THE shutters have gone down on Astley village's last proper shop.
Astley Post Office, which has stood alongside the canal bridge for at least 110 years, closed on Tuesday when Gordon Baxter and his wife, Jackie, retired.
"It's been up for sale 4 years. We're not sorry to be retiring but we wish the business could continue. We're very grateful to our regular customers over the years, but the business has never really been supported by the community," said Mrs Baxter.
"The majority get the bus and shop elsewhere and I think pensioners will cash their benefits at Leigh or Tyldesley where they do their main shopping."
The village was once home to a string of business including grocers, fish and chip shops, newsagents, greengrocer, butchers, bank, shoe shop, bookies, Co-op stores - and the village post office.
Only a hairdressers (in the old Barclays Bank) and a chippy remain.
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