Much Wenlock farm shop owners determined to rebuild after fire
The owners of a farm shop that was "completely destroyed" in a fire have said they are determined to rebuild their business "bigger and stronger" than before. Peter and Alison Themans have owned Wenlock Edge Farm, near Much Wenlock, for two decades, however on Monday the couple woke up to find their farm shop on fire. The blaze was caused by an electrical fault and damaged 95% of the building, emergency services said. Despite the their heartbreak the pair are determined to stay positive, with Mr Themans saying the business was "definitely going to come back".
"There's no point being negative, it doesn't get you anywhere," he said."We've had a long, long discussion with our family and our staff and I think everybody wants to come back and grow again."He hoped the rebuild would be covered by their insurance, however he said he was very aware of inflation and rising building costs.
Mr Themans added that the business was a "big employer" in the small hamlet and everybody who worked there had been "hit-hard"."I think the staff value the fact that their work is on the doorstep and they don't have to travel miles to work," he said."They seem very invested in it [the business]."
He said the support the team had received from the local community had been "fantastic"."I just didn't know so many people would be upset by it," Mr Themans said.He added that he had been humbled by the number of people who had reached out and offered their support. "We're going to do our best to be back as soon as possible," he said.
Follow BBC Shropshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
10 minutes ago
- BBC News
Changes to bin collection dates in Reading from Monday
Almost 80% of residents in Reading are due to see a change to when their bins are changes were being made to "futureproof the service to accommodate a growing population", Reading Borough Council 66,000 households have their bins collected in the borough, with around seven million individual bin collections made by the council each year. The council said there would be no reduction in service, with waste and recycling still collected every other week and food waste being collected weekly. Karen Rowland, lead councillor for environmental services and community safety, said: "Not every resident, but the majority of residents will see some change to one of their collection types, be it the grey bin, red bin or the food bin."There may also be a change to collection day for those who subscribe to the garden waste collection."In terms of having all of one waste type collected across the Borough on a given day, that makes it easier," Ms Rowland said."If we're running late on a certain collection on another neighbourhood we'll have a red bin collection vehicle right next door that can come over and help out with the service."People living in the borough have been advised to use the council website to find up-to-date information about their bin collections. You can follow BBC Berkshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
BBC News
10 minutes ago
- BBC News
Bradford families feel pressure as care subsidy is scrapped
Thousands of vulnerable people in Bradford could see sharp rises in day care charges from next month, prompting fears many may be forced to cancel lifeline Council has approved plans to phase out a long-standing subsidy known as the "discretionary buffer", which determines how much support the authority gives before people must start paying for their own it could see some users' weekly care bills rise by up to £58 – over £3,000 a year, according to council authority has said everyone affected would get a full financial reassessment before being asked to pay more, but affected families have urged the council to reconsider the end of the subsidy. About 4,000 people - mainly older adults and those with learning disabilities who live, and are cared for, at home - are expected to be affected by the new rules. Bradford's 25% discretionary buffer, introduced over a decade ago, allowed individuals needing day care to retain more of their income before charges kicked in. The authority said its arrangements had been "generous", but its own financial pressures had forced a the buffer would bring the city in line with other West Yorkshire councils, and was expected to raise £5.6m annually towards the cash-strapped authority's £133m adult social care council said the buffer would not be removed all at once, but would be phased out over two years - with 50% to go in July this year and the rest in July 2026. However, affected families have said the delay offered little comfort, with a recent public consultation revealing that 17% of respondents feared they would have to cancel their day care services if the charges went through. Nearly 70% of respondents said they would need to cut other household spending or total care hours, while over half expressed concern about the toll on their mental and physical health. Jo Brearton, a full-time carer in Bradford, told the BBC that if the subsidy was lost, she would have to cancel the only day of external care her 26-year-old son, Danny, received each weekDanny, who is autistic and has complex needs, attends a day centre in Keighley every Friday. Ms Brearton said that single day provided variety in his weekly routine and gave her a rare moment of respite - and its loss could be devastating."That leaves me and Danny at home 24-7," she explained."That one day off from Danny I have, I don't think it's a lot to ask."When that Friday session is gone, that's his routine blown out of the water."He'll be thinking, in his own way, 'why aren't I going?' But he can't explain to me how he's feeling and what he's thinking." 'Sugarcoat the pill' Ms Brearton said the contribution for Danny's care could jump from £21 to £71 a week under the changes."They might say, 'we'll just do it by 50% this financial year', but that's still an extra £100 a month for me. Next year, it will be £200 a month," she said."Where am I expected to find an extra £2,000 a year?"Ms Brearton said the proposed phased introduction of the changes was the council "trying to sugarcoat the pill"."The council has mismanaged budgets for years. They are now saying, 'we've subsidised you, we're not doing it any longer'. Then they just pull the rug out from your feet," she stated. Ian MacBeath, the Labour-run authority's strategic director for adult social care and health, said the phased approach "gives people time to make adjustments to their living expenditure so they're more able to manage that financial increase".Speaking at a meeting of the decision-making executive, Mr MacBeath acknowledged the changes would have a "significant financial impact" on some he said: "The council's financial position means we've got to consider this in order to be fair to all residents."Mr MacBeath added that more social workers would assess any cases where people felt pressured to cancel services, to ensure "no one's safety is compromised".Sarah Ferriby, Bradford Council's executive member for healthy people and places, said the authority had to make a "difficult decision", but she was "reassured" there would be enough safeguards in place to reduce the burden on opposition politicians have expressed concerns over the loss of the Party councillor Neil Whitaker warned that some people "didn't fully understand the increases, or what would happen if they couldn't pay".He suggested that decision-makers "might not have a full picture of the financial challenges people are facing", and urged better overall communication of the changes and their as she braced for the change to get under way in July, Ms Brearton said: "They say they recognise the burden on families, but all they're doing is piling on even more stress." Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
10 minutes ago
- BBC News
Cornish slurry lagoon plans raise smell and access concerns
Concerns have been raised over plans for a slurry lagoon in Cornwall.A Cornwall Council planning committee is set to review the application from Richard Best - which is seeking permission for an earth-banked slurry lagoon at a farm site in Hatt, near lagoon would provide up to five months of storage and lie approximately 280m (918.6ft) to the south west of the nearest neighbouring residential property, according to the Local Democracy Reporting plans have been objected to by Botus Fleming Parish Council, which had concerns about the smell, potential contamination of a water course and highways impact. Slurry is a mixture of water and animal manure, which is spread on the land as a natural fertiliser.A council planning report said the scheme would not result in any significant adverse impacts to the living conditions currently enjoyed by neighbours and had been earmarked for approval. 'Headaches and cough' In its objection, Botus Fleming Parish Council said it was not clear how the slurry would be transported to the land is just off the A388, but concerns about large tankers driving down narrow rural roads locally used by walkers, horse riders and other motorists were raised by the added residents currently suffered from the stench of slurry across the wider farming site."They suffer headaches and coughs from the air pollution that is generated around their homes, their eyes sting and they have good reasons to fear the long-term consequences for their health," the council said. An odour impact assessment had been submitted and the council's public protection team had raised no objections from a Cornwall Wildlife Trust has also been consulted as the site is near the Villaton Wood County Wildlife Site, with the charity making recommendations to ensure wildlife is protected during Environment Agency (EA) had no objection to the plans, which it said would ensure the farm operated with sufficient storage for slurry."Nonetheless, the proposal must operate in accordance with the relevant regulations," the agency added.
