:''For the UK's mail delivery service, See Royal Mail''

Coordinates	38°37′38″N90°11′52″N
Name	Post Office Ltd
Logo
Type	Wholly owned subsidiary
Foundation	1986
Location	80-86 Old Street, London EC1V 9NN
Key people	David Smith Managing Director (from 1 April 2010)
Area served	United Kingdom
Industry	postal service
Parent	Royal Mail Group plc
Homepage	postoffice.co.uk
Footnotes	}}

Post Office Ltd (; ) is a retail post office company in the United Kingdom that provides a wide range of products including postage stamps and banking to the public through its nationwide network of post office branches.

Structure

Post Office Ltd. was separated from the postal service Royal Mail in 1986 under the name Post Office Counters Ltd., and the name changed to Post Office Ltd. in 2001. Post Office Ltd. remains a wholly owned subsidiary of Royal Mail Group Ltd. A large number of its branches are under franchise agreements.

There are currently around 12,000 Post Office branches across the UK, of which 373 are directly managed by Post Office Ltd. (known as Crown Offices). The majority of other branches are either run by multiple franchise partners or local subpostmaster agents.

Services

The Post Office has a wide variety of services throughout the network of branches. Products and services available vary throughout the network; main post offices generally provide the full range of services.

Postal services

The Post Office provides information on services and accepts postal items and payment on behalf of the two collection and delivery divisions of the Royal Mail group, Royal Mail and Parcelforce. These include a variety of ordinary and guaranteed services both for delivery within the United Kingdom and to international destinations. Postage stamps (including commemorative stamps and other philatelic items), airletters and international reply coupons are sold, while applications for redirection of mail are accepted on behalf of Royal Mail.

Post Office Local Collect is a scheme whereby undelivered mail can be redirected at customer request to a post office for convenient collection. Poste restante mail can also be held for collection by people travelling.

Banking services

Personal banking services are offered on behalf of a number of "partner banks" that the Post Office has agreements with. Although different services are available on behalf of different institutions, these may include cash withdrawals, paying in cash and cheques, balance enquiries and cheque encashment. Some post offices also have cash machines, mainly provided by Bank of Ireland.

The Post Office Card Account is a basic bank account allowing customers to collect benefit payments. Most other basic accounts can also be accessed through post offices. The Card Account cannot be accessed anywhere other than a Post Office Counter or ATM at a Post Office. These accounts are limited to Department of Work & Pensions deposits of benefit payments and HMTC Tax Credits/Child Benefit. Housing Benefit from the local Council for example, must be paid elsewhere. If the account remains dormant for one year, it is closed. These bank accounts are run by J.P. Morgan Europe Ltd on behalf of the Post Office. To open an account, you must be in receipt of benefits and a referral is made via the Jobcentre Plus.

Business banking services are also offered, mainly through Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank (the successor to the Post Office Girobank).

Savings products

The Post Office has long been an agent for National Savings and Investments, which was originally the Post Office Savings Bank but is now a wholly separate institution. Information is available for most NS&I; products, including Premium Bonds, and numerous transactions can be carried out in post offices.

In recent years the Post Office has launched its own range of branded savings products, which are sometimes in competition with those offered by NS&I.; The most recently introduced, in September 2008, is a Post Office ISA. Also on offer is an instant access account (Instant Saver), while issues of two fixed term investments (Five Year Saver and Growth Bond) are periodically available. The Post Office are also a provider for the Child Trust Fund.

Telephony

The Post Office operates as a provider of a home landline telephone service (branded as Post Office HomePhone) and has recently added broadband internet to its portfolio.

Mobile phone E Top-up is available on behalf of most networks. Post Office branded prepay phonecards are available, offering potential savings particularly on international call rates.

Insurance and financial services

The Post Office is now seeking to establish itself as a financial service provider and provides a number of branded insurance products including for cars, vans and motorbikes; home insurance (buildings and/or contents); pet insurance and travel insurance. Life insurance, over 50s life cover and lifestyle protection insurance are also available.

The Post Office is now offering itself as a mortgage lender and also offers personal loans, although the latter are now marketed purely through the company's website and not through the branch network.

Bill payments

A number of bill payments can be accepted on behalf of a variety of organisations including utilities, local authorities and others. These can be in the form of automated payments (barcoded bills, swipe cards, key charging) or manual transactions through the Alliance & Leicester Transcash system. The name Transcash was formerly used by Girobank. The Transcash service is not advertised and a search for "Transcash" on the Post Office website returns no results. However, Transcash forms (still marked "Girobank") were still available at Post Office counters in October 2010.

Government services

Check and send services are available for applications made to several government institutions, including the IPS (for British passport applications), DVLA (for driving licences and the Department of Health (for the European Health Insurance Card). Fishing licences are issued on behalf of the Environment Agency from branches in England and Wales. Selected branches issue international driving permits.

Post Office Saving Stamps

Post Office savings stamps were first introduced by Henry Fawcett in the 1880s but was phased out in the 1960s. These were re-introduced in August 2004 because of consumer demand. In 2010 saving stamps were withdrawn and replaced by the Budget Card. In 2011 it was announced that Post Office saving stamps would have to be redeemed by 28th February 2011, although any customers who miss the deadline can post their saving stamps to a central Post Office location where the stamps will be validated. A payout letter will be sent to the customer that can be exchanged for cash at their local branch (ID required).

Other services

National Lottery games and scratchcards

Sale and encashment of postal orders

Foreign currency exchange and Travel Money Card

Sales of gift vouchers redeemable at certain high street merchants

Postpak

Fast drop

In towns, Post Offices are usually open from around 09:00 to 17:30 from Monday to Friday and from 09:00 to 12:30 on Saturday. In some country areas, opening hours are much shorter - perhaps only four hours per week. In some villages an outreach service is provided, this can be in a van, village hall, village shop etc. Most Post Offices are shut on Sundays and Bank Holidays.

Concerns

Post Office Ltd. has in recent years announced losses; a reported £102 million in 2006. This has raised many concerns in the media regarding The Post Office's ability as a company to operate efficiently. Plans to cut the £150m-a-year subsidy for rural post offices led to the announcement that 2500 local Post Offices were to be closed. This announcement resulted in a backlash from local communities that rely on the service.

Restructuring

In 2007, The government gave a £1.7 billion subsidy to Royal Mail Group so that it could turn a profit by 2011. This was to be used to invest across the whole network, which is made up of Royal Mail, Post Office Ltd and Parcelforce.

85 Crown Post Offices were closed, 70 of which were sold to W H Smith. This followed a trial of six Post Office Outlets in W H Smith stores. W H Smith was expected to make up to £2.5 million extra in annual profit.

2,500 sub-Post Offices closed between 2008-09. Redundancy packages were provided from public funding, (subpostmasters were paid over 20 months salary, roughly £65,000 each).

Under the Postal Services Act 2011, post offices may be sold off to become mutuals.

Post Offices not open to the public

Six post office branches are not open to the public:

Court (Buckingham Palace)

House of Commons

Portcullis House

Royal Automobile Club, 89 Pall Mall, London

The Scottish Parliament

Windsor Castle

Notes and references

Further reading

Scotsman.com Business - Top Stories - Post Office ready to deliver loan service

External links

Post Office official website

Royal Mail official website

Postwatch - the watchdog for postal services

Category:Royal Mail Category:Retail companies of the United Kingdom Category:Postal system of the United Kingdom Category:Companies established in 1986 Category:1986 establishments in the United Kingdom

he:פוסט אופיס no:Post Office Ltd. pl:Post Office

A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.

Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies. In addition, some post offices offer non-postal services such as passport applications and other government forms, car tax purchase, money orders, and banking services. A post office may have a main customer service and point of sale area and many offices were directly assigned to Postal code, ZIP code.

In a "sorting office" or "delivery office", mail is sorted or processed for delivery. Large open spaces for sorting mail are also sometimes known as a sorting hall or postal hall. Over time, sophisticated mail sorting and delivery equipment has been developed, including Mail Rail. In Commonwealth countries, many of the larger post office buildings in capital cities used the official title of General Post Office. In parts of Europe, special Postal censorship offices were known as Cabinets Noirs. In wartime, Post Office Rifles were sometimes sent from post offices into battle to deliver messages.

After 1900, dedicated mail exchange facilities became common and postal services colocated customer services with businesses such as newsagents or railway stations for the convenience of customers and to cut costs. As a result, many purpose-built post offices became redundant and either fell into disuse or were adaptively reused; sometimes retaining the title of Post Office prefixed by ''Old'' or ''Former'' for historical and heritage reasons.

See also

Drop Letter

Postage stamp

Freepost (also known as ''Business Reply Mail'')

Going postal

Mail

Military mail

Penny Post

Post office box

Postal administration

Postal code, ZIP code

History of United States postage rates

Poste restante (also known as General Delivery)

Universal Postal Union

Wanted poster (Post Office Wall)

References

External links

GRC Database Information: worldwide post office website links

Photos of post offices around the world

Royalmailchat

The British Postal Museum & Archive

United Kingdom Post Office site

United States Postal Service

Universal Postal Union

Category:Postal system *

ar:مكتب البريد bg:Пощенска станция cy:Swyddfa bost de:Postamt es:Oficina postal eo:Poŝtejo fr:Bureau de poste ko:우체국 hi:डाकघर id:Kantor pos jv:Kantor Pos nl:Postkantoor ja:郵便局 no:Postkontor pl:Urząd pocztowy ru:Почтовое отделение simple:Post office sr:Пошта fi:Postitoimisto tl:Padalahang-liham te:పోస్టాఫీసు th:ที่ทำการไปรษณีย์ tr:Postane uk:Поштове відділення vi:Bưu điện zh-classical:郵局 zh-yue:郵局 zh:郵政局

Coordinates	38°37′38″N90°11′52″N
name	Sheila Hancock, CBE
birth name	Sheila Cameron Hancock
birth date	February 22, 1933
birth place	Blackgang, Isle of Wight, England
occupation	Actress, film director, author, panelist
yearsactive	1957–present
spouse	(his death); 1 child(his death); 1 child }}

Sheila Cameron Hancock, CBE (born 22 February 1933) is an English actress and author.

Early life

Sheila Hancock was born in Blackgang on the Isle of Wight, the daughter of Ivy Louise (née Woodward) and Enrico Cameron Hancock, who was a publican. Her sister Billie is seven years older (and worked as a variety artist until retiring to Antibes in 2003 at the age of 79). After wartime evacuation, Hancock attended Dartford County Grammar School and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art.

Theatre

She worked in repertory during the 1950s and made her West End debut in 1958, replacing Joan Sims in the play ''Breath of Spring''. She then appeared in Joan Littlewood's Theatre Workshop production of ''Make Me An Offer'' in 1959, and her other early West End appearances included the revue ''One Over the Eight'' with Kenneth Williams in 1961, and starring in ''Rattle of a Simple Man'' in 1962. In 1965, she made her Broadway debut in ''Entertaining Mr Sloane''. In 1978, she played Miss Hannigan in the original London cast of the musical ''Annie'' and two years later, she played Mrs Lovett in the original London production of the musical ''Sweeney Todd''.

She appeared in ''The Winter's Tale'', ''Titus Andronicus'' and ''A Delicate Balance'' for the Royal Shakespeare Company. At the National Theatre she appeared in ''The Cherry Orchard'' and ''The Duchess of Malfi''. She also directed ''A Midsummer Night's Dream'' for the RSC on tour and was the first female director at the National, with ''The Critic''.

In 2006, she played the role of Fraulein Schneider in the West End revival of the musical ''Cabaret'' at the Lyric Theatre. She won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Performance in a Supporting Role In A Musical. In 2009, she spent over a year playing Mother Superior in ''Sister Act the Musical'' at the London Palladium.

Television

Her first big television role was as Carol in the BBC sitcom ''The Rag Trade'' in the early 1960s. She also played the lead roles in the sitcoms ''The Bed-Sit Girl'', ''Mr Digby Darling'' and ''Now Take My Wife''. Her other television credits include ''Doctor Who'', ''Kavanagh QC'' (opposite her husband, John Thaw), ''EastEnders'', ''The Russian Bride'', ''Brighton Belles'', ''Bedtime'', ''Fortysomething'', ''Bleak House'', ''New Tricks'' and ''The Catherine Tate Show''. In 2008, she played the part of a terminally ill patient who's travelled to Switzerland to have an assisted suicide in one of ''The Last Word'' monologues for the BBC. In 2009, she played Liz in ''The Rain Has Stopped'', part of the BBC daytime mini-series ''Moving On''.

Film

She has appeared in numerous films, including ''The Girl on the Boat'' (1961), ''Carry On Cleo'' (1964), ''The Anniversary'' (1968), ''Take a Girl Like You'' (1970), ''The Wildcats of St Trinian's'' (1980), ''Buster'' (1988), ''Three Men and a Little Lady'' (1990), ''Love and Death on Long Island'' (1997) and ''The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas'' (2008).

Other work

She made guest appearances on television shows like ''Grumpy Old Women'', ''Room 101'' and ''Have I Got News For You''. On radio, she has been a semi-regular contestant on the BBC Radio 4 panel game ''Just a Minute'' since 1967. Since May 2007, Sheila Hancock has been Chancellor of the University of Portsmouth. From March to May 2010, she appeared as a judge on the BBC show ''Over the Rainbow'', along with Charlotte Church, Andrew Lloyd Webber and John Partridge.

Personal life

Hancock was married to actor Alec Ross from 1954 until his death from oesophageal cancer in 1971. They had one daughter, Melanie, born in 1964. In 1973, Hancock married actor John Thaw. He adopted Melanie and they had another daughter, Joanna. Thaw's daughter Abigail, from his first marriage, also joined their family. All three of their children have become actresses.

She was married to Thaw until his death from oesophageal cancer on 21 February 2002. Hancock herself was diagnosed with breast cancer during the late 1980s, but made a full recovery. Her 2004 book, ''The Two of Us'' is a dual biography, which gives accounts of both their lives, as well as focusing on their 28-year marriage. This was followed by the 2008 book, ''Just Me'', an account of coming to terms with widowhood. She has seven grandchildren.

Hancock is a member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). She is a patron of the London HIV charity, The Food Chain and works with the London children's charity Kids Company.

She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1974 and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2011 New Year Honours.

Honours and awards

1974 Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to drama

2002 BAFTA nomination, Best Actress for ''The Russian Bride''

2003 BAFTA nomination, Best Actress for ''Bedtime''

2007 Appointment as Chancellor of the University of Portsmouth

2007 Laurence Olivier Award, Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical for her role as Fraulein Schneider in ''Cabaret''

2010 Laurence Olivier Award nomination, Best Performance in a Supporting Role in a Musical for her role as Mother Superior in ''Sister Act the Musical''.

2010 Lifetime Achievement Award at the Women in Film and Television Awards

2011 Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to drama

References

External links

''Guardian'' Profile of Hancock 4 October 2008 accessed 2010-03-09

Category:1933 births Category:Alumni of the Open University Category:Alumni of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art Category:Breast cancer survivors Category:English film actors Category:English Quakers Category:English soap opera actors Category:English stage actors Category:English television actors Category:Living people Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Category:Olivier Award winners Category:People associated with the University of Portsmouth Category:People from the Isle of Wight Category:People educated at Dartford Grammar School for Girls

es:Sheila Hancock nl:Sheila Hancock ru:Хэнкок, Шейла