​Shoreham says fond farewell to ‘remarkable’ post office owner after 34 years in the family business

Alka Sthankiya, 61, has been running Mansell Road Post Office on her own for three years after her husband of 37 years, postmaster Anant Sthankiya, passed away at the age of 58 from cancer.

The couple had opened the shop on July 4, 1989, in partnership with Anant's parents, Jyotibhai and Indumati Sthankiya, and the community around them has become like an extended family.

Alka said: "It has been a full on few years. I have had lots of family support, and from the community. Anant was well loved and the community bought a bench in his memory to put outside the shop."

Alka was working full-time at BT before Anant, who was known by customers as Alan, became ill and then went part-time to help care for him and his parents, as well as looking after the shop seven days a week.

She said: "I didn't know anything about the post office side, I learned it from Anant. People were really grateful for us keeping it open."

As a mark of gratitude, nearby residents gathered outside the post office this morning to present Alka with a bouquet and card to thank her for all she has done.

Katie Hoad-Hitchings, of Mansell Road, said: "They kept that lifeline shop open throughout Covid, serving the local people even though Alan was seriously ill with cancer and at extremely high risk. To keep it running was just remarkable.

"He sadly died in October 2020. Alka has continued on her own ever since. I think she deserves a medal, or any kind of award quite frankly, for her dedication and hard work, especially in the past few years."

Anant and Alka had two young children, Hamel and Chetan, when the family moved down from Leicester to take over the shop. It was a tobacconist and newsagent at the time, with a grocery shop over the road, but when that was closed, they started selling groceries.

Then Anant's brother and sister-in-law, Ashok, known as Ash, and Shobha Sthankiya, moved down to Shoreham to open Southlands Post Office, in Upper Shoreham Road, on January 19, 1995, as their first business. The couple ran the post office and shop for 26 years before retiring in January 2021.

Ash said: "It is truly the end of an era."

It has taken Alka a year to find a buyer for the business and Chris Button will be taking over on Friday, when the shop will be shut for auditing.

Alka is looking forward to relaxing and spending time with her granddaughter in Wimbledon.