Lincolnshire woman’s joy at running village shop for half a century

A Lincolnshire woman is celebrating 50 years since taking over a village shop near Louth.

Jenny Ward was 21 when her and her husband took over the Donington on Bain Village Shop and her memories recently inspired her to write a book, with all proceeds being donated to the Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance.

When asked what has kept the village shop going, Jenny told BBC Look North it was being “open all the hours that we are”. “I’m quite happy in the shop, I hate being shut,” she said and she describes her customers as “one of my family”.

The Ward family, including Jenny (pictured), have run Donnington on Bain Village Shop for 50 years. | Screenshot: BBC Look North

This has also earned Jenny a nickname in the village of Arkwright, after a character from the TV show Open All Hours, and she has no plans to retire just yet.

She added: “I want to go a lot longer yet, no intentions of packing up. I don’t know what I should do if I did, I should be bored.”

Jenny’s son David Ward is Postmaster for East Barkwith Post Office & Village Shop and he was recently awarded with a British Empire Medal (BEM) for services to the community of the East Lindsey village. The family took on the East Barkwith shop around 47 years ago.

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