SHOP & AWE

TAKE a stroll down any high street nowadays and the casualties of Covid and online shopping are sadly there for all of us to see.

- BY EMMELINE SAUNDERS

Many well-known stores, once thriving, now empty and boarded up, some of them closed for years.

But there is one survivor still ploughing on regardless the wonderful old-fashioned corner shop.

And now Coca-Cola, a staple to be found in all of them, is celebrating the 125th anniversary of its soft drinks being sold in Britain by highlighting the invaluable role convenience stores play in local communities.

Shops such as the Costcutter run by Keith Tomes, whose family has served local customers since 1908 when his great-grandfather opened it on Swanage High Street in Dorset.

Then known as H.E.M Tomes Groceries and Provision, it has seen two World Wars, the death of the chequebook, decline of cash and the rise of debit card payments, as well as huge changes to the social fabric of its community.

And along the way it’s served some famous faces too.