A legal challenge against the approval of plans for a new village housing development has succeeded, after Babergh District Council admitted to a "material error of law" when granting permission last year.

London’s High Court ruled in favour of a claim by Boxford Parish Council, quashing the outline permission given to a planning application by Catesby Estates for 64 homes and a community building on land east of Sand Hill.

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The owner of a French-inspired café in Boxford has ambitious plans to expand her new business with a range of dining events.

Myalee Chaytor opened Box River Cafe in Broad Street this month, following a major refurbishment.

Having previously leased the premises, which had operated as a cafe for several years, Mrs Chaytor decided to run her own business from the site, serving locally-sourced goods.

"It was the local businesses that kept the area going during the coronavirus lockdown," she said. "It's important to support them as much as possible."

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The White Hart in Boxford had been operating for just three weeks and four days under its new management, following two years of closure, when the coronavirus lockdown forced its doors to shut again.

Business partners Aran Henderson and Rebecca Brown described the resulting three months of lost trade as a huge blow, particularly with the expense of their recent relocation, following a year at The Fleece over the road.

Despite the challenges, The White Hart made its first step on the road to recovery on Saturday, when it was among thousands of businesses across the UK to welcome back customers, serving them exclusively in the pub's outdoor area to maintain social distancing.

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Residents' groups in Boxford have slammed Babergh District Council's decision to approve a scheme of 64 homes in the small village.

Catesby Development Land Ltd had proposals to build 80 homes on land east of Sand Hill blocked by planners last year, but have recently been given the green light for a smaller development.

The first proposal was blocked by planners for a range of concerns, including the added need for school buses and the negative impact the development would have on existing roads and pathways.

Ed Barrett, planning manager at Catesby, said the number of homes had been reduced by 20% to alleviate initial concerns and said the development would be "reflective of the character of the village".

Work is set to begin on the development in the next 18 months.

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Revised plans for a large housing development in Boxford have been granted outline planning permission.

Babergh District Council's planning committee approved an application by Catesby for 64 new homes on land east of Sand Hill – known as Weavers Green – by seven votes to three.

A previous application for 80 homes on the same site was rejected last autumn, prompting the developer to submit new plans in January, which sought to address the concerns raised.

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Revised plans to develop land on the edge of Boxford have been agreed despite public opposition - and work could begin within the next 18 months.

Catesby Development Land Ltd had proposals to develop agricultural land east of Sand Hill into 80 homes refused in September last year, but revised proposals for 64 homes were given the green light by Babergh District Council's planning committee on Wednesday morning.

The previous refusal was because of concerns that children living in the development would need buses to get to school as there was a shortage of places nearby, as well as fears over the negative impact on existing roads and pathways.

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A convenience store in Boxford has transformed its front window into a collage of colourful tributes to thank front-line medical workers helping to tackle the coronavirus outbreak.

Vibrant images of rainbows, which have become a symbol of gratitude for the work of NHS staff during the crisis, now adorn the shop window at Boxford Stores.

Created by youngsters from the village, the store's postmaster, Richard Haining, said the thoughtful tributes had helped to raise the community's spirits.

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The owner of an off-licence in Boxford hopes to expand his new business once lockdown measures – imposed to combat coronavirus – are lifted.

William Chaytor opened The Wine Box in Broad Street last month, following an extensive refurbishment project.

Having leased the premises, which traded as Box Valley Wine before closing earlier this year, Mr Chaytor decided to establish his own business at the site, selling a range of wine, gin, lagers and mixers.

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The postmaster at a convenience store in Boxford has expressed his gratitude to the community for their support after the business was targeted in a burglary.

The landlord of Boxford Stores was alerted to the incident in Swan Street on Tuesday, at around 2.30am, when he heard the sound of glass being smashed.

Witnessing the incident from his window at home, he saw the perpetrator escaping with the cash till through broken glass in the shop's front door, before running along Church Street towards Stone Street.

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A village shop in west Suffolk was broken into in the early hours of this morning, with thieves smashing through the glass door and running off with the till.

Boxford Stores, which is believed to be the oldest village shop in Britain, became the victim of theft after an offender broke into the Grade II listed building overnight.

Suffolk police were called to reports of the burglary at 2.30am, with officers sending out the dog unit to search for the offender on foot.

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Pub landlord Aran Henderson has left one village pub to take over at another.

For the last year, the 35-year-old, from Sudbury, has been running the Fleece in Boxford - but last week, he made the short trip to the other side of the road to take over the newly-refurbished White Hart, with his business partner Rebecca Brown.

Mr Henderson, who trained as a chef, said: "It is great to open the White Hart again - it is literally at the heart of the village.

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A GP surgery has announced plans to reduce the service it provides from April, due to staff shortages.

Boxford Mill Surgery, which is part of the Hadleigh and Boxford Group Practice, confirmed its decision to cut down GP appointment hours, citing the growing pressures brought about by the constraints on GP services nationwide.

The changes include morning-only appointments with GPs, with no availability on Wednesdays, and set times for people to call in to collect prescriptions.

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Revised plans for a housing estate on a farmer's field in Boxford have been submitted by a developer – with a 20 per cent reduction in the number of homes proposed.

Last year, plans by Catesby Estates for 80 homes off Sand Hill – called Weavers Green – were thrown out after education bosses pointed out the village primary school was already close to capacity.

Planning permission was refused by five votes to four, despite the developer offering to contribute £134,000 towards school transport.

The company's new proposal is for 64 smaller homes, with increased landscaping and open space, including land given to the village for a community centre.

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Three fire engines have been called to help a group of horses who have become stuck in a river in a Suffolk village.

Crews from Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service were called to the scene in Stone Street, near Boxford, by police officers around 10.10am today.

Upon arrival, firefighters from Princes Street and Hadleigh found the three large horses trapped in the water.

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A historic pub, which once enjoyed a reputation as a prestigious jazz venue, is set to remain open despite redevelopment plans for flats and houses at the site.

Plans for the new properties have been submitted to Babergh District Council by the new owners of The Fleece Hotel in Boxford, who took over and reopened the pub in May after it closed in October the previous year.

The new owners are now only running the pub on the ground floor and have stopped running the hotel, which was located above the bar.

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Villagers in Boxford say they are 'ecstatic' that plans for 80 new homes in the village have been turned down by a planning committee.

The proposed development, for a mix of two to five bedroom homes on a 14 acre site east of Sand Hill, was refused permission by a Babergh District Council planning committee on Wednesday, September 25, by a narrow margin. The application had sparked a petition from people in the community, with more than 140 names signed.

District Councillor Bryn Hurren, who represents Boxford at Babergh District Council, said he was delighted the plans had been refused. He said: "The residents in the village are ecstatic.

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Plans for 80 homes in Boxford have been recommended for approval despite Suffolk County Council planners saying there will be no surplus places at the catchment primary school.

The proposal, for a mix of two, three, four and five bedroom homes on a 14 acre site east of Sand Hill, has sparked a petition from members of the public, gaining more than 140 signatures.

Concerns have been raised over the negative impact the development may have on the existing infrastructure in the area, specifically the roads and pathways, and the lack of nearby primary school places.

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When he started his business a decade ago, Boxford resident Daniel Moore had a clear vision that he wanted to provide not only the best printer ink cartridges on the market, but also to show customers that recycling pays.

And he proved this recently when his company, Office Beaver, which specialises in recycling and refilling printer ink cartridges, handed over a cheque for £78,000 to Children with Cancer UK.

Mr Moore's business collects empty HP and Canon ink cartridges and recycles them to prevent them going to landfill.

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A village pub closed for eight months has finally reopened after new tenants were found.

The Fleece in Boxford, which is owned by John Norton, opened its doors on Saturday, with business partners Rebecca Brown and Aaron Henderson at the helm.

The pub, which was famous for many years as a jazz venue, closed in October - prompting a search for new tenants.

Mr Norton said Rebecca and Aaron used to work in the pub as kitchen staff.

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A historic village pub has reopened after being closed since last year - attracting hundreds of customers on its first night under new management.

Aran Henderson and Rebecca Brown have taken over the lease for the Fleece in Boxford, and are running it as a free house, putting the emphasis on locally sourced food and ales.

"We had about 400 people here on our first night, and it was a great evening," Mr Henderson said.

"The feeling was amazing. We had so many people who were pleased that the pub was open. We even had to have an emergency delivery of lager the next morning!"

He added: "We want to get involved with Boxford and be as local as we can possibly get."

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A teenager who feared she would never sing again after a throat cancer diagnosis three years ago received a standing ovation after performing at a concert in front of a sell-out crowd.

Molly Marshall, 18, who lives in Boxford, took to the stage with the Upbeat Contemporary Choir at the Apex in Bury St Edmunds on Saturday, April 6, and sang an emotional solo on the night.

Molly, who is a pupil at Ipswich High School, was aged just 15 when she was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer in 2016 after discovering two lumps close to her vocal cords.

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Before teenage singer Molly Marshall began treatment for cancer around her vocal chords, she was told she might never be able to sing again.

Now, the 17-year-old, of Church Street in Boxford, is preparing to perform a vocal solo to conclude a fundraising concert in April, which has been organised by the Upbeat Contemporary Choir in aid of a charity that helped her.

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An inspirational teenager who feared she would never sing again after a cancerous tumour was discovered in her throat will perform in front of hundreds of people next month.

Molly Marshall, 18, who lives in Boxford, will take to the stage with the Upbeat Contemporary Choir in April to sing at a fundraising concert for a charity which supported her.

Molly was aged just 15 when she discovered two lumps in her throat in August 2016 and after tests and scans, doctors found a tumour the size of a satsuma on her thyroid – close to her vocal cords.

The teenager was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer and surgery to remove the tumour in October 2016 was followed by three bouts of radioactive iodine treatment.

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Suffolk dad Stuart Wainwright is on his mark and getting set to raise £1,000 for the Children's Liver Disease Foundation by running in the Colchester Half Marathon.

The cause is close to Stuart's heart as his 15 year-old son, Sam, was born with the rare liver disease, biliary atresia.

"Sam's diagnosis came as a real shock" says Stuart, of Leavenheath, near Sudbury, who is the Year 6 teacher at Boxford Primary School near Sudbury.

"We knew nothing about liver disease in children but CLDF were there with information about his condition and were also an immense support when Sam had to have a liver transplant a year later.

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When 16 young footballers from Boxford travelled to New York 40 years ago to play their American counterparts, it was big news.

Now Boxford postmaster Richard Haining is organising a family day event to commemorate the trip - including playing football – at the village's playing field on Easter Sunday.

Mr Haining, who went on the trip himself, has set up a display of memorabilia in the post office, including cuttings from the Free Press, which reported at the time: "It seems improbable that any club of such small stature has undertaken such an ambitious journey."

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When he first took up bowls at the age of 53, Lea Blackham never dreamed he would one day be good enough to represent his country.

But, 15 years on, the Boxford Bowls Club chairman is digesting the news he is set to be part of an England Over-50s side looking to end a poor recent run in the four nations tournament, the National Senior Double Rink competition.

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Boxford residents are celebrating the defeat of controversial housing proposals, after a planning inspector upheld a decision to refuse permission on the grounds of highway safety.

The Planning Inspectorate dismissed an appeal from Landex Ltd this week, regarding Babergh District Council's refusal of an application for up to 24 homes on land off Daking Avenue.

The application, which was considered the second phase of the Goodlands development, was narrowly rejected by Babergh's planning committee a year ago, following heavy opposition locally due to existing traffic issues and safety concerns in nearby Swan Street.

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The life-size silhouette of a Tommy - the nickname for a British soldier - stands proud at Groton war memorial.

The metal figure is part of a campaign by the charity Remembered to commemorate the centenary of the end of the First World War in 1918.

Boxford Bike Club raised £750 to buy the Tommy figure, with villagers close to raising enough for a second.

Village butcher Alan Leeder, treasurer of the bike club, was instrumental in getting the funding after learning about the campaign.

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Boxford held its 21st open gardens event, attracting hundreds of visitors to the village on Sunday.

A total of 27 gardens were open to the public with a free mini bus available to ferry people around to admire, and view, the carefully-tended gardens on show.

Village volunteers baked cakes and served refreshments for visitors in the village hall, and a newly-formed choir called Madrigalia entertained the crowds, all helping to raise around £3,700 for St Mary’s Church.

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An annual cycling event featuring 550 riders has been postponed because the route is "peppered" with potholes, organisers said. The Boxford Tornado in south Suffolk was due to take place on Sunday. But the organising committee said, having risk-assessed the route, the road conditions were "unsafe" for a mass-participation event. Suffolk County Council said it was working through a "backlog" of road repairs after the "worst winter".

Boxford Tornado's organising committee said the decision to postpone "has not been taken lightly" and it had been rescheduled for 1 July.

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Villagers have launched a campaign to keep their postman from being forced to leave his round in Boxford.

Royal Mail has confirmed it is rearranging postal rounds in the district and a more senior postman has been allocated to Kevin Pike's round.

Resident David Lamming, of Holbrook Barn Road, said: "Four years ago, when Royal Mail was proposing the reallocation of rounds in the Sudbury area, a successful campaign by Boxford residents ensured that Kevin would remain the village's postman.

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Controversial proposals to build 24 new homes on land near the heart of Boxford have been thrown out by Babergh council’s planning committee – against the advice of their officers.

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An autumn music concert is being held in Boxford to raise funds to restore a church organ to its former glory.

St Mary's Church has set itself the challenge of raising £17,000 to cover the cost of repairing its treasured centre piece.

David Felstead, one of two organists at the village church, said he thought the organ had been made by William Hill and Sons sometime in the 1800s.

"We're restoring the organ to its original condition," said Mr Felstead, who is organising the fundraising event.

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A singer from Boxford, who has suffered from mental health issues, has recorded a song to raise funds for a charity close to his heart.

Jobie Baker, of Marsh Road, has suffered with anxiety for many years, as well as revealing to family and friends that he is gay.

The 24-year-old found help in the form of Mid and North East Essex Mind, which supports and empowers children and adults who experience emotional or mental health conditions.

The charity supported Jobie during a difficult stage in his life and now he wants to raise awareness of the support network it offers.

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A Boxford groundsman who found a winning lottery ticket stuffed in his wallet a month after the draw says the windfall "will take a while to sink in".

Martin Crighton, 46, who scooped £1million on the Euromillions UK Millionaire Maker draw on August 15, read an article about the unclaimed prize in the area and decided to check his tickets.

After finding a ticket he bought from Londis in Lady Lane, Hadleigh, among receipts and business cards in his wallet, Martin was amazed to see the winning code in front of him.

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Boxford Stores has a trading history dating back to 1420. It’s thought to be the oldest shop in Britain, but for the two years before my business partner and I bought it in 2015, it had fallen on hard times. The previous owner had died and, although the Post Office remained open, there was no interest in keeping the shop going.

A friend approached me with the idea of running it, and originally I was to be the sleeping partner. I already owned The Village Deli in nearby Bures with my sisters. But it wasn’t as easy as he thought it was going to be. There was a lot of work that needed doing to the Grade II listed shop and I ended up being much more involved. For the past nine months it has just been me.

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For the first time in the club's history Boxford Bowls Club has two teams in the Sudbury Mixed Triple League (SMTL) this season.

The first match for both teams ('A' and 'B') pitted them against one another last week.

A game of friendly rivalry ensued and resulted in 'B' beating 'A' on all three rinks, winning by 56 shots to 44 and taking all five points.

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The Fleece Hotel in Boxford raised more than £1,100 for the Motor Neurone Disease Association at a black tie fundraising evening.

At the event held earlier this month, guests were treated to a three-course meal, followed by auction to raise funds from the charity.

Fleece Hotel landlord Ben Wase said: “The evening was a resounding success. It was great to see the community come together to raise money and awareness for such an important cause.

"We are overjoyed with the amount raised and can't wait for our next fundraising event. We'd like to thank all the businesses that donated prizes and to our guests for supporting the evening."

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Contractors have refused to finish off painting a "slow" sign as half of the word was "outside the permitted area".

UK Power Networks contractors repainted the "SL" after they laid down cabling and resurfaced part of Sand Hill in Boxford, near Ipswich.

They said the remainder of the road markings were outside what the company was "permitted to remedy" by Suffolk County Council.

The county council said the defect would be rectified.

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Villagers turned out in force to oppose plans for more homes to be built as part of a second phase of development in Boxford.

Boxford Parish Council held a public meeting on Monday night to hear people’s views on plans by developer Landex to build up to 24 new homes at Goodlands, off Daking Avenue.

Parish council chairman Julian Fincham-Jacques said the hall was packed for the two-hour meeting, with the consensus opposing the development, which includes eight affordable homes.

"No-one spoke in favour of it at all," he said. "There were a number of issues against the application, including traffic in Swan Street, which remains the main access to the development site.

"There were worries about how traffic would impact on the area, and traffic fumes in Swan Street, and there were concerns about flooding."

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History rubs shoulders with the bustle of modern life in the ancient wool town and its village neighbour

At the heart of Suffolk, amid gently rolling countryside and meandering rivers lies Hadleigh, a busy market town that mixes a fascinating history with everything you need for modern life.
Hadleigh is a Suffolk Wool Town, with all the hallmarks of medieval wealth built on the wool trade, including half-timbered merchant's houses, and a fine 15th century Guildhall. The town has 246 historic listed buildings in total, including a magnificent medieval church, and pink washed cottages that are synonymous with Suffolk.

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James Cartlidge MP has planted an oak tree in Boxford to highlight the importance of conservation work in South Suffolk. The tree is on land owned by the Woodland Trust, who manage nearby Primrose Wood on the upper side of the River Box.

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New private homes built in Boxford have all been sold to people with a connection to the village, developers have confirmed.

Suffolk Housing, the Bury-based housing association, has completed the sale of five private properties on Station Field for the first time in its 42-year history.

It sold two three-bedroomed houses and three two-bedroomed bungalows through its subsidiary company Linnet Sales and Lettings and confirmed that all five homes were sold to people with a connection to the village, which was part of a section 106 agreement that Babergh District Council added to the planning consent for the homes.

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'My daughters call us The Hobbits...' Hazel Buchanan's one of the folk opening their gates to the public for Boxford's big day.

The family garden near Sudbury was most definitely dad's territory. Hazel, one of eight children, knew that. "We were never allowed to touch the garden. My father was very strict. He wasn't into letting children dabble in gardening or even sowing seeds. Very stereotyped."

Actually, thinking about it, he did soften every now and again. "I used to watch him digging up new potatoes and he'd let me ferret for them. When he was turning the soil over, you'd see millipedes and centipedes."

That doubtless fostered a fascination with and love of wildlife that endures today, and which is manifested in her own garden.

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School dinner lady Doreen Jarmin got a big surprise when she went on a "training" course this week.

But instead of learning all about school policies, she found herself the centre of attention at a surprise party to celebrate her 50 years’ long service as dinner lady at Boxford Primary School.

Mrs Jarmin, 86, of Ash Street, Boxford, has fed at least three generations of children at the school - possibly even four by now, she says.

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Doreen Jarmin, 86, started her career as a school dinner lady at Boxford Primary School in 1966. And after 50 years in the job she has no intention of retiring yet because she still "loves" what she does.
She says her work, which entails everything from supervising students in the dinner hall to looking out for them in the school yard, is part of her daily routine and that she would be "lost without it".
"I have always loved my job and I really enjoy looking after the kids - they are sweet little things and I get to see them change as they grow up," said Mrs Jarmin, who is the longest serving member of staff at the school.
"It fills my day up and is somewhere to go every day. The headteacher says I am the only person who hates the school holidays."

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Boxford has been named 10th in the best villages in the south of Britain by the Times newspaper.
Whether it's because of the traditional shops and pubs, the quaint historic cottages or the stunning surrounding countryside, few could deny that Boxford is a great place to live.

Boasting the oldest shop in Britain, which has just been lovingly brought back to life, and Europe's oldest recorded working garage, the Suffolk village is steeped in history but also has a thriving modern community.
Enviably placed on the River Box in between three major towns and a mere 50-minute commute from London, Boxford has now been included in The Times newspaper's '40 best villages in Britain' and is listed as the 10th most desirable in the south of the country.

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A Boxford nursery which also operates a breakfast, after school and holiday club for children up to 12 has received an outstanding rating from Ofsted.

Sunflowers Childcare is based in a single-storey cabin built in 2011 in the grounds of Boxford Primary School.

It has 105 families registered on its books and, as well as catering for children who attend the primary school, it offers clubs in the school holidays.

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A village shop in west Suffolk which is believed to be the oldest in Britain is set to reopen on Saturday.

The Grade II-listed Boxford Stores, which has a recorded trading history dating back to 1420, used to house a general store and post office.
But in May 2013, its future was thrown into doubt after the owner, Catherine Lee, died and there was little interest from buyers prepared to take the shop on as a going concern. In the meantime due to pressure from locals, the post office has been kept running. Then in May this year, the shop and adjoining house in Swan Street were bought by Lawrence Mott, who owns Motts Body Repair Specialists in Stoke By Nayland.
Two local businessmen approached Mr Mott with their ideas for how the shop could work, and today will see their plans come to fruition.

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Three employees at a family farm have been awarded accolades after notching up a total of 114 years' service between them.

The trio, who are employed at Boxford Suffolk Farms and Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf & Spa, were presented with Long Service Awards at this year's Suffolk Show.

David Whymark started work at Boxford Suffolk Farms 41 years ago at the age of 16. He had no qualifications and was dyslexic, although this wasn't a condition recognised in those days. His first job was cleaning out blackcurrant buckets and he went on to work in the orchards and packhouse, depending on the season.
He is now workshop manager, and he is justifiably proud to have also gained a 2:1 degree in agriculture from Writtle College at the age of 43, having studied there one day a week for four years.
David said: "I've seen a lot of changes over the years - we used to grow 187 trees to the hectare and we now grow 4,000 trees to the hectare on our new plantations. We also now use computerised trickle irrigation systems in the new orchards instead of the old fashioned rain guns which wasted a lot of water."
David's mother, Eileen, worked for the Peake family as a cook at the golf club for 17 years during the 1970s and 80s.

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Downsizing doesn't mean having to accept second-best in the garden. Steven Russell discovers the hints of Italy and Cornwall behind a Suffolk village... and, by the by, hears how an ex-SAS action man-turned-author came to live in the county

It was in 1979 that John Kirby and Joe Barrett left south London for our neck of the woods. For a house in Mersea Road, Colchester. It was something of a voyage of discovery. John admits they hadn't even known of Colchester's proud military heritage. "Looking out the window that very first morning, we saw a squad of soldiers marching past in nuclear fallout gear. That's when we realised we might be in an army town. A couple of Dumbos! Honestly..."

Not that it mattered. Of more interest was the pleasing irregular shape of their new garden - much bigger and more intriguing than the small plot they'd had in Peckham - and the opportunities it presented. John and Joe have had several homes and gardens since, but they haven't left East Anglia and don't intend to.

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Apple grower Boxford (Suffolk) Farms has won the national Top Fruit Grower of the Year title at the 2015 UK Grower Awards in London.

The family business, which also created the Copella fruit juice brand (later sold to Tropicana and now part of Pepsico) and the Stoke by Nayland Hotel, Golf and Spa, was recognised for the innovative technology and growing systems in which it has invested in over the last 10 years.

Particular focus has been placed on planting intensive systems, with environmentally friendly irrigation and the most suitable apple varieties - both traditional and new - all maximising and protecting yield while minimising the environmental impact.

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Steven Russell gets a few stories and tips from three women who help make the Boxford open gardens day happen - including the owner of the 'Plonk It Garden'.
It's Maggie we have to thank. Well, Maggie and late husband Barry. They'd been living in Boxford less than a couple of years when they started something good. Something that's lasted.
The Thorpes moved to Suffolk from Buckinghamshire - keen DIYer Barry hoping for something he could sink his teeth into and Maggie more focused on horticulture.
They found it in Swan Street and a home more than 500 years old. While Barry got the house shipshape, his wife laid out from scratch a classic patio garden with parterres.
"People said it was lovely and I thought 'Why don't we make some use of it and make some money for the church?' (Barry was on the parochial church council.) Then I went round Boxford, asking people with nice gardens if they would join in, and it grew.

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Three of Boxford's four village businesses are up for sale or in the process of being sold.
Joy Stowe, owner of the Boxford Village Stores in Swan Street, is looking to retire this year after running her convenience store for nearly 50 years.
It is the third shop in the village to go on the market in the last 18 months and leaves the butcher's shop in Swan Street as the only premises not for sale.

The historic 600-year-old Bridge House, a five-bedroom house in Swan Street which is run as a post office and village store, has a buyer and the sale is at an advanced stage, according to agent Jackson-Stops & Staff.
The guide price for the Grade-II listed building was £499,000 and it went up for sale following the death of its owner, Catherine Lee, in January 2012.

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"YOU DO KNOW that there's a lion buried outside, in that courtyard, don't you?" asked one of the regulars, just as I was leaving a quiet country pub.

I didn't. It was early on a December afternoon in Boxford, Suffolk, that I accidentally stumbled upon the story of an almost-forgotten Great British eccentric, Tornado Smith, a Thirties Wall-of-Death stunt motorcyclist.

The village of Boxford is chiefly known for having hosted some good jazz concerts in recent years at the Fleece, one of its two pubs. It was, however, from its other hostelry, the White Hart, that the tale of the stunt rider and his pet lion emerged. The lion, actually a 12-stone lioness named Briton, had been part of George "Tornado" Smith's Wall-of-Death act during the Thirties. As a cub, she had initially ridden on the handlebars of his Indian Scout motorbike. Once she was fully grown, she rode in a sidecar, while he performed daring stunts for his audiences.

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• Boxford Stores in Suffolk under threat after 94-year-old owner dies
• It has been at the centre of the little village for centuries
• Historians discovered it was first used as a warehouse in 1420
• Over time it has been a butchers, greengrocers, ironmongers and drapers
• Sub-postmaster Richard Gates, 68, says it's vital shop stays open
• In extraordinary coincidence, village is also home to country's oldest garage

It has been standing for 600 years, but the future of Britain's oldest shop is shrouded in doubt today after it was put up for sale.

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Boxford News closed as a mark of respect on Tuesday for the funeral of former owner Mary Riddleston, who died at the age of 92.

Following a stroke earlier this year, Mrs Riddleston was recovering at her home in Brook Hall Road, but died on Easter Sunday. She lived with her daughter Liz Corner and son-in-law Fred Corner.
Boxford News, which is currently up for sale, placed a letter to customers in its window saying it would be closed for her memorial service at St Mary's Church in Boxford on Tuesday afternoon.
Mrs Riddleston and her late husband Herbert ran H D and E M Riddleston newsagents in Boxford for 37 years, 12 of which she ran single-handedly, and it was known affectionately as Mary's.
The daughter of local entrepreneur Newton Rule and his wife Eveline, Mrs Riddleston was born and educated in Boxford.

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