But, of course, the world is changing. We no longer have a hospital or a police station in the town and yet many of us still know the people who deliver those services.And that's what it's all about - the people who help us live our lives.
For, actually, most Royal Mail customers will see no difference in their service. The fact that the postmen and women have to travel further before starting their jobs will not make them perform any worse. The fact that they're getting used to a new space in which to sort the mail ready for delivery probably won't even make your own mail arrive later.
The thing that strikes you about our postmen in Hitchin is that they know the town and the people. The fact that one of the ugliest buildings in the town centre is set to be demolished is - probably - a good thing. As long as we all take part in the consultation process, we could end up with something rather nice in this part of town. For now, find out more about the proposals: http://sorting-office.whitebarn-developments.co.uk/
So, Monday 12 February 1962 saw the Post Office move from Brand Street to this new site on Hermitage Road (with the rear entrance on Portmill Lane its most recent public access). The Post Office side of the business moved to its new location within Brookers, 39 Bucklersbury and now customers will be able to go to the same place to collect packets and signed-for items.
Doug Brooker, marketing and operations director at Brookers, said: "When it became clear that Royal Mail was moving out, we realised that there was a need to stop people having to travel to Stevenage if they were out when a delivery was made. Now, if anyone gets a 'Something for You' card through the door, they can just come to the Post Office at the front of our shop to collect it.
"We want to limit the inconvenience to locals and also to retain the retail trade in Hitchin. It will obviously take us some time to get the staffing levels right and we hope that everyone will bear with us while we get it right. This is a brand new venture and, having helped keep a subpostoffice in the town centre several years ago, we really want to keep the equivalent of them callers' office here, too."
To find out more about opening hours of Hitchin Post Office at Brookers, click here: http://tbrooker.co.uk/locations/post-office---bucklersbury---hitchin
Meanwhile, for anyone who's lived in Hitchin for any length of time, this really is the end of an era and I, for one, would like to thank our postmen and women for carrying on doing a great job while moving to their new home in Stevenage.
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