Camden News - by ED GALLOIS Published: 26 June 2008
Search on for alternative outlet as post office closure brings tears
HIGHGATE businesses are being asked if they can offer post office services after the village branch shut on Monday. The closure of the Highgate High Street post office, run by the Hussein family for almost 29 years, left customers in tears. But the Highgate Society hopes to find another shop in the area to offer similar services.
Society vice-chairwoman Liz Morris said the decision threatened other independent businesses in the High Street which would face escalating costs. She added: “Every community needs a post office. We are talking to businesses to see if any of them would be interested in setting up a simple post office. One business we know is paying £4,000 to have their post delivered.”
Highgate Fine Art gallery owner Laurie MacLaren said: “I can’t afford to spend 20 minutes walking to the nearest post office and then queueing up – I’ve got a business to run. The plan is to get my post picked up now, but that’s going to be very expensive.”
Postmistress Farida Hussein said the closure had been “the end of the world” for some older customers. “They were used to me, and I knew what they needed,” she added. “We had one elderly lady who was crying. It was very sad.”