Final delivery as family is forced to close Shotton PO

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Final delivery as family is forced to close Shotton Post Office http://www.leaderlive.co.uk/news/153168 ... ffice.aspx" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



THE closure of a Deeside post office will end a family’s century-long involvement with the service.

Shotton post office will open its doors for the last time today after long-serving postmistress Margaret Margarson decided it was time to call it a day after 47 years of loyal service.

Her late husband John, who died last year, ran Queensferry post office for more than 60 years, becoming the third generation of his family to run it after his grandfather opened the store in 1906.

His daughter Elizabeth Prins helped take over the store following her father’s death before it moved into the Spar store in April while Mrs Margarson, 90, who is known as Peggie, continued to help run the Shotton store before deciding it was time to move on.

Mrs Prins said: “Two years ago Peggie suffered a spinal stroke which left her disabled.

“Unable to go back to work, she kept the post office going with the help of her manager Gillian Pearson and long serving staff Pamela Ithell and her daughters Pamela Christie and myself in the hope of selling or transforming the business.

“The shop had been losing money and keeping it going had been funded out of her savings and pension.”

Mrs Prins said the family had hoped the store could have been moved to within Bargain Booze in the town, but the deal fell through.

She said: “Moving the business on would have meant getting a payment from the Post Office, but being in her 90s she can wait no longer.

“Now resident in a nursing home, she is very sorry about the loss of the post office to the community.

“Peggie has enjoyed her time as the Shotton postmistress and would like to thank her many customers for supporting her and her business over nearly 50 years.”

Mrs Prins said she had personally enjoyed the experience of running the post office in Queensferry.

She said: “It’s been a great experience.

“I was the fourth generation when I took over

in Queensferry and my sister worked for my mum in Shotton.

“My mum is sad to see Shotton not having a post office and

she was hoping to keep it going until somebody new could take

it on, but it’s costing her a lot of money.

“The Post Office are still looking for somewhere in Shotton that could take it.”

Mrs Margarson’s husband John became a sub-postmaster in 1952, the year the Queen came to the throne, and ran it right up until his death.

He also ran Sandycroft post office for more than two decades.

As well as working for the Post Office for more than six decades, Mr Margarson also served in the Army, was a Justice of the Peace for more than 30 years, was a councillor and was awarded an OBE in 1997 for his charity work.

John was born above Sandycroft post office in 1924 where his father had been sub-postmaster for 25 years.

John’s grandfather had been a sub-postmaster as early as 1906, meaning the family’s involvement with the Post Office spans more than a century.