Margate Post Office has opened today (September 6) at its new base at Darlene’s Premier, 80 High Street, Margate under Postmaster Arnold Kavichandran Duraisingham.
This has restored Post Office services to the area. The previous operator, WHSmith at 94-96 High Street, Margate, closed in April.
There are two full-screen counters, offering the wide range of services, which are available Monday to Saturday: 9am – 5.30pm. There is also a Post Office service point alongside the retail counter of the convenience store, offering selected services Monday to Sunday: 7am – midnight.
This provides 119 hours of Post Office service a week for the convenience of customers. These opening hours are more than double of the previous branch’s trading hours.
The same products and services will continue to be available as before.
During consultation there were 17 responses which welcomed the return of Post Office services to the area.
Emily Clive, Post Office Area Change Manager said: “We are delighted to have restored Post Office services to the centre of Margate as we know how important a Post Office is to a community. The residents, businesses and tourists will also benefit from the opening hours doubling, making it far easier for customers to visit.”
It should be illegal to NOT have a post office wherever there are more than about 15 shops!
Sadly, it was under Labour that many village Post Offices were shut in 2008 (Minnis Bay recently bucked the trend and reopened one).
It should be illegal to capitalise words for emphasis.
WHY?
Thank you Arnold for opening this post office and providing a vital service to many residents of Margate.
Good luck – I hope it proves successful for you and your team.
Good for Margate, but it would be good to have something better in Broadstairs than tiny cramped shelves in two small convenience stores, where it’s difficult to do much more than buy stamps. Maybe the Post Office could return to its former premises in York Street?
Looks more like an Off-Licence in the last picture-with you helpful staff Brandy Alexander, Jack Daniel, Johnnie Walker & Jim Beam
Very handy for Margate dossers withdrawing their benefits.
Same for Birchington,I suppose you have better class of dossers
Most of us people in Birchington are so old we spend it on ovaltine and horlicks instead!
I’m surprised after the post office scandal that anyone would risk working for that management of corrupt incompetent shower.
What is unbelievable is the post office they are still using the horizon system ??? That lead to some taking their lives and innocent others being jailed.
Most new Post office owners now days are hard working and possibly work for 50% less than the old fashioned post office employee’s. My Local 06:15 convenience store with Post Office open. Accepted letters for posting. Only thing missing was a smile and good morning. Still we shouldn’t expect everything to stay the same. Civility costs nothing though.
Didn’t hear anything about the post office returning to Margate previously.
Will the post office be open all those extra hours or just the convenience part of the shop?
It was announced in June Post Office be returning to Margate in the Premier shop. People put happy comments it was being returned to Margate.
Hope they do well, They should rename the shop. Gin & Giro.
PO down my way seems to have forgotten to recruit staff and do maintenance on the outside entrance arch.
Yes, the Ramsgate one looks filthy, decrepid and falling down (much like many of the people who hang about there!).