We welcome Jag Aytain as our new postmaster in Barrow. Jag is postmaster at Linton post office near Swadlincote. He also runs the mobile post office, which stops at 22 locations in five different counties each week: West Midlands, Derbyshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, and Leicestershire. This is the biggest mobile post office network in the country.

As of the 18th April, the mobile post office has been visiting Barrow every Thursday from 9:30am to 11:30am, before moving on to Long Whatton from 12:00pm to 1:00pm, and Kegworth from 1:15pm to 3:15pm.

All the usual post office services are provided from the van, except foreign currency, passports, DVLA, and parcel collection. You can do all your banking at the van, including paying in and withdrawing cash. You can post parcels and letters to anywhere in the world, and of course buy stamps.

There is a lift at the rear of the van, so customers in wheelchairs, and those who cannot manage steps, are catered for.

Jag Aytain started this mobile post office service in 2018 with support from Anne Murphy of Post Office Ltd. The van itself is supplied and maintained by Post Office Ltd but Jag pays for the fuel costs himself. Jag receives a basic salary from Post Office Ltd and also receives commission on most, but not all, transactions.

Barrow and eight other villages have been added to this mobile service but seven villages have lost their service due to low customer usage. We must ensure that we don’t lose ours, so everyone, please use the mobile post office as much as possible.

Post Office Ltd says the mobile post office is a temporary service whilst they continue to look for a permanent solution. As reported in the previous issue of Barrow Voice, there was a campaign and petition in the village to “Give us back our post office”, so this is a small victory on our journey to returning a full-time post office service for our village.

Keith Butler