Archive - Tuesday, 16 April 2002


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Stamp of approval for new village PO

A RYEDALE community left without a post office has been saved at the 11th hour by a former postmaster.

Villagers in Rosedale lost their post office in November 2000 and after months of searching for a new home bosses fixed April this year as the last chance for anyone to come forward.

But as the deadline loomed licensee John Belt, from the award-winning Milburn Arms, stepped in to keep the facility up and running.

And now residents in and around the village can find their own post office in the heart of the community, tucked away in a corner of the hotel reception.

The 65-year-old former policeman, who used to run a newsagents and post office in Middlesbrough, said he couldn't stand by and watch Rosedale lose its post office.

He said: "I volunteered because it was just the fact that it was going to be taken away from the village and no one would take it on.

"We sort of thought, if no one else would take it on then perhaps we should, and that's how we came into it."

For 18 months residents were left with an eight-mile journey to Pickering for the nearest post office.

Mr Belt said: "If you can imagine say a farmer with some important mail to go, he would have had to take time out from a busy day to drive into Pickering and it's just the inconvenience of it.

"We hope that people will come in and use it as it should be used."

He added: "From the hotel's point of view it's wonderful because we just throw our mail into the postbag along with all the other letters we don't even have to go out to the post box."

Parish councillor Bill Ward said: "There are about 300 folk living in and around Rosedale who relied so much on it.

"You don't realise how much you value and miss the post office until it's gone."

The post office is now open three and a half hours a day from Monday to Friday and three hours on Saturday mornings.

Mr Belt said: "People have got to remember that the post office has spent an awful lot of time and money putting this facility back in Rosedale so it's up to everyone now to support it."

Updated: 09:25 Tuesday, April 16, 2002