Tom, 103, opens new coffee shop

AFORMER post office in West Lancashire has reopened as a coffee shop and wine bar.

The new premises, located on The Common, in Parbold, officially opened on Friday, March 9.

The Old Post House was opened by ‘Parbold’s oldest resident’, 103-year-old Thomas Leatherbarrow, at around 10.30am.

Owner Stephen Williams, 63, said: “Tom is still very popular in the local community, and still manages to get around the village.

“He agreed to officially open our new coffee shop, and we thought this was a great idea.

“It has certainly gone down well with the rest of the residents from the sheltered housing where he lives.”

The new venue is owned by Stephen and his wife Karen Williams, 60, who has owned the nearby Parbold Deli for the past four years.

The couple are familiar with the area as they lived in Parbold for 30 years, before moving to Scarisbrick in 2017.

The venue underwent an extensive refurbishment prior to the reopening and can seat 24 people inside, and 16 people outdoors.

On offer at The Old Post House are hot drinks, alcoholic beverages and light food throughout the day – including tapas.

When applying for their alcohol licence in October 2017, six objections were received from members of the public.

Concerns raised included potential noise issues and causing disturbance to the elderly residents who live nearby.

In response to this, Stephen and Karen arranged a meeting to address any concerns raised.

Stephen said: “We invited local residents to a discussion and talked any issues through with the relevant people.

“When we explained what we wanted to do, most people became supportive of the opening.”

It is hoped that the new venue will appeal to people of all ages in the community, and the new venture has created 12 new jobs.