Sanquhar stop for Post Office CEO

SANQUHAR Post Office, which is the world’s oldest working Post Office, last week received a visit from Post Office CEO Neil Brocklehurst.

Neil is on a mission to visit postmasters across the UK, including the historic branch at Sanquhar, to get the views of postmasters on how to transform the Post Office.

This month marks 390 years since The General Post Office organisation was established on 31 July 1635. There was a proclamation by King Charles 1 for a public letter-office of England and Scotland.

Sanquhar Post Office is accredited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s oldest working Post Office. It opened in 1712 and has been in continuous operation for 313 years.

Barry and Mary Ford took it over in September 2023 and are the 16th operators.

Commenting, Neil Brocklehurst said: “Sanquhar Post Office is very special as it’s the world’s longest operational branch. Barry and Mary Ford are doing a tremendous job building on their Post Office’s unrivalled history. With all of their fascinating Post Office memorabilia they have created their own Post Office Museum which tourists and locals enjoy visiting. They are very entrepreneurial, and they have really seen their business grow as a result.

“Barry and Mary are also doing a brilliant job serving their community. They really care about their customers and community, and they go the extra mile. They’ve quickly got to know all about their Post Office products and services and they’ve found lots of ways to spread the word about what they offer, especially banking. With local bank branch closures,they have been able to reassure customers that they can do every day personal and business banking at Sanquhar Post Office.”

And Barry said: “We’re very pleased that Post Office CEO Neil Brocklehurst chose to visit our branch. He was genuinely interested to hear about our ideas which have really helped us to boost our business.

“We pride ourselves on first class customer service. People really value the face-to-face service and interaction. Grateful customers bake us cakes and enjoy popping in for a chat. We love it here in Sanquhar.”

The couple have made many improvements to their branch including longer opening hours, which have seen their business grow and flourish. They have embraced the unique history of Sanquhar Post Office. The branch is decorated with a vintage Post Office BSA Bantam motorbike, old Post Office van, bicycle, ornate post box, and lots of other memorabilia.

It's is a popular attraction for postal and philatelic enthusiasts from the UK and across the globe. People can pop in to have postcards and letters stamped with the Sanquhar postmark. Barry has a fascinating website www.theworldsoldestpostoffice.com