A beloved village postal worker is finally set to take paid retirement as the post office prepares for a change in ownership.
Raglan Postmistress Marion Watkins is taking paid retirement after serving the Monmouthshire village since 1961.
A lifelong Raglan resident, Marion opened the Village Grocery Store in High Street in 1961 with her husband Dillwyn. They had two children and then moved to larger premises in Raglan in 1968 and opened a supermarket.
It then took over the Raglan Post Office in 1978, first on the premises of the Central Store, before moving to the site of the old shop on the same street in the 1980s.
Dillwyn served as Postmaster until he sadly passed away in 2018, after which Marion became Postmistress.
Their son, Andrew, has been the supermarket manager for many years.
The last few years have been difficult due to the coronavirus pandemic, so his family decided it was time to retire.
The main supermarket will close in November to make way for it to become a Tesco store.
The Raglan Post Office and shop will officially close on Saturday October 5th and reopen at 1pm on Monday October 7th at the Gulf Garage across the road with new owners.
Marion Watkins said: “I was a local girl who loved serving the community. Now, at 86 years old, it’s time for me to retire.
“I am very pleased that Raglan maintains a busy and much-needed post office.
“There are no banks in the area, so residents and businesses don’t have to travel elsewhere, and we have so many banking transactions with all the major high street banks that Raglan Post Office is the de facto bank. It becomes.
“Raglan Post Office is a savior for the banking industry.
“Due to COVID-19, the Post Office was at full capacity delivering all essential services such as shipping parcels, paying bills and handling home shopping returns.
“People want to stay local and the supermarkets, my son Andrew and my grandson, have also been busy with free deliveries to vulnerable people who have to stay at home. So now it’s time to relax.
“In my lifetime, Raglan has had five different postmasters, three different locations, and we’re about to have a fourth.”
Neil Jenkins, Post Office Area Manager, said:
“For 46 years, Dillwyn and then Marion have been at the helm of Raglan Post Office and have done a fantastic job.
“We wish Marion and Andrew a meaningful retirement. They were truly at the heart of the community.”
