A MUCH-LOVED shop that has been run by the same family for three generations is closing after 99 years of service.

Corner Stores in Winchester Road, King's Somborne, which is currently run by Richard and Sue Martin, as well as Richard's sister Sue, will close this weekend.

The shop first opened in 1923, set up by Roper Martin, who passed it on to his son Dick Martin, before Richard, Sue and Sue took over in 1993.

Mrs Martin said: "It's been our whole life over the past 29 years. We've brought up our whole family here. Richard has been here his whole life."

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The shop was hailed as a "lifeline" to elderly village residents, particularly through the pandemic, with Richard preparing and making door-to-door deliveries to ensure his customers had everything they needed.

"We were really busy during the pandemic," Mrs Martin said. "We were thinking of retiring before Covid, but what would we do just sat here at home? So we ran a delivery service and we were on the go from 7am to 9pm."

The family have now decided to retire to focus on their nine grandchildren and take a "well deserved" holiday, before closing for the last time on Saturday, January 29.

Speaking on how much time the shop has taken up, Mrs Martin said: "It has become a big tie. We were open Monday to Saturday from 8am to 6pm. We have a large family but we just don't have the time to spend with them, so now we want to live a little with our five children and nine grandchildren. It's time to spend time with them now.

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"We have had a couple of people come into the shop saying they would manage it for us, but it wasn't for us. We want to keep it as a family business and it wasn't right to sell it. We would have ultimate responsibility but the time has come for us to retire and finish with it.

"It's time to do some travelling. The customers have all wished us well. Everyone's been very lovely about it. They're sad but understand why were doing it. We have appreciated the support over the many years that we've been here.

"We've had some amazing customers and without them we wouldn't be here."

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Kimberley Barber