WELL-KNOWN Lake postmaster and teacher, Michael Grattage, has died aged 70.

Mr Grattage was born in Beeston, Nottinghamshire, on May 13, 1950, to parents Edgar and Eva.

He spent his childhood in Beeston, and aged 12, joined the 2nd Beeston Sea Scouts.

After leaving school, Mr Grattage worked for the police and fire service.

He studied maths and computer studies in Hull from 1972 to 1976, and then started teaching in Burnham on Crouch, Essex, where he met his future wife, Christine.

The pair married in Nottingham in 1980, and had four children, Paul, Katherine, Rebecca and Sarah.

Mr Grattage took early retirement from teaching, and after his final post, worked as a plumber, a bartender, a market-stall worker and prison guard.

He always yearned to be by the sea for sailing, and wanted to start his own business.

The family moved to the Isle of Wight in 2000, and bought Lake Post Office in 2001, with Mr Grattage was sub-postmaster until he sold the post office part in 2016.

During his time working in the post office, he would often ask school children to calculate how much change they were owed for their sweets, before handing it over.

He was passionate about supporting small local businesses and keeping the high street alive.

He frequently made phone calls on behalf of elderly customers who struggled, and offered them free delivery services, roping in his children to deliver

He attended chess clubs with his children from 2007, and hosted Lake Chess Club inside his shop for a number of years.

Mr Grattage had a love of DIY, and the living space of his house more than doubled in size due to his building projects.

He enjoyed sailing trips with his family to the Channel Isles and around the Isle of Wight.

At 67, he was able to finally retire, and had plans to further extend his home.

Mr Grattage died on October 21, surrounded by his family and friends, after fighting pancreatic cancer for more than a year.

Mr Grattage's funeral took place on November 5 at the Isle of Wight Crematorium.