THE Roadwater Community Shop reached its first anniversary last week and celebrated in style with an event attended by about 60 volunteers, customers and staff.

Food and drink and a specially decorated cake were the order of the evening, and all agreed the first year had been a great success.

“A huge thank you to everyone who has been involved,” said Sarah Wetheridge, one of the organisers.

“We’re now looking forward to our second year of trading, with many lessons learned and more goals to fulfil.”

Villagers got together last year to keep the shop as a community-led company after its previous owners announced the business would have to close if they could not find a buyer.

A limited liability company was set up to manage it and people bought a total of 62,516 shares – including some who no longer lived in the village and were as far away as Southampton and even New Zealand.