The last time I went in there a week or so ago to buy a magazine, it was very quiet on that floor with others only using the post office upstairs.
When Sainsbury’s don’t put out new mags on time (they have a member of staff dedicated to the magazine shelving), TG Jones always had a copy of what I wanted.
As for the PO, it felt like playing Russian Roulette to see if the counter would be open or not, so I’d travel to the PO in Lordship Lane instead. That one has it’s issues, but it’s always open!
A part of me is nostalgic for when I’d go into WHSmith as a kid and buy the Dandy and Beano as a child, but it’s another sign that print media is becoming more niche.
CLOSING DOWN SALE TG Jones have ‘closing down sale’ notices in the windows. I went in and asked the staff about the Post Office. They said the Post Office will be closing when the shop closes.
With the roadworks in Sydenham now moved to the Newlands Park junction of Sydenham Road, you may find it quicker to get the train between FH and Sydenham rather than use the bus.
I discovered that trick when I was getting stuck in Dartmouth Road during the rush-hour going towards the station.
What a shame to lose the Post Office in Forest Hill. Hopefully, they’ll find a location nearby and with it, more eager and speedy staff to serve customers. Some members of staff were great, but some were terribly slow. Those on average 30 minute queues were beyond infuriating at times. The huffs and eye rolling from customers in the queue each and every time showed that the feeling was mutual. Forest Hill really needs a Post Office so let’s hope they find a good location (and staff) soon.
Given the official announcement of the closure of the TG Jones branch, I have reached out again to the Post Office to understand what their current plans are.
They’ve assured me that they do plan to keep operating in Forest Hill; they’ve said that they are “committed to maintaining Post Office services in the area and are actively working to identify a suitable, long-term and sustainable solution for Forest Hill.”
They’re not in position to confirm a new location yet, but they have received expressions of interest from potential operators and are reviewing them to identify the right new home for the branch. I’ll keep everyone updated as I hear more, but hopefully that provides at least some reassurance!
The chap behind the PO counter chatted about the closure date of TG Jones now being extended to end-of-October 2026 with the possibility of the PO closing one week earlier. Also it became evident that the PO staff are actually employees of WH Smith/TG Jones.
It seems on-site staff were being engaged in consultation about their position re-the closure in the last week or so.
It is entirely unsatisfactory that with these timelines being in the public domain that the PO cannot engage with more meaningful statements than “committed to maintaining…" instead of factual information like who, when, where and how.
That might be true of it was their decision and they were actually closing and removing a post office location.
In this case they are a victim of the decision by the main leaseholder, and TG Jones choosing to close the shop. There’s nothing they could do, so they can’t wait for a consultation, and residents can’t force TG Jones to remain open
The cynic in me thinks that TG Jones informed the Post Office in the summer that led to the consultation where they were looking for an alternative provider.
However they’ve decied to stay open a few more weeks presumably due to the short notice of the closure, although I’d assume they don’t legally have to?
Surely the Post Office negotiated a contract with WH Smith originally which would have included the duration of any closure notice. To safeguard the physical investment the Post Office would have made into the shop.
