 18th Dec 1-3pm Mon 19th -Fri 23rd Dec 1-3pm
PRICES INCLUDING PLAY START FROM £4.50 WHY NOT ADD TEA PRICES START FROM £6.50 NEED TO DO SOME LAST MINUTE CHRISTMAS SHOPPING?
DROP & SHOP
Drop your children off while you shop!! Pre-book to secure your place Starting
Thursday 1st December Thursdays 6-8 pm Saturday 9-11 am Sunday 11-1 pm
Book the kids on to our Christmas fun day on
Maximum 16 children per session Juice & biscuits provided
All day Christmas fun for only £15
£7.50 Per child
MONDAY 19TH DECEMBER
For more information please call: 01484 484 134 Reception.zone@btconnect.com
■ VILLAGE: A typical scene in the Holme Valley at Christmas time. This is the Meltham village Christmas tree beside the snow covered churchyard
VEG BOXES – NEW IDEA?
WE’VE BEEN DOING THEM FOR OVER 60 YEARS!
64 Huddersfield fi Road, Holmfirth fi Tel 01484 682787
Merry Christmas Everyone
LOCAL Produce Supporting the Local economy Delivered locally by local people
FREE DELIVERY ON ORDERS OVER £10 Let us take the stress out of Christmas for you! No ties or long-standing contracts – Week-by-week deliveries