AN era has ended with the death last weekend of Ron Mason, who with his wife Shelagh ran the MECO village stores for seven days a week, including Bank Holidays, for more than 20 years in the 1980s and 1990s and were known to everyone.

A devoted couple, they had enjoyed 41 years of happy marriage, and when they retired they set off together for more than three years on a tour which took them, to every one of the United States as well as Australia and New Zealand. Ron took Shelagh's death in 2013 very badly but more recently had been coming out to a few village events. Many people will remember Shelagh sitting at the till and calling out “Dolling!” (darling) in her Staffordshire brogue - she was raised in Kinver - to ask Ron to fetch some obscure article of stock from the jumbled recesses of the back shop – which Ron would always know where to find!

Quiz lovers should note in their diaries Saturday, November 28, when the Dakin family will be staging a charity event in aid of motor neurone disease, a cause for which £300 has already been raised at the Andy Dakin cricket match earlier this year. It will be held at the Village Hall, where participants will be welcome to bring their own drinks. Entry will cost £10 a table for teams of four, with the usual accompaniments of a raffle and an auction. Well worth supporting the initiative of one of the most popular village families.

COLIN JACKSON 01684 577604