A COUPLE are settling into the Childrey community after taking over the village shop.

Keith and Barbara Lumb have set up shop in Childrey Village Stores and said they had found villagers very welcoming on their arrival last month.

The duo, who previously ran a restaurant in Worcester, said they wanted to give something back to the community and are planning to introduce a wider deli range and home baking at the shop, in High Street.

Mrs Lumb, 54, said: “We are considering having fruit and vegetables, stamps — as we sell cards — and to have a postbox outside the shop.

“People have been asking questions about what we might do and we are considering running a simple, anonymous survey to find out what they would like to see introduced.”

The couple, who have a daughter, Rebecca, 24, an English graduate who works at the University of Wales in Cardiff, also previously ran a guesthouse in Swansea.

The couple decided it was time for a change after spending three years dealing with the day-to-day duties of the four-star, 15-bedroom Grosvenor House at Swansea.

Mr Lumb, 51, said: “We were looking for a business which offered a quality work/life balance.

“Childrey represents an English village as we remember them as children and is superbly placed for Oxford amenities.”

Mrs Lumb added: “The shop is the hub of the community. It provides local services to the residents of Childrey and nearby villages, and can easily be accessed.

“A well-presented, traditional shop is a focal point for visitors.”