Best dressed shop winner in Oldmeldrum, Fashionista: Owners Elaine and Anne receive vouchers and champagne for Meldrum House Hotel from manager Paul

Best dressed shop winner in Oldmeldrum, Fashionista: Owners Elaine and Anne receive vouchers and champagne for Meldrum House Hotel from manager Paul

Last week the annual Christmas competition for the best dressed shops in Meldrum saw shop owners go head to head for first place. The event, which is sponsored by Meldrum House Hotel and Country Golf Club, saw the Meldrum Amentities Improvement Group head out and choose some of the best decorated shops in the town.

This year the worthy winner was Fashionista, owned by Elaine Penny and Anne Brand.  The pair have owned the shop for nearly three years and have never won before. Elaine said it was a “lovely surprise” when she heard that the shop had won the competition.

Elaine told the Times: “We decorated the shop inside and out with a lovely snowman outside. We had Christmas music playing throughout the store and we even had our Christmas jumpers on!”

The due don’t just make an effort on their shop at Christmas though. Elaine added: “We do a lot of work in the shop throughout the year, so it was really nice to receive recognition for that. It was an added bonus to win.”

Elaine and Anne, were presented with vouchers for lunch for four people at the Meldrum House Hotel and a bottle of champagne from hotel manager Peter Walker. The ladies plan to take advantage of their winnings fairly soon. Meldrum Amenities improvement Group, Andrew McCartney said that each year, ‘nearly all the retail business’s within the town participate with most of the shop windows creating a fabulous Christmas impact.

Andrew added: “We hope that the competition and the festive lights will assist in attracting visitors to the town over the festive season.”