Hartlebury's new postmaster, Gordon Henderson, has taken over from a school friend who was in the same class at Stourport more than 40 years ago.

Dan Chambers, who has run the village Post Office and stores for the past seven years, has retired to spend more time with his family and make a caravan tour of the United Kingdom.

Mr Chambers, 53-year-old father-of-three, says: "There will be continuity with Gordon in charge. We have been friends for at least 40 years and have never fallen out."

The pair went different ways when they left the old Stourport County Secondary School.

Mr Chambers went into a family business in Torquay and later ran a fish and chip shop in Newlands, Pershore, and was postmaster at Pinvin before moving to Hartlebury.

Mr Henderson was a manager for WH Smith in the Birmingham area before taking over a newsagents in the Shetlands.

He returned to the Midlands for family reasons and has been assistant at Hartlebury for some years. He married in March and will be helped by his wife Margaret.

He echoes Mr Henderson who said: "Hartlebury is an absolutely marvellous village to work in and most of our customers are on first-name terms."