Post Office hours reduced at stretched Papdale Stores after Kirkwall branch shutdown

Kirkwall’s remaining post office branch has had to reduce its hours, as an overflow of custom pushes staff to capacity.

The team at Papdale Stores claim to have been given no warning ahead of the shock shutdown of the town’s main branch, last week.

The corner shop branch has been left with the task of serving a town of 7,000 people, with no end in sight to the closure. 

Hours reduced ‘for sanity’s sake’

“Before, the shop staff would be in behind the counter and someone would pop to the Post Office side whenever someone came in, and now we have to have someone dedicated to that side every time it’s open,” said the shop’s owner Betty Muir, who first found out about the closure of the Junction Road branch when The Orcadian broke the story online.

“It’s been exceptionally busy.

“We have actually taken the decision that we are going to have to reduce the Post Office times so that we can concentrate on shop filling-up.

“It’s just a post office inside a shop, so that shop has to take priority over everything else.”

Previously, the Post Office counter at Papdale Stores was open 7.30am-9pm on weekdays, 8.30am-9pm on Saturdays, and 10.30am-6рm on Sundays.

Mrs Muir advised that this will be reduced to 8am-6pm on weekdays, 11am-3pm on Saturdays, and 12pm-3pm on Sundays.

“That will allow us time to fill up the shop, because it’s so busy,” she said.

“We have tried to avoid doing that but, for sanity’s sake, I think we are just going to have to.

“Other things are starting to fall behind and that’s no use.”

Mrs Muir is grateful to Royal Mail for coming twice a day to pick up the tremendous pile of parcels and envelopes that are being posted through her shop.

‘Living in hope’ as Christmas boom approaches

She said that there have been some customers visit the branch hoping to access passport and licensing services, but that Orkney Islands Council has assisted in informing the public that these services are not available.

“We are living in hope that it’s not going to be for long,” said the shopkeeper, who also runs Bruce’s Stores on Victoria Street.

“But we’re into October this week and looking ahead at Christmas.

“I would suggest that people get Christmas things — especially posting abroad — sorted sooner rather than later.”

The sudden closure of Kirkwall Post Office prompted a former staff member to speak out, claiming that a refusal to hire new staff, combined with abuse from customers and poor management, brought staff to breaking point.

It also brought news of relocation plans for the branch.

Post Office declined to comment, this week, on a rumoured move to one of the town’s two Co-op stores.

In a fresh statement, a spokeswoman said: “We know how important Post Office service is to the residents and businesses of Kirkwall. We are currently exploring possibilities to reinstate Post Office services.

“Regrettably, we do not have a re-opening date at this stage.

“Papdale Post Office is the nearest alternative branch. It is open daily, making it convenient for customers to visit for everyday banking and to send, return and to collect mail.

“We acknowledge that customers are currently having to travel further for more specialised services and we apologise for this inconvenience.

“Customers are advised to visit www.postoffice.co.uk/branch-finder to check which branch offers the service that they require.”