Press release —
Double celebration for 50th anniversary of family’s shop & a year since popular Wattville Road postmistress reinstated
- Golden opportunity for big community celebration for two great reasons
- Roopie’s family have run the newsagent’s shop in Handsworth for 50 years
- First anniversary of Roopie Gill back at the helm of Wattville Road Post Office
- Roopie was one of the postmasters wrongly convicted in Horizon Post Office scandal
- Her Dad’s long-held wish was for Roopie to run Wattville Road Post Office again
- Thoroughly enjoying serving Post Office customers again at her Birmingham branch
It was a golden opportunity for a big community celebration (15/8) to mark Roopie Gill’s 50th anniversary of her family running their shop and the first anniversary of her reinstatement as postmistress for Wattville Road Post Office after her wrongful criminal conviction.
Roopie was one of the hundreds of postmasters wrongly prosecuted for shortfalls in their Post Office accounts, based on unreliable Horizon data.
In August 1976 Roopie’s parents and extended family took on the newsagents and Post Office. Her Dad, Nirmal Singh Kailey, who was well-educated, was one of the first Asian postmasters outside of London. He had worked for Royal Mail in the sorting office, when a Post Office auditor friend mentioned the opportunity to take on Wattville Road Post Office in Handsworth.
Roopie remembers, when she was six years old, her parents discussing about taking on a shop and Post Office and excitedly being taken to see the premises.
Roopie said: “I clearly remember first visiting the shop. In those days it was a haberdashery store, and there was lots of box shelving with wool and other sewing items. When demand for knitting and sewing items declined, we took on different retail, including a newsagents and sweets. Originally it was a tiny shop. My Dad kept expanding the premises at the back and took on a shop next door. Now it’s five times the original size and a convenience store.”
In 2005, Roopie took over as postmistress. All was going well until unexplainable financial shortfalls. Roopie sunk to the depths of despair and seriously considered suicide. The strain of the financial accusations led her husband to become an alcoholic and he sadly passed away.
Through resilience, Roopie and family managed to keep the shop, but a new postmaster was assigned to run the Post Office. Eventually having her criminal conviction overturned paved the way for Roopie to successfully apply to be postmistress again. It was a year ago that Roopie was reinstated. Roopie became the first postmaster to take on their former branch.
Roopie said: “We had a big celebration a year ago to mark me taking on my Post Office again. Now we are having a double celebration to mark the achievement of our family running the shop for 50 years and to mark the first anniversary of becoming postmistress again.
“My Mum and Dad would have been on cloud nine to be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the shop and seeing me really happy again. They had been convinced of my innocence. Sadly, they passed away before I had a chance to have had my name cleared. Dad had always said to me that if there was ever a way to get the Post Office back that I should go for it.
“I’ve been through some very dark times, when I had no hope and I couldn’t see light at the end of the tunnel. I somehow managed to dig deep. Now I want to celebrate life with my family, my parter Mani, customers and supporters.
“I’ve really loved every day back in charge, serving my customers. Not a day goes by without my customers saying something kind to me, including people who have come back to the area to visit relatives. It really makes me feel appreciated.
“I can finally say that all is going well in my life. My daughter, son-in-law and my young grandson, are back in the UK living with us. My Post Office earnings have really gone up in the past year. I can see that the Post Office is a different organisation from before and now listens to postmasters. I’m still going through the financial redress process. That money will help my family to make the start they missed out on all those years ago. The main thing is that I’m happy. I’m in a good place. I want to enjoy and celebrate life.”
Community celebration guests were Mayor of Birmingham, Cllr Zaker Choudry and councillors. Post Office Chief Financial Officer, Tom Lee, was among Post Office representatives.
Post Office Chairman, Nigel Railton, said: “I met Roopie a year ago at the official celebration to mark her reinstatement as Wattville Road Postmistress. I was seriously impressed by her resilience and positivity about life despite her experiences as part of a shameful time in Post Office history and I sincerely apologise to her, and everyone affected by this scandal. I wish Roopie every success in the future too.”
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About the Post Office
- With over 11,500 branches, Post Office has the biggest retail network in the UK, with more branches than all the banks and building societies combined.
- Post Office is helping anyone who wants cash to get it whichever way is most convenient. Partnership with over 30 banks, building societies and credit unions means that 99% of UK bank customers can access their accounts at their Post Office.
- Cash withdrawals, deposits and balance enquiries can be made securely and conveniently over the counter at any Post Office; and the biggest investment by any organisation or company in the last decade is being made to safeguard 1,400 free-to-use ATMs across the UK.
- Post Office is simplifying its proposition for Postmasters with a focus on its cash and banking; mails and parcels; foreign exchange; and; bill payments services.
- Research has found that visits to the Post Office help drive another 400 million visitors to other shops, restaurants and local businesses equating to an estimated £1.1 billion in additional revenue for High Street businesses.
- 99.7% of the population live within three miles of a Post Office; and 4,000 branches are open seven days a week.
