Camelot Creature Comforts is another pet shop well worth a visit which serves the Chettisham, Ely, Littleport and surrounding areas. This family business prides itself on good value for money catering for all types of animals in a setting which were originally horse stables.
Just drive past the Littleport Leisure Centre in Camel Road, past Sharman’s Garden Centre and across the A10 you will find The Willows, 3 Hale Fen by turning left and into a vast farm type space where you are usually greeted by three happy small pooches and the affable owners John and Alison Bushe.
John, who is a Gooner, (Arsenal supporter in football parlance) is only too happy to welcome you in, show you around and advise when needed. Usually you can happily lose yourself just browsing through the vast array of food and treats and accessories displayed in several single separate stables from provisions for cats, dogs, horses, reptiles and fish to bulk farm and horse feed.
“We have lived here just 8 years in April, but the shop started up just over 2 years ago and we have lots of horses here who are either retired or current show jumpers which my 23 year old daughter Elizabeth now rides,” said John Elizabeth is a keen amateur jockey and is pursuing equine studies in a degree course at Warwick University.
Ex Jockey and trainer John told Littleport Life how he came to be running Camelot Creature Comforts.
“Needing to buy some horse feed we went along to Camelot Creature Comforts to purchase some from the proprietor Barbara. Having been in the business for 24years, she told us that she was going to retire and that it was up for sale but no one was interested in taking it on. It only took me 30 seconds to decide that I was going to buy the business and that is what we did,” revealed John, who at 65 says he now has to get help every Monday mornings unloading 3 tons of feed. Wife Alison helps out with all the accounts, ordering, the VAT as well as caring for her mother who lives with them next door who unfortunately suffers from Alzheimer’s.
Every year John and Alison run an Alzheimer’s charity event at Hale Farm and this year they are holding a couple of their fundraising fun dog shows. One is possibly scheduled for June 14th, the date of which John is still to confirm. He is delighted to report that last year’s event raised £500 for the charity.