Notices & Announcements

I was saddened to read of the closure of the NatWest bank in my previous parish at Acocks Green in Birmingham. Being a working-class parish, I was often left with the job of taking the coin-filled bags to the branch some one hundred yards away in the village for banking. It left me wondering who now would have the thankless task of driving to the nearest bank some five or six miles away, having to find suitable car parking place, and then presenting the money to a, no doubt, disgruntled cashier. Closer to home, also the NatWest bank in Stratford has just closed; as has Lloyds bank in Shipston. And the bank in Kineton has long since left the High Street. And it not just the banks that are deserting the villages and towns. Since my arrival in Brailes in 2018, the curtain shop has closed down and the post office and convenience store also, and in Shipston specialised shops have succumbed to the power of the supermarket, Amazon and online shopping. 

But in Brailes, literally at the centre and heart of the village, we have the three shops that attract the custom of many of the villagers and beyond. La Tradition with its excellent bread, pastries and deli products. Baldwin’s newsagents that also doubles up as a convenience store with fresh seasonal vegetable available, and of course Paddock Farm butchers.

It is always wonderful to see queues forming outside this little area and I have often visited the bakers when workmen are patiently waiting for their sandwiches to be made up. Likewise I am always uplifted when I see a villager walking from the newsagents with paper in hand, no doubt ready for the daily cryptic or concise crossword challenge. But it is the butchers where I frequent most regularly, and enjoy discussing the merits (or otherwise) of Birmingham City, the Arsenal, or my own team, Aston Villa. The blackboard listing the restaurants that they supply speaks volumes for its quality of service and produce and I know I have family and friends in Birmingham who would be very disappointed if they did not receive a pork pie or game pie as a Christmas gift. 

We are so lucky to have these shops in our villages and towns and they are so deserving of our custom and our thanks. And it’s not just the three shops in Brailes that I am thinking of, but the shops in Long Compton, Shipston, Tysoe, Kineton and Sibford Ferris that I have visited also. And no doubt you will think of others that I have not mentioned.

And having mentioned our local shops I must say that I have recently enjoyed some lovely meals at the George in Brailes. Having had some wonderful pub lunches also at The Malt Shovel (Gaydon), The Lion (at Tredington), The Bell (at Alderminster) and the Red Lion (at Long Compton) and witnessed its many diners there, I just feel that the George is worthy of such custom and popularity. Likewise, do not forget that we have our own Michelin star restaurant and chef at Whatcote. The Royal Oak serves exceptional food and is worthy of a visit especially for a special occasion.

So I hope that these wonderful shops, restaurants and pubs continue to survive and are well supported by us all this year, for as Joni Mitchell once sang “You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone”. May you have a joyful and blessed 2026, and I hope and pray that you and your loved ones receive many graces and blessings in the year ahead. God bless.

Fr David Tams