THE new postmaster of a Craven village has given the role his stamp of approval after a month in the job.

Saul Ward has taken over the running of Kettlewell's Post Office after moving to the village to run the hostel, which is in the same building, after the Youth Hostel Association pulled out last year.

Now the father-of-two is running both businesses – and is loving every minute of it.

He said: "We have been super-busy but it's been fantastic.

"Kettlewell is so small you see everybody all the time. Taking on the Post Office has been a steep learning curve for me – I genuinely didn't realise how much I'd have to learn, or how many different services the Post Office offers. But I'm really enjoying it."

Saul and his wife, Floss, who works in financial services, decided they could run the hostel and the post office as a joint venture after falling in love with the area and deciding it would be the ideal place to being up their children, Mollie and Humphrey.

Saul added: "Kettlewell is a small place but it needs a post office – we really are at the heart of the community."

Kettlewell Post Office is currently open between 10.30am to 1pm, Monday to Friday.