Each year, Camp Hopson hold a special shopping day in their store, specifically to facilitate Christmas shopping for those who are elderly infirm or disabled. This year it was on the 22nd November and I was asked to attend the opening. Edwina Cooper and I arrived at Camp Hopson at 10 a.m. and met the organiser Garry Poulson, the director of the Volunteer Centre, Jonathan Hopson, Andrew Rowles, the Chairman of West Berkshire Council and Nick Hutchins, the Chairman of the West Berkshire Disability Alliance. I was also pleased to see Peter and Shirley Harris, the Mayor and Mayoress of Hungerford there as well. We gathered outside the north entrance and Nick Hutchins performed the opening ceremony and we returned inside the store. Some of us then went up to the restaurant for a welcome cup of coffee and we were told that already buses such as Readibus and other buses driven by volunteers had arrived to bring in customers. We were told that the store’s management had issued over 900 special discount vouchers and they were anticipating hundreds of customers to take advantage of these vouchers. The store was already busy with customers and we had to walk against the tide of people coming in to return to the Town Hall. It is very generous of Camp Hopson to make a special day for the elderly and disabled as it gives them an opportunity well before Christmas to do their shopping. It was certainly welcomed by the people we spoke to.
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