CLARENCE HOUSE - the post office - café des amis
Clarence House is the home of Henfield's Post Office. Before 2015, the post office counter (two hatches and a "currency" hatch was on the left-hand side, with another counter for sales of cards, stationery, gifts, etc, was on the right. Parcels were delivered and collected from the side door entrance. In 1891, Clarence House was occupied by 68-year old Miss Ellen Pattenden, "Living on her own means", and her three servants.
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Post Office 1: The building as it looked for many years.
Post Office 2: Construction under way to renovate the building in 2014. After the renovation, the main post office counter is now on the right-hand side of the building, at the back, with a subsidiary counter on the right.
Post Office 3: The left-hand side of the business is now a café called - as you can see from the photograph - the "Café des Amis".
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Post Office: This black & photo of the Post Office was taken in 1965, when the proprietors were Mr. & Mrs. Richards.
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Post Office interior: This shows the interior of the post office after the reconstruction in 2014. Paul the Postmaster is standing behind the second, subsidiary counter.
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Post Office: A photo of the shop taken in October 2016.
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Café des Amis: A photo from early July 2015 showing the café interior.
Post Office: The Post Office business and the lease on Clarence up for sale - a photo from late May 2017. So many rural post offices are closing and have closed - let's hope Henfield finds a buyer.
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Clarence House back: An interesting old taxi in the back of Clarence House. Early June 2017.
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Post Office: Late February 2018 and Monty, the new Postmaster, is running the Post Office counters - and very welcome too. Paul and his wife now run the Café des Amis on the same premises.
SHOPS 4
Post Office 1: The building as it looked for many years.
Post Office 2: Construction under way to renovate the building in 2014. After the renovation, the main post office counter is now on the right-hand side of the building, at the back, with a subsidiary counter on the right.
Post Office 3: The left-hand side of the business is now a café called - as you can see from the photograph - the "Café des Amis".
SHOPS 12
Post Office: This black & photo of the Post Office was taken in 1965, when the proprietors were Mr. & Mrs. Richards.
SHOPS 14
Post Office interior: This shows the interior of the post office after the reconstruction in 2014. Paul the Postmaster is standing behind the second, subsidiary counter.
SHOPS 20
Post Office: A photo of the shop taken in October 2016.
SHOPS 21
Café des Amis: A photo from early July 2015 showing the café interior.
Post Office: The Post Office business and the lease on Clarence up for sale - a photo from late May 2017. So many rural post offices are closing and have closed - let's hope Henfield finds a buyer.
SHOPS 22
Clarence House back: An interesting old taxi in the back of Clarence House. Early June 2017.
SHOPS 23
Post Office: Late February 2018 and Monty, the new Postmaster, is running the Post Office counters - and very welcome too. Paul and his wife now run the Café des Amis on the same premises.
