Northampton community line streets to applaud shopkeeper for 35 years of kind service

"He always has time to have a little chat with you and ask how you and your family are".

A Northampton community turned out in force this week to say thank you to a shop owner for 35 years of support and kindness.

Viren Shah had no plans to celebrate the occasion on Wednesday (June 1) as he marked the 35th anniversary of opening his Londis convenience store in Hardingstone.

It was only when his son Pritesh told him to lock up his store and come outside did he discover his village had other plans.

He walked out of his shop to finds hundreds of people from his community had lined the streets to applaud Viren and his nephew Roy and thank them for all their decades of work in the village.

One of the organisers behind the huge turnout, Jo Crockford, told the Chronicle & Echo how the event was made possible by posting flyers to every house in Hardingstone while keeping the secret from the unsuspecting shopkeeper.

Jo said: "Viren and Roy are absolutely lovely. He always has time to have a little chat with you and ask how you and your family are.

"With all the village has done to clap for the NHS, and how nice it was to see all your neighbours coming out of their houses, I thought it would be nice to say thank you to Veran and show we really do appreciate him.

"It's involved the entire population of Hardingstone."

With clever planning, Jo and her team were able to line Glebe Street and Glebe Avenue with hundreds of people in time for 6pm on Wednesday, only for Viren's son to head inside the shop and spring the surprise.

The shopkeeper was applauded all the way Hardingstone Rec, where the community gathered to tell Viren just how much they appreciated him.

Viren told the Chron: "It took me completely by surprise. I was very emotional. I was taken back at seeing so many people.

"I've never seen anything like it in my whole life. We are very lucky to have the village - in all these years, without their support we wouldn't be here. Mt compliments to the village and everyone who has become one of the shop's regulars."

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