Postal Service

[Daisy]

In the grand scheme of things, this is nothing, but it is irritating for people like us who have transport, and a very real problem for those who don't.

Our village Post Office closed in August. Fair enough - so are lots of others. But the post box set in to the wall was still operational and the last collection was around 5 or 6 pm. But the building is obviously going to be redeveloped and last week (ie the beginning of December!) the post box itself was removed. Perfect timing for people like me who don't write Christmas cards until December! (Serves me right, I suppose!)

The only collection from our local post box is 9 am (yes in the morning!). So effectively you have to post at least one day earlier, or get there before 9!

As for parcels, mail that needs weighing or a counter service, it's even harder. The PO in the next village has also closed. Undelivered parcels have to be collected from Lymington - a 10 mile round trip, and heaven help you if you don't drive, although there are trains and buses. The nearest PO is a community venture in a village about 5 miles in a different direction, but it has limited opening hours, so no good for people who work.

[Nanto2girls]

Thats not good at all Daisy.

Our local post office is in a shop,only 2 streets away.
There are 1 or 2 things you can't do there, but its very handy for us.
We have a bigger post office about a mile and half away.

[Enfys]

Terrible, Daisy and it’s happening all over.

We are extremely lucky. Our post office is just at the end of our road in a little parade of shops. It’s extremely busy so I can’t see it closing. One a few streets away closed last year so this one is even busier now but so handy. You can arrange to have parcels collected or delivered there too.

[Gemini]

It is awful, especially as you say Daisy for all those without transport.

The post office in our village closed (and became a beauticians), but in fact it moved into the newsagent so we are lucky to still have that service I know.

[Oma]

We are very lucky we have a sorting office at the bottom of our road more or less where we can take parcels. We also have a main post office in our shopping mall 4 minutes from us.
Around the area there have been several either closed or moved into another shop but limited facilities.
I think moving them out of villages is very wrong what about the elderly or people with no transport.
Can you imagine if you are a mother with small children trying to get them and a parcel on public transport, Or a elderly person who finds it difficult to get around. .

[Lizzie48]

It doesn't seem as bad here, post offices are closing then we can use a newsagents?s. It works the same, banks are closing though and people are finding that difficult. I saw on the TV a while ago, I think at the top of Holland, people living in villages and they take the ATM,s away, some people had to travel on buses to get their money. Especially the elderly were complaining.

[Qwerty]

We have a cluster of villages where I live, all used to have a post office, now 2 have closed, but our main one which I don’t think will close is 10 mins walk , but the post box was in the wall. Now it’s in Morrisons foyer , I posted some cards today but there was a trestle table full of poinsiettas and people looking so I couldn’t get in to post my cards , eventually had to ask someone if I could get in, so now when Morrisons is closed we have no access to the post box.
I feel sorry for you Daisy it must be a nightmare can you at least park nearby or do you have to pay ?

[Plantaholic]

Compared to some of you we are very lucky. I still have a postbox at the end of the road and another couple in the village. We have a post office in the local CO-OP and another in a Co-oP a short drive away. Both will give cash with a card. We still have a Lloyds Bank a short drive away. I think we are quite built up now compared with some of you ladies.

[WeeGranny]

Our post office has closed and has moved into the village stores and stays open while the shop is open. Handy for picking up missed deliveries. However most of the boxes only have a morning collection. What is getting to me at the moment our neighbours using us as a drop off point for their almost daily delivery of parcels. Once in a while is fine but she works from home and he only works two days !

[Lizzie48]

My DIL had the same problem, when GD1 started the high school she was home on her own more often and they didn’t want all the delivery men, or anyone else, ringing the doorbell whilst she was alone. Now other neighbors are the depots!

[Daisy]

Lizzie - that's a good point about deliveries when secondary age children are at home on their own. I'd never thought about it before.

WeeGranny, we were hoping the Co-op would take over the vacant Sainsbury's shop in the village and re-open the PO, but there seems to be problems and I don't think it will happen.

[Nana]

Feel for you Daisy. Post box up the rd & postperson collects at 4pm. We used to have a post office in the village but an Asian family took it over. Now it's more like a mini-supermarket with the post office counter squashed in at the back. Not complaining tho.

[Clover]

Our PO closed but moved into a local shop. The one in the next village also closed. So difficult for the elderly and those without transport. Collections from boxes are very random. I often see the boxes being emptied at any times apart from those stated on the box.

[Nana]

Clover that reminded me of the little post box near us last year. I didn't post my letter in the end when I saw it. It was literally full to the brim. An open invitation to thieves & the like.

[Gemini]

Nana I have seen postboxes like that and had to go elsewhere to post. Not everyone has the ability to do that, and as you say, anything could be taken out.