Are Post Offices still open?

Thanks for this. I was hoping the post office was still open. Have some jigsaws to send to a bored person.

Standalone post offices should still be open e.g. Sydenham (not that I know if it is), the issue with Forest Hill is that it is in WH Smiths. I went in yesterday to post something and they were struggling with the queue which had everyone 2 metres apart. Unfortunately due to the layout of the shop you had to be close to people going up and down the stairs etc. It was unrealistic to keep everyone distanced enough. Add to that the post office staff told me last week that whether they open or close is up to WH Smiths management, not the post office. I don’t blame them for closing.

Perhaps you should try sending board games instead?

Thanks Paul R - may try Sydenham. And a good groan to ForestHull. If no joy may send them in a series of jiffy bags and find the pictures on tinterweb.

The post office in Brockley Rise is closed. It’s a stand alone. Why???

The government guidance makes an exception for post offices and also says the postal service will continue to run. The Post Office itself also says it is doing all it can to keep branches open: https://www.postoffice.co.uk/coronavirus

It could just be a local staffing issue?

You should try the alternative - Parcel2go
There will be couriers who collect from you at home and others who work with local shops as your drop-off point - and usually MUCH cheaper than the Post Office!

Thanks Anotherjohn. Will check it out.

According to this notice posted by W H Smith on Twitter and Facebook it seems Forest Hill should be open as it provides post office services!

just found Shannons garden centre closed. Thought it still might be able to trade as so much of it is in a wide open space and customers could be brought in one at a time like other places. But no. No luxuries like plants, greenery, flowers. All closed up.

Garden centre retail premises are closed. But Shannon’s is trialling a local home delivery service - they ask that you email them with your requirements, and said they would post up a list of new stock on their Facebook page. I spoke with them a few days ago and they were expecting delivery of veg seedlings etc on Tuesday/ Wednesday.

Just went onto their FB page - saying they’re inundated with phone calls and emails and won’t be able to reply for quite a while due to skeleton staff. Also saying they’re placing orders with the suppliers that are then being refused/cancelled by them due to the order being ‘non essential’. All these products/plants at the busiest garden planting/bedding season are going to be thrown away.

The post office in Stanstead Road is open apparently,…

Find a local Post Office link
https://www.postoffice.co.uk/branch-finder

So the post office in WH Smith in Forest Hill is closed?

FH post office was open yesterday

Hi ak8. Where did you find this information as the Post Office website doesn’t seem to getting updated frequently enough. It currently is showing the nearest to SE23 as Sydenham and Catford.

Hi ChrisR I found the opening times information here https://www.postoffice.co.uk/branch-finder/2400073/forest-hill
This screenshot is from Tuesday and I went there the next day (Wednesday). It looks from the link that they are “Temporarily closed”. Could be worth checking the link again on Monday to see if there are any updates.

Thanks ak8. It all seems pot luck at the moment!

Forest Hill Post Office inside WHSmiths was open today(Friday) until 3pm

Thanks - that matches what ak8 posted.

Forest Hill was open today until lunchtime but I arrived just too late. They are open from 9 on Monday.

It seems very hit and miss when it’s open especially on Saturdays. The link that ak8 advised above should according to the post office customer service team be accurate but that shows it should have been open to 4pm today so obviously it’s not reliable!

Just posted some parcels at Forest Hill PO. Joined the queue outside the Dentist’s. Only 12 people allowed in the shop at once. The opening hours are listed as 9 - 3 weekdays and 9 - 12.30 on Saturday.

Thanks for the update. Out of interest how long did it take you to get served from the time you joined the queue outside the dentist?

Sorry - just spotted this. It didn’t seem very long - probably not as much as ten minutes but there;s then the PO queue when you get upstairs. They had two people on so moved quite smoothly.

I didn’t go in on Friday afternoon, but didn’t see a queue at all outside WHSmith at 2pm. Was it pure luck?

Other times I’ve been around there, the queue has gone back to Boots.

Forest Hill PO/WHSmith have extended their opening hours on weekdays from 9am-5pm weekdays.