Eglwyswrw says farewell to its Post Office and Shop (From Tivyside Advertiser)

Eglwyswrw says farewell to its Post Office and Shop

12:14pm Monday 12th January 2009 in News

Last Saturday saw a gathering of over a 100 customers who came together during the morning to say thanks and farewell to their Shopkeeper and Postmistress Terry and Marion Jones for being the community’s rock for the last twenty-five years. Customers who were also friends were waving goodbye to a 158-year tradition of postal services within Eglwyswrw.

Tributes were led by Cllr John Davies Cwmbetws who said, ‘’whilst today is obviously a sad day for the community, it is also a day to celebrate and thank both Terry and Marion for having been loyal and gracious servants to this community for a quarter of a century. Not a day has been lost within twenty-five years when the door of this shop and PO failed to open. Whilst the Post Office organisation has failed dismally to support Eglwyswrw by prescribing its closure, Terry and Marion have travelled the extra mile at all times for the benefit of their customers and community, for that we are all truly thankful’’.

Mr Dai Morris Nantyrhelygen Fach who hardly missed a day in twenty five years said ‘ I shall miss not only the daily welcome but also the local news that wasn’t in the paper. This shop was not just a place to buy things, but it was a corner of the community where people would meet and put the world in its place. Its gone and gone forever I expect. It’s says a lot about progress when our shop closes the same week as Woolworths.’’ Mrs Mair Rees customer and next door neighbour to the shop said, ‘They have been brilliant neighbours as well as shopkeepers, Eglwyswrw has lost a valuable part of its heritage today’’.

The PO has been replaced by a daily mobile service, which will be visiting the village car park for sessions of an hour and a half.