EXHIBIT 99.1





PRESS RELEASE


NEW ENGLAND BANCSHARES, INC.

CONTACT:
David J. O'Connor
President and Chief Executive Officer
(860) 253-5200


                          NEW ENGLAND BANCSHARES, INC.
                            ANNOUNCES RESULTS OF THE
                         ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS

      Enfield, Connecticut, November 14, 2003 - David J. O'Connor, President and
Chief Executive  Officer of New England  Bancshares,  Inc. (the "Company") (OTC:
NEBS) announced that at the Annual Meeting of Shareholders  held yesterday,  the
shareholders  of the Company  approved the issuance of shares in connection with
the pending merger with Windsor Locks  Community  Bank,  FSL,  Windsor Locks, CT
("Windsor Locks"), elected Edward C. Allen, Myron J. Marek, and Lucien P. Bolduc
as directors for  three-year  terms and ratified the  appointment  of Shatswell,
MacLeod & Company,  P.C. as  independent  auditors of the Company for the fiscal
year ending March 31, 2004. The Company also reported that they had been advised
by Windsor  Locks that the  members of Windsor  Locks  approved  the merger at a
meeting  held  yesterday.  The merger with Windsor  Locks and share  issuance is
expected to be completed by the end of 2003.

      New England Bancshares, Inc. is headquartered in Enfield, Connecticut, and
operates  Enfield Federal Savings and Loan  Association with six banking centers
servicing the communities of Enfield,  Manchester,  Suffield, and Windsor Locks.
For more information  regarding  Enfield 's products and services,  please visit
www.enfieldfederal.com.
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