Ryedale | Archive | 2003 | August | 06
From the Gazette & Herald, first published Wednesday 6th Aug 2003.
ALMOST a century of family tradition was ending today (Wednesday) when sub-postmaster Bill Spence closed a Ryedale post office for the final time.
The post office at Ampleforth College, near Helmsley, opened in 1916 and was taken over by Bill's in-laws in the 1920s.
Bill married into the business when he met Joan, who was running the facility with her mother. The couple continued to run the service with their twin daughters Geraldine and Judith after Joan's death in 1999.
But there are no plans to slow down in retirement for Bill as he prepares to take up his other career full time - working on his 57th book.
"I was writing during the day when the post office was open when my wife and daughters were running it and I would break off when they were getting busy," he said.
"I am going to have more time now so I will see how it goes."
Bill, who is writing his 13th historical saga under the name of Jessica Blair, said working at the college post office had been a memorable experience.
He explained: "Until the college started taking girls we were serving an almost exclusively male clientele, even though it is a public office on the main road.
"The monastery really does have its own atmosphere. When we decided we had to close it was rather sad because it was breaking family tradition.
"But really with all the changes that are taking place in the post office with banking systems we are rather glad."
Bill, who is now 80, said daughter Geraldine would be spending more time with her family in Bolton, while Judith would become his secretary, to give him more time to write.
Talks are under way with staff at the abbey and college to see if an alternative site can be found for the facility he said, although a post office is still available down the road in Ampleforth village.
Updated: 11:07 Wednesday, August 06, 2003
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