Lordship Lane Post Office (library end) closing at the end of August

[bawdy-nan]

Popped in to the post office today and was dismayed to see the notice saying that it is going to close after the end of August.

[singalto]

It hasn't open for very long, has it.. Not good news.

[snooks]

Do you mean the PO in Costcutters ?

[solar]

That's ridiculous. As singalto says it's only recently moved there from further down the road.

[titch juicy]

There's already one on Lordship Lane though, a five minute bus ride away- why the need for two?

[Louisa]

I think this is disgraceful for anyone living this end of ED and I for one am very disappointed and angry about this move. Some people aren't in a position to have to walk or jump buses when they need a PO and some of us have better things to be getting on with than desperately trying to find a parking space around LL of an afternoon when all we want is to pay a bill or send off a letter, collect pension or whatever it is you do on one of their branches.

Can we not do something about this? It is becoming unacceptable. Rye Lane and now this one. The queues are long enough in the LL main branch as it is. Disgraceful.

Louisa.

[titch juicy]

Can't you jump on a bus Louisa?

[Penguin68]

Sub post offices take up a lot of floor space (in a small shop) and require specially (costly) trained staff (without whom they cannot open). In order to be economic they need to generate quite substantial revenues (considering the lost retail space they require to operate at all). The general use of post office services is reducing so that revenue opportunities are almost certainly diminished and further diminishing. Unless they are operating with no competition (this one isn't) their chances of substantial revenues are limited from Post Office business. In addition Post Office Counters have notoriously poor (and well documentedly so) accounting software, which has led to many sub Postmasters being wrongly accused (and convicted) of theft.

I am not at all surprised that shop keepers withdraw from being sub Postmasters. Additionally PO Counters itself is continuously reviewing sub Post Offices. It may have decided to withdraw the licence based on the proximity of the Main Post Office in LL - possibly it wishes to boost its revenue figures there to make it more economically viable. That could be of much greater interest to it than customer convenience.

[Louisa]

titch juicy Wrote:

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> Can't you jump on a bus Louisa?

I hate buses and am not prepared to jump on one when I have such a convenience on my doorstep for X number of years. Equally, the short walk to this PO is convenient and good for my health. The main LL one is time consuming when you have other things to be getting on with, and I am not prepared to drive my car and add to the problems LL area already has now M&S will be opening up, causing mayhem for the poor folks on the surrounding residential streets. My nearest PO will be Dulwich Village. I am mortified. Very angry indeed.

Louisa.

[solar]

I've just seen the poster outside the shop. It says that it is a temporary closure. The postmaster has resigned and they are looking for alternative premises in the area.

When it was in the previous location it was always busy but the new shop never seemed busy whenever I went in there.

[Louisa]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Why does ED not have a WH Smith (similar to forest hill), with a PO branch located inside it? It would solve so many problems. The Plough stretch of shops, either side, is the IDEAL spot for one of their branches. Is there anyone we can petition WH Smiths to open a branch around that end of LL?

Louisa.

[Bic Basher]

I stopped using it weeks after it opened as they couldn't provide a basic service. My mother couldn't even get her pension out because they shared the float with the shop and didn't have enough money.

It'll make the main PO on LL more busy as customers who use Rye Lane which is closing on Saturday, along with the sub-post office will use it. Forest Hill WHSmith may also see an increase in footfall.

[Sue]

Louisa Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Why

> does ED not have a WH Smith (similar to forest

> hill), with a PO branch located inside it? It

> would solve so many problems. The Plough stretch

> of shops, either side, is the IDEAL spot for one

> of their branches. Is there anyone we can petition

> WH Smiths to open a branch around that end of LL?

>

>

Why on earth would you want a WH Smith?

Their shops are incredibly depressing, and in any case there is already one in Forest Hill (as you say) and I think there is still one in Peckham, though I can't understand how it's still hanging on.

[Bic Basher]

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Why on earth would you want a WH Smith?

>

> Their shops are incredibly depressing, and in any

> case there is already one in Forest Hill (as you

> say) and I think there is still one in Peckham,

> though I can't understand how it's still hanging

> on.

WHSmith have closed a load of stores locally, including Peckham, Surrey Quays and Catford.

[Louisa]

Sue Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Louisa Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Why

> > does ED not have a WH Smith (similar to forest

> > hill), with a PO branch located inside it? It

> > would solve so many problems. The Plough

> stretch

> > of shops, either side, is the IDEAL spot for

> one

> > of their branches. Is there anyone we can

> petition

> > WH Smiths to open a branch around that end of

> LL?

> >

> >

>

>

> Why on earth would you want a WH Smith?

>

> Their shops are incredibly depressing, and in any

> case there is already one in Forest Hill (as you

> say) and I think there is still one in Peckham,

> though I can't understand how it's still hanging

> on.

I love WH Smith stores. They sell all sorts of convenience products and would be ideally suited for this area. Most of their branches have now closed and I believe they're concentrating more on train stations and airports nowadays. It would be demographically appealing to them to setup shop in ED, especially the Plough end. Where they could provide a service for people who would go in store and spend money on other things too. No I think it's a good idea, I'm going to contact them and see what they say.

Louisa.

[titch juicy]

One day Louisa will have an epiphany and come crash landing into the 21st Century.

Hating buses isn't an excuse my dear.

I assume your 'other things to be getting on with' is moaning on here? Get yourself a smart phone and you can get on with those things on the bus ride :)

[BrandNewGuy]

The retail footfall near the Plough is nowhere near enough for WHSmith. Yes, they do well at airprorts and stations, but high street is not so good for them these days, and only the ones with very high footfall do well.

Mind you, a newsagent that concentrated on a really comprehensive range of magazines would be good on LL.

[Louisa]

Honestly titch, you would never get me on any form of public transport unless it was an absolute emergency. I do not feel the need to put pressure on already trained community services and would rather free up space for those folk most in need to use them. I quite enjoy walking, but being pressured into walking the full distance from Barry road side over to LL just isn't on, nor acceptable IMO.

I have a whole multitude of tasks to complete on a daily basis, and I don't see why I should be inconvenienced in doing them just because a PO has decided it wants to leave the immediate vicinity. Moreover, this isn't just about me, it's about the wider community (especially this side of ED). The main PO at LL will now be overwhelmed by a whole host of closing branches locally. It's just not on.

Louisa.

[Bic Basher]

BrandNewGuy Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

>

> Mind you, a newsagent that concentrated on a

> really comprehensive range of magazines would be

> good on LL.

Red Apple is reasonably good and also do a decent selection of international newspapers too. However, IMHO, the best selection of mags in SE22 is Sainsbury's DKH.

[Lowlander]

Louisa Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> titch juicy Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > Can't you jump on a bus Louisa?

>

>

> I hate buses and am not prepared to jump on one

> when I have such a convenience on my doorstep for

> X number of years. Equally, the short walk to this

> PO is convenient and good for my health. The main

> LL one is time consuming when you have other

> things to be getting on with, and I am not

> prepared to drive my car and add to the problems

> LL area already has now M&S will be opening up,

> causing mayhem for the poor folks on the

> surrounding residential streets. My nearest PO

> will be Dulwich Village. I am mortified. Very

> angry indeed.

>

> Louisa.

Typical snobbish blow-in behaviour to hate buses. Many of us use them because we can't afford a car,

[Louisa]

No Lowlander it is not snobbish, and if you read back over what I wrote I was saying I am not adding pressure to existing bus services which others rely on, I choose to walk or drive because I am able to do so. Would you rather me clogging up the buses when I don't need to then? Anyway, back on topic. The PO is a resource for everyone not just car or bus passengers.

Louisa.

[Phlox]

Isn't there another PO in Forest Hill Rd?

[east-of-the-Rye]

yes there is a good sub-post-office in the Forest Hill Road row of shops - i live in Nunhead and to be honest go to that one rather that the soon-to-close one on Rye Lane. The staff seem to know what they are doing, including checking checking passport applications, the shop has a wide range of papers and magazines and stationary and it's a nice walk / cycle ride through the park. There is a queue at times, but not always. Nunhead hasn't had a PO for some time.

[Pugwash]

Now that the HSBC bank has closed - my hubby pays in cheques at this PO. It was handy as had longer opening hours which is great when you do not get home from work until 7 pm and need to post a parcel etc.

[Lowlander]

Louisa Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> No Lowlander it is not snobbish, and if you read

> back over what I wrote I was saying I am not

> adding pressure to existing bus services which

> others rely on, I choose to walk or drive because

> I am able to do so. Would you rather me clogging

> up the buses when I don't need to then? Anyway,

> back on topic. The PO is a resource for everyone

> not just car or bus passengers.

>

> Louisa.

So instead you're adding to the traffic which holds buses up! Brilliant, thanks. Get on a bus, you might actually like it; always a seat available if you're old and decrepit.