HER father built it and his father bought the first piece of meat to be sold in it 40 years ago. That s the story of the family butchers run by Trevor and Ann Buddle in Statfold Green, Warboys, who celebrated their 40th year in business this week. The co

HER father built it and his father bought the first piece of meat to be sold in it 40 years ago.

That's the story of the family butchers run by Trevor and Ann Buddle in Statfold Green, Warboys, who celebrated their 40th year in business this week.

The couple opened their doors for the first time on September 19, 1966, after Ann's father Ray, a local builder, had finished building the shop.

Mr Buddle, 63, who was born in Somersham, said: "It's incredible to think we've been in the same place here for 40 years.

"We still have customers who shopped with us when we first opened and our first customer, Mrs Arnold, still shops with us today - and she still takes a shoulder of lamb."

Mr and Mrs Buddle have two children, Peter and Jo, and four grandchildren who are always on hand to help out when necessary.

Mr Buddle said: "Once upon a time we kept our own pigs, poultry and cattle but I decided a few years ago that I was too old to be getting up at 5.30am every morning.

"We're the only butchers left in Warboys though, when we first started, there were three others but one by one they've closed down over the years. I put our longevity down to lots of early starts and 110 per cent commitment."

Warboys-born Mrs Buddle, 61, has decorated the shop window every Christmas since 1966 and she always makes sure to include a robin at her customers' insistence.

Forty years in business isn't the only celebration for the Buddles - the couple celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary on October 17 - not that they had a chance to honeymoon, as Mrs Buddle remembers: "We took the Monday afternoon off to get married and had a drink in the evening but we were up the next morning to open the shop, no chance of a honeymoon or anything like that."

Mr Buddle said: "We haven't even thought about what might happen to the shop after we finish. We've certainly got no plans to stop any time in the near future."