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

  ¶ 11:02 AM (0) comments

  TD ious


As Huttonian, in my former narrow sense, I applaud our MP's efforts to get Royal Mail to see sense over post codes. The article taken from the latest Berwickshire outlines a running sore which Royal Mail could out right with a flick of a mouse


BERWICKSHIRE MP Michael Moore has condemned Royal Mail's refusal to engage in the process of finding a solution to the problem of postal addresses for some residents of Berwickshire, which puts them in Berwick-upon-Tweed.
Mr Moore has been working on behalf of residents of Foulden, Hutton, Paxton, Lamberton and Mordington, who are concerned that their postal addresses effectively place them in England.
One villager contacted Mr Moore to raise concerns about the impact this was having when he was travelling abroad and completing immigration paperwork*. Problems are also being caused by confusion among prospective house buyers.
Mr Moore has criticised the postal address database used by Royal Mail and has requested that they investigate the issue fully. However, in a recent letter to Mr Moore, Royal Mail refused to conduct an investigation and stated that, "there is little to be gained from further dialogue".
Mr Moore has condemned Royal Mail's approach to the problem.
He said: "In my ten years of work as a Member of Parliament, I have to say that it is extremely rare to come across a company or organisation that adopts such a dogmatic stance to an issue that I have raised on behalf of my constituents.
"In correspondence with me, Royal Mail effectively admitted that there is a serious problem with their database, but rejected any sense of responsibility for sorting it out. I am frankly shocked at their attitude and at their refusal to engage in any sort of meaningful dialogue in the pursuit of a satisfactory solution.
"They are in danger of showing contempt for their own customers."

The problem is that the post code TS15 covers 5 settlements in Berwickshire, chunks of Nothumberland and Ber Wick itself. As reported in previous posts this can cause difficulty . Not only for white van men thinking they are delivering stuff in England and are not permitted under their franchise to do so but also for humble householders or car owners in the Five Settlements seeking insurance and having to pay premiums appropriate for swinging rumbustious Berwick rather than peaceful Berwickshire. I was once accosted in the comfort of my own downstairs loo by 6 tweedy ladies soliciting votes (by banging on the window) for the Tory candidate for North Nortumberland. They withdrew discomfited when they heard that they had crossed the border: 'OH My goodness!' 'Isn't Scotland so like England?' 'What ever next?' The click of a mouse making the Scottish portions of TD15 into an unallocated TD16 is all that is required.
But the Royal Mail just can't be bothered to even discuss the matter. Further dialogue is out not that there was much of one in the first place.

* I wonder which forrin Immigration official gives a half eaten fig as to whether the intending visitor comes from Mordington (Scotland) or Morpeth (Northumberland)unless it is an Australian of Scottish Convict descent intent on keeping out all Pommies.

Labels: Post codes, TD15, TD16, White Van Drivers

  ¶ 10:45 AM (3) comments