Sponsored by
Last post for village services
TWO more north Northumberland villages lost their Post Office services this week.
North Sunderland and Bamburgh are the latest casualties of Post Office Ltd's decision to axe a number of services throughout the area.
The hit-list, which was announced in September, has already seen Longframlington and North Broomhill chopped, while Milfield, Doddington, and Netherton are set to meet the same fate.
The closure of the Bamburgh and North Sunderland branches signalled the end of an era for postmistress Judith Herriott.
Judith took over at North Sunderland on November 16, 1990. And about three-and-a-half years ago, alongside assistant Christine Williamson, she opened a service at Bamburgh's Victoria Hotel.
Judith, 60, admitted that the closure was sad for the village.
But she said: "I have had very loyal customers over the years and I want to say a huge thank you to everybody.
"And I want to thank Christine for her help. Everybody should have a Christine. I couldn't have managed without her."
She added: "I can retire now and I am looking forward to that."
Customers at North Sunderland paid tribute to her service yesterday afternoon after the branch shut its doors for the last time.
And at Bamburgh, which closed at midday on Monday, residents young and old thanked Judith and Christine for their work.
Bamburgh parish councillor Judy Cowen said: "They manned an excellent Post Office and provided a wonderful service in Bamburgh. It was very good of them to do it."
Residents in North Sunderland will now have to make the journey to Seahouses while people in Bamburgh have to use either Seahouses or Belford.
Bamburgh will be receiving a postal service via a Post Bus in January.
But Coun Cowen added: "We will not have a post office during the Christmas period.
"And while we are fortunate in receiving a postal service from the Post Bus in January, the difficulty is that we will not get enough hours from it."
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Northumberland
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 15 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 8 C to 14 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: North east
