New lease of life for Chieveley Post Office

Harry Patel has taken on the task of getting the village branch up and running again

CHIEVELEY Post Office is to re-open.

Closed four years ago after the previous owner of Chieveley Village Stores withdrew the use, Harry Patel, aged 44, of Woodcote, Curridge, has taken on the task of getting the branch up and running again.

Mr Patel, who has never run a post office before, purchased the store in January 2010, and 16 months later, a grand opening is to take place on Monday, May 23.

“I was looking to purchase another business. The Post Office want to make sure it would be viable before they give permission so I had to prove to them I could make a go of it,” Mr Patel said.

“It looked run down inside so this was a great opportunity to to refurbish the village store too and get it looking good inside. People have been asking what is going on and have been very positive, everyone is talking about it.”

A Post Office Ltd spokesman, Richard Hall, said: “Since the closure we have been actively working in the area to find an alternative way of providing post office services to our customers in the local community.”

Customers will be able to transact a wide range of services including automated banking services, bill and budget payment schemes, Post Office card account, Postal Orders and postage, and inland and international letters or packets.

The district council ward member for Chieveley, Hilary Cole (Con) said: “The return of a post office to Chieveley comes as a great relief to all sectors of our village community and is an excellent example of how the various strands of a community can work together to achive a successful outcome.”

The post office, which along with the first Chieveley telephone exchange, was situated in the shop, has moved homes several times. It has always been within 200 yeards of its present site.

It returned to the shop in 1974, and has been there ever since.