ALMOST a century of family tradition will end next week when sub-postmaster Bill Spence closes a North Yorkshire post office for the last time.

The post office at Ampleforth College, near Helmsley, opened in 1916 and was taken over by Bill's in-laws in the 1920s.

Bill said he married into the business after meeting Joan, who was running the post office with her mother.

He has continued to run the service with their twin daughters, Geraldine and Judith, for the past four years since Joan's death in 1999.

Despite his decision to retire now from the post office, Bill has no plans to slow down as he is preparing to take up his other career full time - as he works on his 57th book.

"I was writing during the day when the post office was open while my wife and daughters were running it and I would break off when they were getting busy," he said.

"I am going to have more time now so I will see how it goes."

Bill, who is writing his 13th historical saga under the name of Jessica Blair, said working at the college post office had been a memorable experience. He said: "Until the college started taking girls we were serving an almost exclusively male clientele, even though it is a public office on the main road. The monastery really does have its own atmosphere.

"When we decided we had to close it was rather sad because it was breaking family tradition.

"But really with all the changes that are taking place in the post office with banking systems we are rather glad."

Bill, who is now 80, said daughter Geraldine would be spending more time with her family in Bolton, while Judith would become his secretary, to give him more time to write.

Talks are under way with staff at the abbey and college to see if an alternative site can be found for the service, he said, although a post office is still available further along the road in Ampleforth village.

Updated: 10:47 Saturday, August 02, 2003