Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Local store to host big Coronation party for Enham Alamein community

Local store to host big Coronation party for Enham Alamein community
Leslie Francis and her husband Tim, of the The SPAR Village store and Post Office in Enham Alamein, are all set for the Coronation party

A BEM winning local retailer is putting up decorations galore at her store for the King’s Coronation and is organising a community street party to mark the special occasion.

There are flags, bunting and balloons at the SPAR Village store and Post Office, near Andover, which Leslie Francis, and her husband Tim have run for 18 years.


There is also a special Coronation plaque outside the shop 17 Newbury Road, Enham Alamein to accompany the one for last year’s Platinum Jubilee and the VE Day 75th anniversary celebration in May 2020.

IMG 20230419 WA0014

Leslie, who is chair of the Parish Council, is helping to organise a Coronation street party outside the shop on the Monday – the Coronation Bank Holiday.

“We love being part of this community. It has been an eventful few years. The people of Enham Alamein love to mark special occasions. A year ago, I was busy planning for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations. It’s really sad that the Queen has passed – she was much loved and respected. Now it is time to celebrate the Coronation of King Charles III,” she said.

In the last New Year’s Honour list, Leslie received the British Empire Medal. This was recently presented to her at an awards ceremony in Winchester with the Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire. This recognition was for her work providing services to her historic community.

a1337c8e cdbb 443b a222 4906d773b742

Leslie Francis recently presented with the British Empire Medal awardNow Leslie and Tim have also been invited to a Royal Garden party at Buckingham Palace just after the Coronation.

In World War II many of the injured from the famous Battle of El Alamein were brought back to the UK. Many were cared for at a recovery centre in the village of Lower Enham, which was re-named because of its special war-time ties.

Enham Trust is a leading disability charity supporting people to transition towards independent living. Enham Alamein village remains a centre for charity work and supporting others.

IMG 20230419 WA0013

The close-knit village has many elderly residents and people with disabilities, When Leslie and Tim took over the shop and they widened the aisles to make it easier for customers in wheelchairs or walking sticks and frames.

Leslie and Tim have found many ways to improve the lives of people in Enham Alamein.

In February 2020, before the first lockdown they handed out notes to the 250 homes in the village saying ‘If you can’t get out, don’t go without’ and they introduced doorstep deliveries. That May they organised a socially-distanced VE Day celebration, with people enjoying a War Time tribute act.

They also bring cheer to the community with their Facebook page with fun photos and videos. They have even performed in music videos for the past two Christmases.

IMG 20230418 WA0005

More for you

A woman enters the Selfridges department store

A woman enters the Selfridges department store on December 13, 2024 in London, England

Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images

Retail faces mixed fortunes in 2025 amid cost pressures, AI opportunities, and high street revival


The UK retail sector is bracing for a challenging but opportunity-filled 2025, according to Jacqui Baker, head of retail at RSM UK. While the industry grapples with rising costs and heightened crime, advancements in artificial intelligence and a revival of the high street offer potential pathways to growth, she said.

Keep ReadingShow less
unsafe soft drinks seized in Southend

Unsafe soft drinks seized in Southend

Photo: Southend-on-Sea City Council

1,100 unsafe soft drinks seized in Southend safety crackdown

Southend-on-Sea City Council officials have secured food condemnation orders from Chelmsford Magistrates Court, resulting in the seizure and destruction of 1,100 unauthorised soft drinks.

The condemned drinks, including Mountain Dew, 7-UP, Mirinda, and G Fuel energy drinks, were found during routine inspections of food businesses across Southend by the council’s environmental health officers.

Keep ReadingShow less
Charity Super.Mkt at Brent Cross Shopping centre in north London

A customer browses clothes inside Charity Super.Mkt at Brent Cross Shopping centre in north London on, December 17, 2024

Photo by JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP via Getty Images

Brits kindle Christmas spirit with second-hand gifts

Bursting with customers one afternoon the week before Christmas, a second-hand charity shop in London's Marylebone High Street looked even busier than the upscale retailers surrounding it.

One man grabbed two puzzle sets and a giant plush toy as a present for friends, another picked out a notebook for his wife.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nothing is more important than your Mental Elf

Nothing is more important than your Mental Elf

Lancashire Mind’s 11th Mental Elf fun run was its biggest and best yet – a sell-out event with more than 400 people running and walking in aid of the mental charity, plus dozens more volunteering to make the day a huge success.

The winter sun shone on Worden Park in Leyland as families gathered for either a 5K course, a 2K run, or a Challenge Yours’Elf distance which saw many people running 10K with the usual running gear replaced with jazzy elf leggings, tinsel and Christmas hats.

Keep ReadingShow less
A woman walks past a window display promoting an ongoing sale

A woman walks past a window display promoting an ongoing sale, on December 13, 2024 in London, England.

Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images

Retail sales disappoint before Christmas

UK retail sales rose less than expected in the runup to Christmas, according to official data Friday that deals a fresh blow to government hopes of growing the economy.

Separate figures revealed a temporary reprieve for prime minister Keir Starmer, however, as public borrowing fell sharply in November.

Keep ReadingShow less