A LONG-SERVING postmistress has retired after 30 years serving her community in a North Oxfordshire village.

Barbara Alt, 89, from Barford St Michael, has decided to close her farm shop and Post Office in the village near Banbury.

Mrs Alt, who is one of the Post Office's oldest postmasters, will turn 90 on March 11 and shares her birthday with her husband who will turn 100.

She became the postmaster on January 9, 1990 when she took on the Post Office located at a family farm at The Manor House off South Newington Road.

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Mrs Alt said: “I have really enjoyed running the Post Office and shop. The job became easier when the Post Office system was computerised and we no longer had to hand write lots of forms.

"I have got to know so many people in the village and many generations of the same family. Many older people and those without their own transport rely on us, so I am pleased that there are plans for an outreach Post Office.”

Over the years a farm shop was added to the Post Office and extended as well as a campsite as part of the Government encouraging farmers to diversify.

The farm went from being a dairy farm to cattle, pigs and sheep reared for meat before becoming an arable farm

The farm and camping will stay, but Mrs Alt feels that because of her age it is now time to close the shop and Post Office that she has run with her daughters Rachael and Naomi.

Many villagers have popped in to say thank you and goodbye and given cards and gifts.

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Post Office Area Manager Josh Richardson, who gifted Mrs Alt a bouquet of flowers, said: “We really want to thank Barbara for her loyal and dedicated service. It is amazing that Barbara, aged 89, has still been serving her customers.

"We know how important a Post Office is to a community and we will be restoring a service to the village as soon as possible.”

There are plans to start an outreach Post Office at Barford St Michael Village Hall.

Plans are being finalised as a new telephone line needs to be installed to provide the service. This service is due to be provided by the Postmaster for Fritwell.

With more than 11,500 branches, the Post Office network is the biggest retail network in the UK, with more branches than all the banks and building societies combined.

Ninety-seven per cent of Post Office branches are run with retail partners on an agency or franchise basis.

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Other than mail services, it provides 170 other services and products such as savings, insurance, loans, mortgages and credit cards; Government services; foreign currency, travel insurance and telephony. For more information go to postoffice.co.uk.