AS a campaign to save 20 post offices across Huddersfield gathers support, villagers in Holmbridge celebrated a rare experience - the opening of a new one.

Mrs Kath Bellamy is the new sub postmistress at the shop which adjoins Corn Loft Guest House, in Woodhead Road.

She has run the guest house with her husband Trevor for the past 12 years.

But the couple also decided to try running a post office.

The doors opened yesterday. Mr Bellamy said they were both looking forward to the new venture.

"The opening hours are very much what the local people want. We sent out flyers asking people for their comments and what hours they would prefer us to be open.

"The response we got was absolutely amazing - it was almost 100% so it certainly looked like it was a service that people wanted.

"We are doing the whole range of services that a normal sub post office offers. Kath has been on a course and for the first days an experienced post office worker will work alongside her.

"There are hundreds of forms to get used to!" he said.

And the couple enjoyed their first day. Mrs Bellamy said: "It was much busier than we expected.

"People seem delighted we are here and it's a great way of meeting people.

"It's a way of doing something for the community."

The new post office was originally Hinchcliffe Mill village store.

Mr Bellamy said they had reduced the number of people they can accommodate at the guest house by one - to five people - to enable them to fit out the post office.

The post office will open from 9am to 2pm every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.

Meanwhile a campaign to save threatened sub post offices across Huddersfield is gathering speed.

Golcar's Liberal Democrat councillor Robert Iredale said 1,200 questionnaires had been sent out to people living around the James Street and Leymoor Road post offices - two of those threatened with the axe.

"We have had around 400 replies in a matter of days and we will be replying to each and every one.

"We have also had a lot of letters from people saying how terrible the proposed closures are and how they will affect the weakest members of society," he said.

He said the closures would also have an effect on other shops in the village.

"I know the butcher in James Street in Golcar is concerned."

Similar questionnaires have also been posted to local residents in the Birkby and Dalton wards, where again offices are threatened.

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