Clapton Pond Blog

Flown Away

This post replaces the one that was previously here, which referred to the Hackney Buswall. I have now solved the small problem with which it was concerned in a matter just slightly too embarrassing to explain in detail, and can now announce that nothing new will appear on this blog for a couple of weeks because I am away on holiday. In fact I've already been away for three whole days, but was too busy to convey this important information about my annual vacation before heading off for Stansted with the majority of my family on Friday morning. In a way, the timing is bad because during the past week or so I've received some very interesting correspondence from readers. Thanks to all who've been in touch. I promise to give you my full attention on my return to Deepest Hackney. See you then.

Hackney Podcast 13

For dog walkers on London Fields, wheat fields in Dalston and breakfasts in Stoke Newington, listen here. 

Osteopathy And Leonard Cohen

How are they related? To find out, read on. 

A Postal Service Post

Breaking news about forthcoming further strike action by postal workers provides me with a lame yet convenient pretext for belatedly publishing some correspondence with a reader from earlier this year. She wrote:

We live on Upper Clapton Road - right across from the Crooked Billet - and have had problems for months with our post not being delivered. Two weeks ago we received a huge stack of post including Christmas cards (!) and a letter from Royal Mail explaining that an employee had been with holding post and this is subject to investigation. On Saturday, we received a plastic bag with two open and empty envelopes and another letter [from Royal Mail] saying the same thing [as the previous one]. I was so outraged that I called Royal Mail. Customer services told me that there are some 20,000 pieces of post for E5 that were withheld by a Royal Mail employee. Isn't that outrageous!

Yes, I'd say so. I received that email in April. Since then, my distressed reader has had at least some joy in seeking redress. She tells me:  

The issues have now basically been resolved...Apparently, the post office has their own power to prosecute, so things dont go through the normal court system. I'm an American, so I dont understand this part of the UK at all, but perhaps this is common knowledge to you guys... 

Not to me, actually. How interesting. 

....That being said, the customer service people were exceedingly uncooperative in our attempts to claim things that were missing. My husband had bike parts from ebay that never showed up. My mum sent me paperwork from America and all I received was a torn up empty envelope.

Perhaps it helped that Peter Sherlock at the Gazette had taken up the story, and managed to get it into the paper. His inquiries yielded the following statement from Royal Mail: 

Around 15,000 items of mail have been recovered for approximately 500 addresses (covering Upper Clapton Road, Seaton Point, Walsley Grove, Woodmill Road, Beaumont Court and Station Parade)in the E5 area. The items are dated from July 2007 to January 2009 with the majority from October 2008 to January 2009.

Royal Mail and its people have a zero tolerance approach to any instances of delaying the mail. We are working hard to ensure that mail which is still in a deliverable state is forwarded to its recipient as soon as possible.

An investigation with our security team is ongoing and Royal Mail apologises to those who have been affected by this incident. Customers with concerns should contact our customer services team on 0845 7740 740.

I wonder what happened?

PS: My postman is wonderful, by the way.