Post Office. Main Street, Emmerdale

Emmie post office — Emmerdale Post Office in the late 1990s.

Emmerdale Post office was the village post office along Main Street, Emmerdale until January 2011. It is now Cafe Main Street and it adjoins Keepers Cottage, the first in a row of 4 terraces. It is directly opposite the Woolpack public house. The premises was first seen in the show in 1973 when it was the village shop run by Amy Postlethwaite. From 2003 onwards there was a cafe at the back of the shop, ran by Viv Hope. After the fire the premises became a full time cafe, Cafe Main Street. Farrers Barn (Davids Shop), which had just been a farm shop became the village shop.

Biography

Backstory

Beckindale village shop first opened in about 1700. Many years later in the 1940s Madge Semple lived in the flat above the shop and Amy Postlethwaite ran the shop. In early 1973 the shop was still under ownership of George Verney, the lord of the manor.

1973-1976

Beckindale store was first seen in 1973 when elderly Amy Postlethwaite ran it. She soon retired and sold the shop

Emmie shop 1974 — Mr Wilks in Beckindale shop in 1974.

to Alison Gibbons. Henry Wilks bought shares in the shop whilst also being the co landlord of The Woolpack. When Alison left Beckindale in 1974, Norah Norris worked for Henry at the shop until she walked out in protest in 1975. Mrs Dawkins took over from Norah. In May 1975 a post office was installed at the shop by Wilf Padgett. The interior of the shop and Post Office appeared regularly from June 1973 to 24 February 1976.

Emmie shop exterior 1975 — The exterior of the Post office in 1975.

Mrs Dawkins was running the shop by then.

1976-1988

From March 1976 to June 1988 the interior of the shop was seldom, if at all seen. Jack Sugden was seen going into

Emmie shop outside 1976 — Exterior of post office, 1976.

the shop in 1980 to get a paper and the shop was mentioned occasionally. In 1983 we saw inside the door of the shop when Seth Armstrong and Jackie Merrick were coming out of it.

Amos Mr Wilks 1981 — The Post Office in 1981, seen from the front door of the Woolpack. Amos and Mr Wilks are the two people in the photo. Can you spot another person? Photo courtesy of Beckindale Bugle. http://www.beckindale.com/2008/10/1981-beckindale-bugle.html

In 1988 Beckindale Post Office was run by Mrs Robson. When armed robbers tried to raid the post office, Nick Bates saved the day.

1993-2011

In August 1993 a new family moved to the village and bought the Post office. This ensured the shop became a central location to be seen in the show again after 17 years. This family was the Windsor family consisting of Vic Windsor, his wife Viv, Vic's daughter Kelly from his first marriage, Viv's son Scott from her first marriage, and Vic and Viv's daughter Donna. Shortly after the Windsor's arrived a plane crashed into the village killing everyone on board and several residents. Luckily the post office survived the disaster.

Emmie shop 1988 — The shop interior in 1988. Mr Turner buying a mag.

In 1994 an explosion ripped through the post office after an armed raid by Viv Windsor's ex husband Reg Dawson. The gas taps were left on during the raid.