The vexed questions of rural post offices and the need for a TD16 postcode got an airing at a recent Scottish Borders Council meeting at last attracting the attention of local highheidyins. The Berwickshire
has the story here`So the Big Vision in Post Office Ltd is to replace community post offices in Hutton, Greenlaw and Eccles with mobile vans-thus in the case of Hutton removing the last public service institution from a village, which because of its concentration of elderly folk really needs it. So the pensioners will hang about in a cold and windy street, rain hissing down, haar bound, waiting for the post office van with the only diversion being the possible guest appearance of the number 32 Bus. No doubt the van will be frequently late and then one red letter(npi) day, three will arrive at once.
Sad news for Huttonian as the Old Manse, aka Antrim House gave shelter to the post office for several years and he even enjoyed a brief period as Sub Post Master with a name badge, huge metal weighing scales, a safe screwed to the floor and the challenge of clearing the breakfast table before the first customers (never less than 13 on a Monday) arrived for their cash and conversation-the kitchen table being the 'counter' for 3 years before the first computer arrived and the mammoth operation was transferred around the corner into the old Milk room. And much later to the village hall with its purpose built room now to be abandoned. And I wonder which is more cost effective-paying a post mistress an hourly pittance for an 8 hour week, with an office provided at a peppercorn rent or a gas guzzling van, with presumably a full time driver/post person in charge?
As for the post code saga -read all about it- but with the post office being 'impenetrable' as Councillor Cook so aptly puts it the prospect of having a TD16 for rural Eastern Berwickshire seems as remote as ever
Labels: Hutton Post Office, Post Office Ltd, TD16
