FAMILY and friends celebrated the life of a man many will know as one of the owners of Andover's best-known sweet shop, in the very same shop he once owned.

John Berry will be remembered by residents as one of the owners of Harveys sweet shop, which he ran alongside his wife, Christabel Berry. John and Christabel took over the running of the much-loved sweet shop after Christabel's parents, Olive and Ronald Harvey, gifted the business to her as a wedding present.

They ran the shop together until Cristabel sold the business to Darrell and Shirley Smith in 1997.

The shop continued to operate under the Harvey name but closed on February 17, 2007. At one time Harveys was known for its massive collection of sweets, being the largest selection in Hampshire, occupying the building now is Coffee 78.

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Andover Advertiser:

Caroline Woodfield, John and Christabels' daughter, said: "We are so thankful to Coffee 78 for making Dad's wake and the celebration of mum and dad's life at Harveys so very perfect.

"Henry and the team at 78 looked after us so well. I spent many happy years there as we lived above the shop when I grew up, so it was lovely to be able to go back."

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Henry, from Coffee 78, said: "I'd like to say how privileged we feel that the Berry family chose us to host such a significant day. We are thrilled about all of the feedback and general kindness as we navigate our new stage of hosting events at Coffee 78.   

"We’re very grateful for the donation of two beautiful pictures that we aim to hang on our walls for years to come. Preserving the rich history of the building is something we value dearly, and we are thankful for the opportunity to talk to our customers about the background that this building holds."

Cllr Iris Andersen said: "It was a pleasure to be part of this. No one would go past Harveys sweet shop without feeling the urge to walk in, and it has been a massive part of Andovers' history."