Mail in Charlbury

Wed 13 Jan 2010, 14:38

I don't remember these problems back in 1947 or 1963. Milkman came every day, posty and newspaper also. The coalman came every week regardless, the bins were always emptied and the Co-op was always there well stocked, and bye gum it had to be bad if't bus couldnt get through, and that was up on't Pennines.
Ee,You try and tell em today and they won't believe you.

Wed 13 Jan 2010, 12:51

Got a Royal Mail delivery Tuesday !!

Not sure why we were favoured in Little Lees, but thanks any way.

Wed 13 Jan 2010, 12:20

My courier package from Swindon is still not here. The tracking implies they keep attempting to deliver it, but have to return to the depot.

Wed 13 Jan 2010, 11:51

Yet again TNT deliver my overnight parcel from Eastbourne. The driver's tip: "Steer the way you want to go!"

Tue 12 Jan 2010, 22:05

I have to speak up for the posties in the Chippy area - we've had deliveries (bills!) every day for the last few working days in Great Rollright which has been far worse than Charlbury in terms of ice/snow/no grit/no salt; there must be a reason they are struggling to get down to the town.

Tue 12 Jan 2010, 21:27

Obviously, the dairy have been delivering, not the daisies-sorry!

Tue 12 Jan 2010, 21:26

I think the key here is the will to succeed. Plenty of evidence of the daisy managing to make deliveries. We have managed (against the odds and with enormous assistance) to get to Charlbury for prescriptions, bread, milk etc. A policeman kindly delivered antibiotics to my neighbours very poorly pooch. But, as we are used to expect, at the slightest hint of adversity the Post Office pack up and go home! No post for 7 days! They are signing their own P45's I'm afraid. In this day and age, there are too many alternatives.

Tue 12 Jan 2010, 18:22

So we get the picture... Management sends posties out in ill-equiped vans to slither around and try to reach our letter boxes. No snow chains, certainly no winter tyres, from the sound of it no shovels or grit. No wonder we had no deliveries for a week.

Why do they do it? Why does every other delivery firm in the country do its best to get through... except the Royal Mail? Does management WANT the Royal Mail to go bust? To get broken up and sold off so management can buy out the profitable bits?

Yes, I know that door-to-door deliveries can be difficult, and maybe dangerous. But many of them are as dangerous today as they were 5 or 6 days ago. So why deliver yesterday or today? In fact, the melting ice is more dangerous than the crisp snow of last week. Why did some people get letters on Friday, but others had to wait till today?

And why send the posties out on slippery pavements with ludicrously heavy bags over their shoulders (now THAT is a health and safety issue: I'll bet they get home with acute aching backs, and when the pain gets chronic they should sue the Royal Mail) when most countries give their delivery staff a trolley for the post? It is abundantly and conclusively clear that management is not considering the wellbeing of their staff, whatever else they may be considering.

And why did they not send a van to Charlbury Post Office for 4 consecutive days, when I was getting daily deliveries a few yards away on all but one of those days? Management was clearly spelling it out for us: the Royal Mail is an incompetent organisation unworthy of the trust we give it, or the virtual monopoly it enjoys. Let it go bust. Then will a few people make a fortune picking up the pieces? We've seen it done before.

Is it just screaming incompetence? A budget that won't run to snow chains to enable deliveries to rural villages for a week? Or is there an ulterior motive? I think there's a hidden strategy at work here.

Tue 12 Jan 2010, 12:27

And here in Hundley Way, but after all that waiting just a few pieces and not the expected pile. Let's hope they are clearing a backlog and our popularity hasn't dramatically reduced.

Tue 12 Jan 2010, 12:11

Ditto for Tanners Court.

Tue 12 Jan 2010, 11:14

Sensational. Market Street has just had its first delivery since Monday January 4.

Mon 11 Jan 2010, 22:18

No post yet in Hixet Wood...

Mon 11 Jan 2010, 16:59

Our post arrived at Ticknell Piece lunchtime today. Postlady had tried to reach Charlbury first thing this morning but could not get through due to the poor road conditions. She decided to turn back and deliver to the Ascott area first - then managed to get to Charlbury on her second attempt. Thank you postlady

Mon 11 Jan 2010, 16:37

Apparently it hasn't come from the sorting office in Swindon.
I've seen a couple of post vans around Charlbury though so perhaps you'll be lucky tomorrow.

I'm still waiting for a package to arrive here via courier from Swindon. Couriers are generally very good, carrying their own sand and shovels, with some even working Sundays when there was snow before Xmas and now, so the fact it's not here is perhaps an indication that the roads between Swindon and Charlbury are bad?

Mon 11 Jan 2010, 16:03

Still no sign of Royal Mail in Tanners Court yet but Parcelforce made it here today. If they can do it...

Mon 11 Jan 2010, 15:42

We have had no mail in Market Street since Monday 4 January.

Sun 10 Jan 2010, 18:56

Non in Elm Crescent / Green areas either

Sun 10 Jan 2010, 17:15

or thames street

Sun 10 Jan 2010, 17:00

No post on Woodstock Road either.

Sun 10 Jan 2010, 16:09

Here in Tanners Court I've had no post all week and haven't seen hide nor hair of a postman since the first snowflakes started falling on Tuesday.

Given the parlous state of Royal Mail's finances and the extreme negative publicity aroused by the recent threat of industrial action, you would think that they would make strenuous efforts to deliver, even in these harsh conditions. The sight of one or two posties bravely trudging through the snow on foot would do wonders for the Royal Mail's image. Even if some households only received mail every two or three days then that would be better than nothing and the effort would be appreciated.

Each day since the snow started, intrepid lorry-drivers have delivered supplies of food to Charlbury. As has already been reported here, the dairy staff have heroically delivered every day (I saw them struggling up Sandford Rise at about 5 pm on Wednesday) and nurses have fought their way through the snow to put in their shifts in Chipping Norton. Meanwhile, what do the Royal Mail do? Give up.

Yesterday was my birthday. For the first time in 45 years I received not a single card or present on or before the day itself. Before anyone makes the obvious nasty crack, I do know of one or two that have been posted to me! So thanks Royal Mail for making it a birthday to forget. Another six-inch nail has been hammered into your coffin as far as I'm concerned.

Sun 10 Jan 2010, 13:13

Alex, no dont live around Fiveways - Wychwood Close; Russell is in Cornbury and John used to live off Park Street (not sure now)

Sun 10 Jan 2010, 12:02

We last got post in Market Street on Monday so we've been without for 5 days so far. The Post Office had no contact with Royal Mail on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. They probably have since then, but this means that items posted on those days went nowhere.

Russell, you are obviously lucky to live on the road to Cornbury: His Lordship must get priority over us town centre businesses (and of course he clears his drive, which helps a lot! He's not afraid of people suing him after slipping on the drive, is he?).

For the record, while the Royal Mail has been unable to reach me from Chipping Norton, TNT were able to deliver me overnight parcels of books on Thursday and Friday (they didn't make it on Wednesday). They came from Eastbourne via the TNT depot at Milton Trading Estate (off the A34 south of Abingdon). The contract rate for such parcels, in case you wonder, is around £4 a box up to 25 kilos.

And while we're on postal anomalies, here's another. I get small packets of books sent from the US by one of my suppliers, often one book at a time in little padded envelopes. The packets are shipped in bulk to Sweden and then mailed to me here with a Swedish 'stamp'. Seems this is cheaper than sending them direct to Royal Mail from the US. Don't ask about carbon footprints. Laugh or cry?

Sun 10 Jan 2010, 11:31

No post on Hundley Way since forever!

Sun 10 Jan 2010, 11:12

My neighbour last got post on Monday!

Sun 10 Jan 2010, 11:10

I take it you 3 live in the Fiveways part of the town. I live in the middle and have not even received any of the signed for post that has been due.

Sun 10 Jan 2010, 10:51

We got post on Friday, and our car is still immovaable! Well done to posties, milkman and women and all those trying to keep things running.

Sat 9 Jan 2010, 23:47

So did we......and he was emptying the postbox outside the Post Office at 12:30 this lunchtime.....good on him!

Sat 9 Jan 2010, 22:11

We got some mail today

Sat 9 Jan 2010, 21:55

Out of curiosity has anyone in Charlbury received any mail this week? What is the situation? I'd imagine there must be quite a backlog thanks to the current weather conditions. I'm guessing that the vans just can't get through. Oxford on the other hand (where I work) is a different story... The joys of village life!