A week may be a long time in politics but a minute in a supermarket to fill your trolley free of charge?

Cambs Times: Co-op High St Soham, trolley dash. Charlene Smith in action. Picture: Steve Williams.Co-op High St Soham, trolley dash. Charlene Smith in action. Picture: Steve Williams. (Image: Archant)

That was both the excitement and dilemma for Pat Peacock of Soham who won the Ely Standard ‘trolley-dash’ competition in conjunction with the local branch of the Co-operative Society.

Pat felt she couldn’t do the competition win justice and so, with everyone in agreement, her daughter Charlene, stepped in for the challenge.

Which is why at precisely 11am today Charlene began the race of her life up and down the aisles of Soham Co-op filling her trolley as fast as she could before the whistle blew to bring the challenge to a halt.

Charlene was delighted with her haul but store manager Richard Hawes looked disappointed – not at how well she’d done but at what she might have achieved!

Cambs Times: Co-op High St Soham, trolley dash. Left: John Elworthy Editor of Ely Standard, Grandson Archie Peacock, Pat Peacock winner of the trolley dash and Daughter Charlene Smith. Picture: Steve Williams.Co-op High St Soham, trolley dash. Left: John Elworthy Editor of Ely Standard, Grandson Archie Peacock, Pat Peacock winner of the trolley dash and Daughter Charlene Smith. Picture: Steve Williams. (Image: Archant)

Which is why moments later he came to the check out to mention to Charlene she’d “dropped” a joint of beef, some chops and some of the store’s Christmas treats.

Charlene was “breathless but delighted” as store staff totted up her haul – a comfortable £100 plus worth of shopping- and helped pack it.

The Co-operative food store has had a complete facelift and introduced more than 500 new lines, including entire new areas such as a gluten-free range, Eastern European foods and kitchenware.

As well as the trolley dash, the Ely Standard sold goody bags to raise money for the store’s chosen charity, Soham Christmas Lights.

Editor John Elworthy watched the trolley dash and said he was “delighted” with the competition.

“The store did us proud and treated Charlene like a queen,” he said. “They couldn’t have been more friendly and supportive – we were delighted to partner them in this competition and look forward to more promotions in the future.”

Among those visiting the Ely Standard today stall today was local resident Geoff Griggs, shortly to resume his weekly column in the Soham edition of the Standard.