A FAMILY'S reign at Monkokehampton Post Office is coming to an end after 100 years.

Sub Postmistress Enid Stentiford, whose aunt and grandfather both ran the service, is retiring on March 19 at the age of 72.

Mrs Stentiford will keep the village shop open but with no interest in the post office vacancy as yet, it looks likely that the service may be lost to the village.

'I am getting older and sometimes you just have to give things up,' said the sub postmistress. 'I wanted to continue doing something and for the sake of the villagers I will carry on with the shop, providing milk and bread and fresh items from the bakery as I did before.'

Mrs Stentiford's grandfather John Vanstone ran the post office when it first came to Monkokehampton 100 years ago and her aunt Amy Weekes was his successor.

Thirty-two years ago, Mrs Stentiford, who lived next door to the post office as a child and frequently helped out her aunt, took over the job and in 1998 her services to the village were recognised when she was invited to attend a garden party at Buckingham Palace.

She said with all her family living away from the area and with their own careers, no-one was interested in carrying on the post office tradition at Monkokehampton.

'After being in the family so long, it is sad, but it's just one of those things— we have had a good run,' she said.

Mrs Stentiford is a churchwarden and branch leader of the Mothers' Union and she has also played the church organ for 59 years.

Parish councillor Barbara Pearce said it was disappointing that the village would be without a post office.

'The heart of the village is dwindling away — the post office has been a contact point in Monkokehampton and it is sad that we will no longer have this.

'Enid Stentiford, who has been born and bred here, is such a loyal villager but being past retirement age we understand why she no longer wants to run both the post office and the shop.'

Press officer for Post Office Counters Pam Johns said a replacement for Mrs Stentiford was still actively being sought but no-one had come forward in three months.

'We would be delighted to hear from anybody who feels that they can get this service back to the community,' she said.

She added the Post Office had a duty to provide a service in rural communities and the increase in the number of rural post offices closing was a big concern.

'It is very much dependent on finding the right person and often the right premises to run the service,' she said.

Mrs Johns said although it appeared that some people were giving up because of the automation of the post office, many sub postmasters and mistresses had done the job for years and years and wanted to pack up anyway.

'Our computerised equipment is fundamental to the survival of the post office network,' she said. 'With the benefits work being transferred to the banks we will lose 40 per cent of our business so it is vital we have a computerised network system to compete for new business.'

Villagers in Monkokehampton are being advised to use the post office at Hatherleigh.

If anyone is interested in taking over the post office in Monkokehampton they should call the recruitment line on 01845 722334.