A VILLAGE shop in Acomb is continuing to support local people after a hard 18 months.

Vikki Firth, landlady of The Queen's Arms in Acomb has opened a new shop after the closure of the village post office earlier in the year.

The shop which opens from 10.30am till 2pm has become a major part of the community.

It provides a large selection of house hold essentials, cold meats and snacks and Vikki is always asking the locals what else they might need so it can be stored in the shop.

On why she took the step to set up the village shop, Vikki said: "I set it up at the beginning of the pandemic as the man who runs the post office was classed as vulnerable and due to retire, and was struggling getting his stuff.

"So we opened it as a community hub but then had to close it down as I am classed as vulnerable and high risk, Paul then retired and the post office closed.

"People have always come into the pub when they have ran out of things, so I saw the need because I was giving away loads of my stock."

The village shop started off with one shelf containing cupboard essentials like, biscuits, tea and coffee and since then the shop has grown, it has more stock and commercial fridge and freezers.

Any food left in the community shop was taken by Fareshare to the foodbank in Hexham to be distribute to struggling families.

On what effect the pandemic has had on the pub, Vikki said: "The drinking side of the pub industry has totally changed, we used to have thirsty Thursday, wet Wednesday those sorts of events, Wednesdays are now pretty dead but the shop side of it is busy.

"We've turned the food section of the pub into a bistro so through the day you can get tea, coffee, paninis, jacket potato's all stuff like that during the day and then at night we have homemade pub food."

Vikki is an ex-military wife and said how she has always wanted to be a part of a community, she said: "If I can make this pub a better place for the people of Acomb then that is what I want to do."