Fiveways Post Office re-opens its doors
It's been closed since January
Fiveways Post Office is to restore services to the community with a highly experienced couple who have run Post Offices for 20 years.
Long-serving Postmaster Paul Wallace retired in January after 48 years' working in Post Offices. Mike Coe, who also worked at Fiveways branch also retired in January.
Now Derek Tooze and his wife Viv will take over the Post Office in Earlham Green Lane today (29 March).
Both had been bank managers before they took on their first Post Office in Scarborough, then two down on the South coast - Hythe near Southampton and Highcliffe in Dorset.
The Toozes are really looking forward to moving to Norwich, an area that they know well as Viv's Godparents are local.
Both Derek and Viv are both looking forward to running a Post Office again. They were looking for a new challenge and they have come out of semi-retirement. They were keen to run a Post Office without a shop and this branch was ideal as the East of England Co-op run the convenience store.
Paul Wallace has worked in Post Offices for 48 years. He began working with his uncle Donny Strivens, who ran the Post Office in Lovelace Road, which open when the estate was built after World War 2.
The family rented Post Office premises from the Co-op for seven decades and Paul moved the branch into purpose-built post office on Earlham Green Lane 16 years ago.
The 63-year-old and wife Sharon, who worked for the NHS for 40 years wanted to retire together and to spend more time with their grandchildren. He kept the branch open for Christmas.
Wendy Hamilton, Post Office Network Provision Manager, said:
"We are delighted to be restoring Post Office service to the area as we know how important a Post Office is to a community. The Earlham Green area has been well served by Paul Wallace and his uncle since the branch was built. Derek, the new, very experienced Postmaster and his wife Viv will be able to hit the ground running after so many years working in Post Offices."