Couple who ran post office for 57 years to retire

Irene and David Spall (middle) will retire on Tuesday and thanked assistants Tracey Peters (far left) and Sheila Hawes (far right) for their help

A Post Office is to shut as a couple who have been running it for 57 years are due to retire.

David and Irene Spall have been at the helm of the Post Office in the village of Horham near Eye, Suffolk, since November 1967.

They thanked customers for their "long and loyal support" over the years ahead of their last day on Tuesday.

A Post Office spokesperson said it did not plan to reopen the branch and understood any inconvenience caused.

"We moved to Horham in 1967," Mr and Mrs Spall said in a joint statement.

"We have met lots of lovely people and made lots of friends.

"We really want to thank our customers for their long and loyal support over the past 57 years.

"We couldn’t have done it without the help of our two assistants Sheila Hawes and Tracey Peters.

"The time is now right for us to retire. This is the end of an era."

Stradbroke post office will be open for customers in Horham to make use of

When the couple took over the branch in 1967, they added an extension in order to open the village shop.

During the more recent Covid-19 pandemic, they kept the Post Office fully open in order to provide essential services which they were thanked for by then Labour MP of Central Suffolk and North Ipswich, Daniel Poulter.

Shervorne Page, Post Office area manager, thanked the couple for "all that they have done for their community since 1967".

"They really care about the people of Horham and the nearby communities that they have served," she added.

"I wish them a well-earned retirement."

A spokesperson for the Post Office said it would not reopen the Horham branch but the Stradbroke post office was located close by.

"We understand that it will be an inconvenience for some local residents to travel to Stradbroke to access our products and services," they added.

"However, the branch is open six days a week and we hope that local residents will be able to visit at a time that suits them."