Claverley Postmistress to retire aged 93
Claverley Postmistress, Kay White, who is the UK’s oldest Postmistress, has made the difficult decision to retire at 93-years-old after one last Christmas serving customers.
Kay has been Postmistress of her Shropshire branch for 60 years, but amazingly she has worked at the Post Office and shop for nearly 80 years. Kay started working there in 1941, during WW2, when she was just 14-years-old.
Kay is still a regular face at Claverley Post Office serving customers alongside her niece, Ann Madeley, who is 74 years young! Claverley is a small hamlet on the boarder of Shropshire and the West Midlands – one of the last truly rural Post Offices.
Claverley Post Office was closed for the initial COVID-19 lockdown, but was soon to open its door again once Government restrictions were lifted. Kay and Ann were delighted to be back serving the villagers that they missed and during this time Kay notched up her Diamond anniversary as Postmistress.
Postmistress Kay White, said: “We are very sad to be closing, I never made plans to retire, but we have discussed this as a family and we have decided that the time is now right. Our customers are incredibly sad too, as this is the end of an era – but equally are very grateful for us keeping open for so long. We will really miss the people and they will miss us. We know our customers so well as we have been serving them for so long, so we have a good chit chat. Serving people has also kept my brain active. Claverley is a beautiful village. I have lived my life here and have never wanted to move anywhere else.”
Nick Read, Chief Executive at the Post Office, said: “I want to sincerely thank Kay, our oldest Postmistress, for her amazing long-service with 60 years in the role. Kay has been very loyal and dedicated to serving the community of Claverley for nearly 80 years. What a truly remarkable achievement. Kay and her niece, Ann, are much loved and appreciated by the village and they will be sorely missed. We wish them both well-earned retirements.”
In 2010 Kay was awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours for her services to the community. As well as being busy as the village Postmistress, Kay spent 38 years spent on the Parish Council, ran the Sunday School at All Saints Church for more than 20 years and founded the local Women’s Institute.
Claverley Post Office will be closing on 31 December. The Post Office says that new ways to maintain Post Office services to the area are being looked at with current alternative branches available at Bobbington and Worfield.
