Post Office

[Healing Hands]

Well it has finally happened our local post office has been given the final notice to close.:( Although our main post office is in town which is about a mile away, there are a lot of the old folk will now have to rely on the bus to get them into town. I also feel so sorry for the people who brought it, they are such a lovely family and put all their money into it. They are asking us what we would like to go into the space where the post office is. I thought it would be nice if they had a small coffee shop so that the older generation can meet up and have their chats and still purchase their bread or milk while having a chat over coffee. I am sure it would do well as we get many walkers throughout the whole year, so it could be a nice little earner for them.

It does seem silly though as the other village which is about 2 miles from the town is not being closed, but the people who live in that village are of a much younger age and not so many pensioners.

[fife]

Hi Healing Hands

How frustaring for you and the residents of your village, i feel sorry for the older generation who don't drive and rely on such services. I do feel how ever that these closure come down to one thing greedy polititions and as you have stated the other village didin't have to close which probably means someone important has been able to keep that particular post office going.

Fife

[Oola]

Perhaps it might be worth the old post office starting up a proper greengrocers, with all the extras like envelopes, writing paper etc. that post offices also sell. Perhaps there could be a car-share scheme where someone calls at a particular time of the week to see if the elderly need to get into town?

[Healing Hands]

Yes Oola, Ken and I were talking last night about car-share scheme and that I would certainly help some of the older pensioners should they want some help. Good idea of yours, I will certainly put that one across to the couple that own the shop.

[jazzactivist]

I sympathise greatly. We lost our post office last year, and the one in the next village closed the year before that. The Royal Mail used to be one of Britain's greatest assets, but look what happens when the government de-nationalises services. I am fuming today as we receved one of those cards to say that a letter that we were sent is short on postage, so I have to drive 17 miles each way to the nearest post office and pay £1.40 for it, only for it to have been only 2p under. At least I gave a lift to 3 older people to give them a hand with their post and shopping.

I have read about a pilot scheme for a mobile, collapsible, post office that can tour rural villages on certain days. This is set up in a shop, pub, church or someone's home. Do any of you know about this pilot?

[Healing Hands]

Yes, there was something in our local paper today about having a mobile post office, but surely it must cost the same if not more to run. We are having a local meeting next week about the post office but to be honest they are not going to get anywhere because the gov have already decided which ones are to close. I feel so sorry for the people that run it, although they sell papers, milk, bread etc it is not enough to keep the young family going what with overheads as well.

[sunflower]

The powers that be have been trying to close down our Post office because we have another one in a busier place less than two miles away. However, I love our local post office which is in the store.It's so friendly and convenient, and very handy for the elderly and young Mums with babes and toddlers.