AS many Post Office branches have closed down over the years, many rural communities have been left without a service or have had to travel miles to their nearest branch. However, the mobile post office van has provided a lifeline for many communities by taking the post office services to them. Dean Williamson and Klare Hodgson both work at the Wigton branch with the van and love to provide the service for these communities who may have been left stranded. Klare is the manager of the van. Explaining how the job works she said: “We drive the van from village to village within a set time frame offering most post office facilities, from posting letters and parcels to bill payments and cash transactions with most major banks.
TWO flood alerts have been put out for north Cumbria. The Flood Information Service put out alerts for the coastal areas between Gretna and Silloth, and the Upper River Derwent, Stonethwaite Beck and Derwent Water The alert status means that flooding is possible - be prepared . Speaking about the Gretna to Silloth alert, a spokesman for the service said: A tidal surge is expected to affect the foreshore as a result of high tides and winds. Tides will be at their highest between 11.45pm and 12.45pm today, December 16, however conditions may apply two to four hours either side of the high tide.