THE POST OFFICE

This unlovely building in Water Street has been Rhyl’s main post office for decades. Now it on the verge of closing and a new post office counter being created in a derelict High Street shop as part of a private retail business. This is a cost-cutting measure by The Post Office Ltd.

When I was a mini-person the main post office was in High Street in a building that no longer exists, opposite Boots chemist. The move to Water Street was met with scorn. “Bah! How ridiculous,” said Rhylites, “The Post Office belongs in High Street!”

Now comes the turnaround, and last year the counter staff were upset about the prospect of changing location and status. They are an efficient, friendly team so I was happy to sign their petition and go to their meeting at the Town Hall.

The meeting was not well attended by customers. There were quite a few Labour Party hangers-on and apparatchiks from Kinmel Street Kremlin and, inevitably, Chris Ruane MP.

Mr. Ruin shared the platform with the staff’s trade union representative. As an ex-trade union officer myself I recognised his type as unhelpful.
The union man referred to a privately-run post office being boycotted somewhere and implied the same could be done here.

Mr. Ruin and his Labour comrade Andrew Whatsisname, The Mayor of Rhyl, failed to pick up this point and challenge it. Did they really believe Rhyl people would boycott a Rhyl business?

Anyway, the move is to go ahead in June this year. (There's a consultation period beforehand in which you could have your say – not that it would make the slightest difference.)

The new location is a former sport retailer’s shop opposite White Rose Centre. The owners of White Rose Centre must be rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect of a post office on their doorstep; it means a shot in the arm for their outdated half-empty precinct.

I would have rounded off this blog post with a picture of the forthcoming post office premises but one of the striped tents described as market stalls was in the way.

Soon the stalls are being moved to an other location, I am pleased to say. Putting them in front of High Street shops was always a crass idea.

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