Celebrations as Tideswell Post Office reopens two and a half years after closing

Tideswell villagers have been celebrating the reopening of their Post Office – two and a half years after it closed.
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More than 1,000 people signed a petition to reinstate the Post Office after it closed in September 2019 when the previous operators retired. But after a new location was secured, the village welcomed the service back on Wednesday August, 17.

New postmaster Denise Dupont-Higgins will be dealing with people's banking and postal needs from the back of her shop H&D Exotic Teas.

She said: “I’m really pleased we managed to save the post office.

Former MP Edwina Currie cut the ribbon with new Tideswell Postmaster Denise Dupont-Higgins.Former MP Edwina Currie cut the ribbon with new Tideswell Postmaster Denise Dupont-Higgins.
Former MP Edwina Currie cut the ribbon with new Tideswell Postmaster Denise Dupont-Higgins.

"For years now people have been traveling into Buxton to post a parcel or pay their bills but now it's right on their doorstep which saves people so much hassle.

"There is a cash machine in the village but it isn’t always working so having a banking facility here will help people.”

The new Post Office was officially opened by former MP Edwina Currie and Denise said in the first afternoon of trading people kept turning up with piles and piles of parcels to be posted.

She said: “That proves there is a need for a Post Office.

Former MP Edwina Currie cut the ribbon with new Tideswell Postmaster Denise Dupont-Higgins.Former MP Edwina Currie cut the ribbon with new Tideswell Postmaster Denise Dupont-Higgins.
Former MP Edwina Currie cut the ribbon with new Tideswell Postmaster Denise Dupont-Higgins.

“We want to keep the village thriving and with the cafe and the shop and the business it is a hub for people in the community to come and meet.”

Denise went through two weeks of e-learning and two in person training sessions as well as having a trainer with her for the first week.

The new Post Office will provide 34.5 hours of service per week over five days, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Customers are now able to access the wide range of Post Office and mails services, including Special Delivery, Local Collect, home shopping returns, and make online banking cash deposits and withdrawals, withdrawals using a Post Office Card Account, send funds abroad using Moneygram, pay bills, pre-order travel money, apply for travel insurance and top up mobile phones.

Karl Haddon, Network Provision Lead, added: “We are delighted to have restored a Post Office to Tideswell, as we know how important Post Office services are to a community.”

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