May 2011
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The Post’s Arrived !
POSTAL SERVICES RETURN TO STILTON
After our Post Office closed in June 2010, due to the retirement of the Postmistress, the GPO was persuaded to hold the allocation open whilst we found a new home for it.
The Parish Council worked hard to achieve this and are still working on the location of a new post box. We must also thank Mr Sivaraga for his vision of providing a full-service shop in the village. Siva wanted someone to perform the official opening of our new Post Office in his shop, so who better than Gladys Wayland? Gladys has lived in Stilton all her life and was the Post Lady for Folksworth and Stilton from 1978 to 1990, delivering letters and parcels on an overloaded GPO standard bicycle. Gladys is now an independent lady of 85 and gets around Stilton in her buggy. Having had to go to Sawtry for postal services she represents one very good reason why we need our own branch. With a General Store providing Post Office - and shortly chemists - services, Stilton has once again become a more self-sustaining community. The Post Office explains that this new facility is for a trial period, so be sure to use it to ensure its long-term success!

March 2011
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Post Office Re-opening
Readers may also have heard over the village grapevine that Nisa Local plans to add Post Office services on a 12-month trial, if there is satisfactory feedback from a consultation process.

We are sure that most people will welcome the reinstatement of post office services, especially in premises right in the centre of the village, and will want to keep these services in the long term.

Stilton Parish Council will respond in this way. If you can support this position please write to Mike J Ball, Post Office Ltd. c/o National Consultation Team PO Box 2060 Watford WD18 82W or e-mail consultation@postoffice.co.uk. The last date for your comments will be 15 March 2011, so please hurry!

June 2010
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Post Office Closure - our Post Mistress Retires
The Parish Council heard late in April that Mrs. Gill King is to retire from the Post Office in June. This means that Post Office services will not be available in Stilton, at least for some time.

It took time to track down the department dealing with Stilton, but once contact was made it became clear that there is no intention to close our post office permanently; indeed, there is a genuine interest in maintaining a service, although most probably not at the present level. The major problem is the availability of suitable premises.

At the time of writing there seem to be two possibilities: a dedicated counter in Stilton Stores or (as happened 20 years ago) someone offers to provide shop-style premises and act as Postmaster. Whatever is arranged in the long run there will be a period of time when we do not have a Post Office.

The Parish Council is pressing for some alternative provision and District Councillor Peter Mitchell is also working to find a way forward.