ONE of Leigh's best known faces retires today after 20 years at Railway Road Post Office.

Mary Owen, 54, of Walmsley Road, who includes stamp collecting among her hobbies, is retiring to spend more time with her family and to pursue her favourite pastimes.

Counter clerk Mary is to devote more time to husband Albert, 65, a retired cable worker, and to seeing more of her daughters Julie and Kay and her three grandchildren.

Mary, who was born in Leigh and attended St Peter's Junior School, Westleigh Secondary Modern and Leigh Technical College, has worked with three sub-postmasters: Edwin Smith, Keith Allan and Ian Heaton, during her time in Railway Road.

She said: "I will definitely miss working at the post office after all these years and I will certainly miss the people I have worked with and our customers. They have become more like friends after all this time."

Mary, who is a churchwarden at Leigh Parish Church, is also a former captain of Pennington Golf Club and lists reading as another hobby.

Her boss, Ian Heaton, said: "Mary will be greatly missed. She has been very loyal and hardworking and I know all those who normally see her every week when they collect their pensions or call in for a stamp or whatever will certainly miss seeing her behind the counter.

"When I came here she was practically a nursemaid to me through my first few months here and certainly made life easier for me."

Mary is pictured outside the Railway Road Post Office.

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