A former postal sorting office, which closed controversially in Clapton, is reopening as a space for weddings and events.
The historic delivery office in Brooke Road served the community between 1892 and 2020 and was dubbed “an E5 icon” by the then mayor.
Now, the company that owns Clapton Country Club, the Tram Store and the Department of Life have taken on the lease and spent circa £200,000 renovating it.
Their first event will be a Christmas Bazaar on the last weekend in November and the first weekend in December with more than 45 traders as well as carol singers and a Santa’s grotto.
The business is run by former toymaker Terence Bates and his wife Hilary, a fashion designer. They’re awaiting an alcohol license, having met with opposition from some local residents.
Ryan Kulikowski, who has joined the team as Events Manager, said: “Before the renovation, it was a bit of a tip.
“Now, there is something very George Orwellian about the interior – it has that vibe of nature meets the future. There is a lot of brass and interesting pieces and there’s ivy growing. The windows in the roof let in lots of light. It’s a very special space.”
The restoration has preserved many original features. – including a parapet nicknamed “the stairway to heaven” where the postal bosses used to monitor the workers. The team have also painted a post-box on the site green – as they would have once been.
A new kitchen has been installed, an outbuilding has been converted into a toilet block and the back garden has been transformed.
When the closure of the Brooke Road delivery office was announced in 2000, more than 3,000 people signed a petition to save it. Objectors cited its importance to the community and the role it played in reducing isolation, particularly for the elderly.
The newly renovated space can accommodate a wedding party of around 150 people and will also be available to rent for other celebrations.
Terence and Hilary’s first venture into running events spaces began when Terence was offered the chance to buy the warehouse he’d been renting as a toymaker.
The couple were looking for somewhere to get married and, when they couldn’t find a space, they decided to convert the warehouse (part of the former Tram Depot). It grew into a thriving events space for other people’s weddings and two years later they opened the Tram Store Café and shop next door.
