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Fochriw marked a “sad day” as shop owners at the heart of the village retired after more than 20 years of service. 

Amanda and Nigel Davies ran the Village Store and Newsagents on the Grove, Fochriw, and recently retired after 23 years behind the counter.

To say thank you for their faithful service, residents of Fochriw came together to give them a send-off into retirement.

Cllr Eddy Blanche, who represents Fochriw and Pentwyn, said: “It’s a sad day for the village. Mandy and Nigel have played a huge part in the community always open come rain or shine. Even walking into the village in the snow when the roads were closed to ensure the community had access to the essentials the shop provided.

“I wish them all the best in their well-earned retirement.”

The shop has changed hands, according to information provided on Fochriw Village Store and Newsagents page on Facebook.

The new owners, Sonia and John, thanked their predecessors and wrote: “We would like to take the time to say a massive thank you to Mandy and Nigel for not only introducing us to this new chapter in our lives and walking us through everything we need to know but for also serving our community for the past two decades.

“We have big footsteps to follow.”

Due to the resignation of Amanda and Nigel and the shop changing hands, postal services will be temporarily unavailable. 

 A spokesperson for the Post Office said:  “Fochriw Post Office has been temporarily closed since April 1 due to the resignation of the Postmaster. 

“We know how important a Post Office is to a community and we are working hard to keep any closure to a minimum. In the interim alternative branches include Pontlottyn and Rhymney.”

The new owners assured residents that postal services would resume in the future on Facebook and wrote: “We can confirm that the post office will still be at the heart of our new adventure. But due to the change of ownership, there are certain protocols to follow which means sadly there will be a delay in the post office opening under our name.

“We’re working hard with local authorities to reduce that delay so we can offer you the important service as soon as possible.”