Has your Crown Post Office closed? Do you have you trudge more than a mile to the nearest sub post office?

[O2Trees]

Occupation of post office: this is what our town did in response to The Post Office Ltd's plan to close our post office down yesterday evening. As reported on Radio Kent.

bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02p6p...

The report starts at 2hours 14 minutes and is quite short.

I was at the earlier protest and to see the occupiers leave as planned at midnight last night. The report says it all. The Post Office Ltd should be ashamed.

[scorpiolass]

Happily, we are quite well served with a PO but I recognise not all people are. Isn't this the problem with privatisation; it's not about service, it's about shareholder profit. We have already seen a NHS private contractor pull out...

Good luck with your campaign. Love Margaret xx

[huggs]

Hi O2,

I listened to the radio broadcast with increasing admiration at the actions of all the protesters including yourself, and all the support that was given. It is so sad when things like this happen and you have to wonder at the motives of Post Office Ltd. I am glad that it got coverage and hopefully that will help in getting the sub post office up and running soon..

In my village we have a sub post office and a few years ago they tried to close it, but we had meetings, petitions, MP involvement as well as other business people. It remained open and we didn't have to go to the length that you have done for that to happen.

Post Office Ltd however, made it clear that they expected post offices to be more profitable and "encouraged" the franchises to sell other things like groceries, and even turned it into a small tearoom. It is only very small anyway, and now when you go to the post office there is no privacy at all, and is overrun by tables, a lottery machine and all sorts, but at least we have a service.

Hope yours gets up and running soon.

hugs from Huggs xxx

[O2Trees in reply to huggs]

The post office in Canterbury is a franchise in W.H.Smiths. Its upstairs and access is dreadful. And that's in a major, if quite small, city. What hope for smaller towns like ours.

Lottery machine? That's barmy. They have to give you a service don't they, since you're an island. Imagine catching the ferry to post a letter xxxxx

[huggs in reply to O2Trees]

Hi O2,

They expected us to take a 3 mile bus trip to a post office if they closed the sub post office. There are lots of pensioners and ill people in the village who aren't always able to do that, so common sense prevailed, although it got pretty heated for a while. It doesn't feel like a post office though, but at least its there and we didn't have to have a lock in.

hugs from Huggs xxx

[O2Trees in reply to huggs]

The Post Office regulations say you have to be within 1.1 miles of a post office Huggs. Wonder how often they break their own regulations xxxxx

[huggs in reply to O2Trees]

I didn't know that O2. As you know I am on an island and the more remote parts have to travel around 10 miles I would think before finding a post box, far less a post office. There is the main post office and two sub post offices on the island. I would imagine they break their own rules all the time, and all this trying to turn them into tearooms, a lottery machine, groceries and a bank withdrawal machine in only a very small place, doesn't make it appealing any more as a post office due to lack of privacy.

As usual its all about how much money they can make.

hugs from Huggs xxx

[O2Trees in reply to huggs]

Always money huggs . . . .

[FarmerD]

I worked as a manager( counters ) as well as being a counter clerk during the Thatcher government and lost quite a few days pay striking to protect the Post Offices from closure.We did save at least two closures.I was later " retired on medical grounds " I think this was more to do with my Union activity than my health.Tory stealth! 🙊

[O2Trees in reply to FarmerD]

Im sure your union activity would be seen as unhealthy D

I was at the town hustings last night and our Labour parliamentary candidate did really well. He has engaged in major union activity throughout his working life, so a really progressive candidate, and very hands-on with e.g. envelope stuffing or whatever, no hierarchy just mucking in. Canterbury was a safe tory seat and is now "too close to call". We live in hope.

So you worked for the post office - there was me thinking you had herds of cows or sheep xx

[FarmerD in reply to O2Trees]

Haa Haa,no just herds of grumpy punters.I refused full time management because they all stank of conservatism.Made me vom! 😁

P.s.I,ve had many different jobs none of which involved animals even though. I sometimes prefer them to humans lol.D.

[O2Trees in reply to FarmerD]

Maybe you know the Oscar Wilde quote D - "the more i get to know some people, the more i love my dog."