Post Office Lordship Lane is Broken

[Eats Dulwich]

15 hours ago, Sue said:

Do they take any size and weight parcels, or is there a limit?

If you are sending it via buying a label from the royal mail website you have to put down in the weight of the item so in theory it should then only  tell you the places where you can drop it off but I wouldn't bank on it!

[Sue]

1 hour ago, Eats Dulwich said:

If you are sending it via buying a label from the royal mail website you have to put down in the weight of the item so in theory it should then only  tell you the places where you can drop it off but I wouldn't bank on it!

Oh thanks, it's donations to Oxfam via their free postage  bag system, but I just had a closer look and they use DPD, so no problem (well, not a queuing problem, anyway).

[Cluck'ed]

22 hours ago, Sue said:

Do they take any size and weight parcels, or is there a limit?

Yet to use it for a big parcel, but worth a try!

[Sue]

I just read that the Post Office is going to do a six month trial of parcel lockers outside selected offices.

https://www.parcelandpostaltechnologyinternational.com/news/lockers-pudo/royal-mail-and-post-office-to-trial-24-7-parcel-lockers.html

Unfortunately I can't see that there would be room for these outside the Lordship Lane office, especially with the bus stop there.

Edited January 15 by Sue
Adding link

[Jenijenjen]

It doesn't say whether this will include Evri parcels

[Sue]

48 minutes ago, Jenijenjen said:

It doesn't say whether this will include Evri parcels

Well whatever parcels it includes would reduce the queue, even if not completely.

But I can't see that it's an option at the Lordship Lane office anyway.

The bus stop surely wouldn't be moved, it's in a very convenient location.

[Earl Aelfheah]

They do have other lockers where you can drop off parcels, as well as some shops who will take them. If you use the Royal Mail app, or website, you can also arrange for collection of parcels from your house. The service is actually pretty good (and a lot easier than going to the post office).

There are a lack of Royal Mail lockers though. Would be good to get some more - perhaps one on North Cross road?

They don't need to be outside the Post Office necessarilly.

Edited January 15 by Earl Aelfheah

[sjsl]

It's such an uneven provision, I live just west of E Dulwich towards Herne Hill/Dulwich Village and there are four Post Office counters within 10 mins walk max. They are all in local shops and provide a great service. 

[Sue]

3 hours ago, Earl Aelfheah said:

They do have other lockers where you can drop off parcels, as well as some shops who will take them. If you use the Royal Mail app, or website, you can also arrange for collection of parcels from your house. The service is actually pretty good (and a lot easier than going to the post office).

There are a lack of Royal Mail lockers though. Would be good to get some more - perhaps one on North Cross road?

They don't need to be outside the Post Office necessarilly.

Good idea, though I'm not sure where they would go on North Cross Road?

Although the pavement is wide in some places, I think that's because  half of it actually belongs to the shops, restaurants and businesses along there.

I don't know if the Post Office would pay someone to have the lockers on their property?

[Earl Aelfheah]

That's true. I was thinking outside the substation, but may be private land. 

[Forest Hill Climber]

On 08/01/2026 at 18:11, Pugwash said:

If I need a PO I will go to Forest Hill (the old WH Smith). Shorter queue but only 2 windows. Due to poor mobility I cannot stand for more than 5-10 mins, so LL is out for me.  I remember the times, many years ago, when there were chairs in the post office!   Showing my age!

My experience of the Forest Hill Post Office isn't good. Typical is today, where I arrive at 3:30 with parcels already labelled ready to be scanned and dropped off. There's just one of three windows open, a 30 minute queue, and a hand-written notice up that the service will close at 4 PM instead of the advertised 5:30

The woman working there came out and put a physical barrier at the end of the queue, then asked the last person to tell any further arrivals not to join the queue as she won't be able to serve them. When she made her way back through the locked door, I managed to get her to take my parcels with her behind the counter, but didn't get them scanned, so hoping for the best.

[beansprout]

Best post office is the one n the village inside the chemist… great service….

[intexasatthe moment]

I went to LL post office yesterday at 1 o'clock and there was no queue. No one in front of me .

Cheerful, helpful person served me ( not my previous experience) 

Staff said weather was reason for no queue .

I felt like I'd won the lottery.

[intexasatthe moment]

9.40 this morning.

[alice]

I am tempted to go down to FHR post office to see if I can post a similar photo. 
I think the Christmas rush is over 

Edited Wednesday at 13:33 by alice
Add

[intexasatthe moment]

I think Alice has the win .

An empty PO at 1pm trumps one that's empty at 9.40.

But for completeness I think we need photos of Forest Hill and Dulwich Village POs.

And maybe the one in Krystals ?

[Angelina]

I went to Forest Hill post office inside WHS and it's closed until further notice.

 

[Vik]

22 hours ago, alice said:

I am tempted to go down to FHR post office to see if I can post a similar photo. 
I think the Christmas rush is over 

Ah my childhood Post Office - We used to hire videos from there in the 80's!

Glad to see it is still going.

[NewWave]

On 28/01/2026 at 15:29, Angelina said:

I went to Forest Hill post office inside WHS and it's closed until further notice.

 

any idea why? its my local..

[geh]

had to drop a package off at LL.  30 mins in the queue.  Given the no of people, in front of and behind me, conservatively, a working days worth of time.  

[Angelina]

20 hours ago, NewWave said:

any idea why? its my local..

no explanation provided, just a barrier rope and note.

LL one - max 20 mins wait around 5pm yesterday - staff were nice, just the nature of the transactions and taking time

 

[alice]

21 hours ago, NewWave said:

any idea why? its my local..

WHSmith no longer runs that shop.  maybe the new people are dropping the PO

[Moovart]

The Post Office no longer runs the Lordship Lane PO either.  That slipped through under the radar!  Below is an extract from a letter from the PO to me in response to my query about long queues.  Shame the PO didn't say who the new owner actually is.  Does anyone know?

 

Whilst this branch was a 'Crown' office, this has now been franchised. Services at this location are now operated by an independent Postmaster. They're responsible for all aspects of the day-to-day running of the branch, and is the employer of the members of staff who work in the branch. 

 

[BrandNewGuy]

19 hours ago, alice said:

WHSmith no longer runs that shop.  maybe the new people are dropping the PO

TGJones, who bought WHS's high street business, are obliged to abide by the PO contracts that were already in place, but I guess as soon as these come up for renewal, they might reconsider.

And I think the Forest Hill PO is open? Maybe it was a temporary closure for some reason.

[Penguin68]

I think that sub post offices cannot operate without a formally trained person there, so maybe it closed because there was no trained cover, perhaps through sickness.