Testimonials & Reviews

Here is a selection of reviews by Penny Post’s readers and clients:

“Journalism at its best…”
Karen Reeve, West Berkshire Action for Refugees

“Your Penny Post Hungerford newsletter has a wealth of news and information on all aspects of the town. I wish I’d subscribed to it years ago…”
James Hill, Hungerford

“As a new Penny Post subscriber I was delighted with how quickly my advert was sorted out. I sold my Victorian kitchen chairs in less than a day through this – many thanks to Penny Post for their efficiency and promptness.”
Mary Hope, Aldbourne

“Penny Post is informative, erudite and has plenty of humour. An excellent read.”
Liz B

“We would like to say a huge thank you to Penny Post for advertising our vacancies. The service is fantastic – adverts are always actioned swiftly and with successful outcomes. Brian and Penny are an amazing team and incredibly supportive of John O’Gaunt and our local community. This is hugely appreciated. Thank you!”
Sarah Thorne, John O’Gaunt School, Hungerford

“Penny Post’s recent article about Newbury’s neighbourhood development plan clearly and precisely explains the NDP process. Thank you for doing this – it is very helpful to the overall public engagement, which is so necessary in the NDP exercise.”
Nigel Foot, Newbury NDP Steering Group

“Penny Post is my favourite read of the week – it helps me feel connected to our local town and villages through a unique mix of events, recommendations and good humour. I particularly appreciate the personal touch, and Penny could not be more helpful in promoting local events and good causes.”
Chris Winchester

“I just wanted to say thank you very much for advertising our vacancy. The advert was successful and we now have a fabulous new Secretary for our group.”
Jill Fitzpatrick, Lambourn RDA

“I just wanted to say thank you Penny Post for the cracking most recent This week with Brian, especially the bankers’ bonuses comments. Spot on. This is an astonishing website, not least for Brian’s short stories, which I cannot recommend enough – richly comic and beautifully observed. I live outside the area but am envious of somewhere that has such an informative and lively local website.”
Kylie Sanderson

“I’ve just read your article about the concrete works in Aldermaston – a succinct piece that summarises the issues very well. Thank you for your continued interest in the case.”
Sophie Crawford, Aldermaston Parish Council

“Penny Post has been very helpful in informing residents in Hungerford and surrounding villages about our initiative to encourage people to repair their things rather than throw them away. Response has been fantastic and this is due in part to the help we get from Penny Post.”
Mike Gilbert

“Thanks for mentioning the items we had for sale at Marlborough Dogs Trust. A Penny Post reader came in and bought the roof box for skis – thank you very much for helping us with this!!”
Jen, Marlborough Dogs Trust

“We are looking to hire a fourth person to add to our BDE team and would like to place the attached job advert in Penny Post, please. Two of the three wonderful people we hired in June came to via Penny Post, so we’re keen to find someone else equally brilliant!”
Immy Marangio, beTravelwise

“I was just googling local elections to find out how many votes we get in our ward and I came across your article in Penny Post asking the same five questions to each candidate. Just wanted to say thank you for doing that it’s really helped me decide who to vote for.”
Ginette Gibson, Newbury

“Penny Post has lots of local information on everything from events to local news, but it also focuses on local people and their successes. Penny Post has been instrumental in helping our son – a promising athlete – to get recognition within the community and sponsorship from individuals and companies. This has been invaluable in helping him succeed in his passion, especially during these difficult times. Penny Post is a friendly publication which is well worth a browse – you never quite know what you are going to find out about!”
Jen East, Hungerford

“Many thanks again for the news that I’d won the 750th edition quiz, for the prize at The Crown and Anchor in Ham and for the general all-round brilliance of Penny Post!”
Simon Smith, Kintbury

“That is a really good article on 22 September 2022 about the football grounds in Newbury which clearly explains all that has been going on and the futility of it all. The writer clearly is a very skilled journalist.”
Frank Randall

“I contacted Penny after coming across Penny Post through a website link to enquire about having an article published for a community support event – I got so much more. Within 15 minutes of our telephone conversation, I received an email from her with all the links I needed to add our event to the Penny Post calendar (the details of which is amazing), along with contact details of other companies and organisations Penny recommended whom she felt may be able to help our cause. Fantastic service going above and beyond what was expected. Highly recommended.”
Debbie, MOVEability

“Where else but in Penny Post can you find musings on nuclear fusion, parking tickets and ‘the gift that keeps on giving’ (West Berkshire Council’s local plan)? Keep up the great postings and news. Thanks to your reporting, many of our councils are better informed than they would have been otherwise…”
David Lister, Thatcham Town Council

“Thanks very much for giving WBIBC a prominent position in your Guide to Local Classes mailer. We’ve already had a positive response!”
Angela Blades-Moore, West Berks Indoor Bowls Club

“It is always fascinating to compare the wealth of information available through Penny Post with what I learn through local news outlets in North London and Cambridge. Brian’s engaging weekly dissection of the world both global and local, and the many links between them, is always worth reading. It is clear that the local community is very well served by this column which also covers community initiatives, businesses, local government plans and much more. All this with a song, a sketch and a quiz question every week. Marvellous.”
Jon Crowcroft

“I had been meaning to donate to Penny Post for some time but The Old Man and the Tree made me laugh out loud and reminded me to make a donation.”
Ted, Hungerford

“I’ve advertised my pottery lessons through Penny Post. It seems to serve our local area well and I had a great response. I will advise in Penny Post again in the future. Excellent and quick communication and the advertisement looked great! Fantastic service…”
Ele Van Schoor

“Penny Post is always there for our business, whether it’s highlighting author events, or promoting our Book of the Month. Penny and Brian are brilliantly helpful, full of good ideas, and totally engaged with the community. Penny Post is an essential way for me to reach customers and connect with Hungerford and other outlying areas.”
Emma Milne-White, Hungerford Bookshop

“Following an article you put in Penny Post about the creation of the West Berkshire Foodbank I contacted the organiser and as a result I now volunteer in the warehouse in Greenham Park every Wednesday.”
John P, Lambourn

“We have really cut back on our advertising but Penny Post is the only place we advertise locally. Amongst all the emails we receive it’s the only one we read and enjoy and we want our brand to be associated with Penny Post.”
Tiffany Pride, Wiltshire Liqueurs

“Penny Post was an excellent and affordable way of advertising our vacancy to a wide local audience.  The service and advice they gave was excellent and we would definitely make use of Penny Post for job adverts in the future.”
Citizens Advice West Berkshire

“I would like to make a special mention of the journalistic qualities of Brian Quinn who in June 2022 gave an excellent summary of politics and life back in the 1980s. It showed great insight and was very well written.”
Adrian Foster

“An exceedingly well written, balanced and insightful piece on the Burghfield Community Café. Brian shows a sympathetic and balanced understanding of local public-sector issues. We really recommend you read it.”
Burghfield Community Facebook 

“Penny Post is a rare gem. A genuinely local news publisher and community noticeboard, owned and run by a small, devoted and very hard-working team. The journalism is engaging and doesn’t shy away from enlightening its audience about important and sometimes complex issues. If only all local news could be like this…”
Simon Andrewes

“We recently placed a 12-month recruitment advert with Penny Post and started to receive enquiries within a couple of days.”
Rose Metali, Manager, Hungerford Leisure Centre

“Penny Post is an invaluable local resource: it helps local residents and businesses connect with each other, provides regular and accurate local information, researches and explains complex topics of local interest and interacts with key people within West Berkshire Council to help them to engage with – and be responsive to – the local community. Add to this the regular informative and entertaining articles and the result is compulsive reading.”
Chris Clack

“Penny Post is a great asset for the local area,but my favourite things are the national news round-ups. Brian takes an astute, pithy, often funny and sometimes quirky look at the week’s main events which makes a refreshing change from more corporate news outlets. And there is a fascinating selection of short stories, some brilliant parodies and reviews as well. What’s more, you don’t even need to spend a penny as it’s completely free. What’s not to like?”
John Williams

“Penny is easy to deal with, quick and flexible. She spent an hour videoing in our shop, engaging with me and our customers. By the end of the day she had edited and posted a three-minute video on social media that was viewed over 4,000 times and shared over 50 times within a week and resulted in new customers visiting us specifically requesting products that she had featured in the video. She has also introduced us to a local bulk honey supplier who we didn’t know about. Penny Post customers are a great fit for our business – local, community-minded people who want to make a difference.”
Hayley Lambert, Packaging Not Included, Marlborough

“Thank you for your recent piece on the Coronavirus in the Local News section of Penny Post. One of the best pieces on the pandemic I have read.”
Nigel Foot, Newbury

“Many thanks for including us in your email – just today I’ve already had one request from someone wanting to become a volunteer baker, one cake request and one lady asking for more information about how to refer children, all of whom heard about us from your newsletter.”
Anna, Free Cakes for Kids

“I’ve advertised my pottery lessons through Penny Post. It seems to serve our local area well and I had a great response. I will advertise thereagain in the future. Excellent and quick communication – a fantastic service.”
Ele V

“Let me compliment Brian on a masterful summary of events at the fractious West Berkshire Council meeting of 17 March 2022. I think you captured precisely not only the mood and the events but also the subtext.”
James Gore

“I contacted Penny after coming across Penny Post through a website link to enquire about having an article published for a community support event, and I got so much more. Within 15 minutes of our telephone conversation I received an email from her with all the links I needed to add our event to the Penny Post calendar (the details of which are amazing), along with contact details of other companies and organisations Penny recommended which she felt may be able to help our cause. Fantastic service going above and beyond what was expected. Highly recommended.”
Debbie M

“I looked at the video you made of my tour of the Letcombe Bassett archaeological site with a couple of friends the other day and they were impressed, even though it was just me talking, which on the face of it could have been pretty dull. Thank you for your great persistence and all your work in getting it done. It was a revelation for me to discover through this project your very special website. I have long ago stopped looking at all the impersonal social-media pages that could easily have been designed and managed from Hong Kong or Mars. But to find your Penny Post website, so grounded in our community, revelling in the people around us, the places, the shops, the events, and all done so professionally, was a wonderful surprise. It meant that the internet does not have to work only on a national or international level, but with pioneers such as yourself it could become an important place for local geographical communities to prosper and thrive. Thank you and congratulations.”
Charles Rowe

“I’ve been receiving your Penny Post for a few weeks now and I just wanted to say how interesting I find the content. It’s great to get a heads up for some of the events that are on in the area, many of which I wouldn’t hear about otherwise. I know that there is a lot of effort that goes on to produce such a publication and you probably don’t get enough thanks for doing so – so I send you mine for such an informative read”
Kevin T

“Penny Post is the most amazing newsletter for finding out news from the West Berkshire area and beyond.”
Ginette, Lambourn

“One of the biggest challenges of developing a neighbourhood development plan is communicating with and engaging the local community. Local residents will eventually decide at the ballot box in a referendum whether the NDP will actually become part of the local plan for their area – or not! Since the earliest days of the Town Council soliciting residents’ opinions deciding to run such a project, and throughout the last three-plus years, Penny Post has been an invaluable communication partner for the project as part of the service provided to the Town Council overall. In particular, Penny Post has provided its wide readership with regular updates on the project’s progress, accumulated a complete reference journal of the activities undertaken and enabled the project to stimulate public participation in exhibitions and consultation events. As well as the public readership, the historical record of the project’s progress will be useful evidence when the project reaches its examination stage.”
John Downe, Joint Chair of the Hungerford NDP

“Our branch values Penny Post greatly as a source of local news and comment, and believe it’s a great example of community journalism.”
Unison West Berkshire

“Just wanted to thank you for your excellent piece on Monks Lane and Faraday Road.”
Vaughan Miller, Newbury Town Councillor

“My compliments – your article on COP26 was a very good summary of the different views of the event.”
Steve Ardagh-Walter-Walter, Environmental portfolio holder at West Berkshire Council

“I just wanted to say a big thank you for your coverage of many of the events and issues I’ve been involved with. These include the Hampstead Norreys Community Shop, West Berks GreenFest and – most recently – the Newbury Showground, which you’ve covered every week for several months. These articles have helped clearly explain the often complex issues and have galvanised interest and support. Penny Post is a crucial form of “on the ground” communication and helps to get the ball rolling in a number of ways.”
Vicky Trentham, Newbury

“I always find the weekly Penny Post Local News section a terrific source of information. What’s more, topics are discussed and explored with wit and aplomb – even the most intricate and lengthy local planning issues are never dull.”
Julian Rota, Kintbury

“A friend recommended that I look at Penny Post to advertise my small business repairing garden machinery. Brian was so helpful with sorting out my artwork and made a number of useful suggestions. He also took the time to look at my website, spotted some issues with the copy and gave me some great advice regarding navigation and design and how to convey my message more clearly. Within three days of the ad being live, I’ve had my first call! I can’t recommend Penny Post highly enough – they really do care and work with their customers. It’s a great site and I will now be going there for all the local news and as the first stop when I need to source a business.”
Alan Pearson, Weston

“As the end of the year draws nearer I felt I must write to you to say what a difference PP has made to so many people this past year. Through PP I have received toys, games, bed linen, books, riding gear… the list goes on and on. I wish everyone could see the look on people’s faces when I am able to provide them with things they need but cannot afford to buy and it’s FREE!”
Philomena Buck, Family Support Worker

“Thank you for a balanced presentation of the facts about the Tier 4 arrangements. There is a lot of confusion out there. This is typical of your general approach with Penny Post which is an invaluable source of community information. Massive thanks to you for putting it together each week. It must be a mammoth task – but a vastly important and useful one.”
Richard, Thatcham

“I’ve just read the article you’ve written in the Local News column of 23-30 July 2000 on the 24-hour pedestrianisation. I think it’s very balanced, for which many thanks – and thanks also for taking the time to email me about it in the first place and giving me the opportunity to explain.”
Martin Colston, Leader, Newbury Town Council

“Knowing that we can use Penny Post to share what’s happening at John O’Gaunt with the whole community has been invaluable and part of ensuring we can keep an open dialogue with people in the area. We’ve also advertised for jobs and had a good response too.  The support for the school and myself is greatly appreciated.”
Richard Hawthorne, Head of School, John O’Gaunt School

“It’s astounding how you write so much with so much reference in your Local News columns each week. They’re good and interesting reads and bring different angles into view rather than just being rants, which is what I feel a lot of journalism expounds.”
Ed James, East Garston

“I was trying to compile a listing of companies offering takeaway and delivery services during Coronavirus for our parish magazine when I came across the wonderful post about this on your website.”
Daisy Jellicoe, Shalbourne

“I would like to thank Penny Post for providing such an excellent central source of information on Covid for residents at this difficult time – in particular, I am aware that a lot of people have found the list of take-away and delivery services invaluable.”
Claire Rowles, District Councillor for Hungerford & Kintbury

“We really look forward to reading Penny Post as this has helped me to connect with the community that we are beginning to work in.”
Jeni Burchell, Volunteer Co-ordinator

“Thank you for the latest excellent Penny Post – always great and the focus on local responses to the Coronavirus has been exactly what was needed.”
Maureen Martin, Hungerford Nursery School

“Penny Post is doing a great job during this crisis. It is my first port of call when it comes to advice for small businesses and what we can expect to get from the government and the council.”
Nigel, Hungerford

“Thanks to you and Penny for such great support and tireless advice and PR.  You really do an amazing job and we have been very grateful for your professionalism.”
Sue Jones, The Harrow at Little Bedwyn

“Within a day or so of the Courses & Classes mailer being sent out I got my first new client…”
Diana Pattenden, Newbury

“Thanks for your continued support of the Hungerford Hub – I know how widely-read Penny Post is and we really appreciate the publicity you give us.”
Andrea Hodgkin, Hungerford Hub

“Penny Post is stunning – detailed, informative, entertaining and comprehensive. The considerable amount of information it conveys could be reproduced as a straightforward, factual and rather boring newsletter but you’ve given everything a wonderful twist that makes it a pleasure to read and to use. Very well done indeed.”
N.D., Hungerford

“What a great publication – informative and interesting and so useful. Local news, tradespeople, things to buy, places to go, sell your stuff, jobs, offers etc etc. Great to read, easy to use with all the links and testimonials. And on top of that, two wonderfully approachable, helpful and knowledgeable people running it who are always there to help whether it be with andvice for an article, planning an advert or even an IT and social media query! Many thanks Penny and Brian.”
Sue J

“Penny Post provides an invaluable service to our local community – genuine recommendations, unmissable events and interesting news and tips.”
Catherine Leatham, Newbury

“Penny has been wonderful helping our business reach out to new customers. Many thanks.  We have no hesitation in recommending Penny Post.”
Linda Mason, Regent Furniture, Rugs & Gifts, Wantage

“An excellent newsletter this week, as usual. Brian is a brilliant satirist – I laughed until I cried when reading his Important Information from ‘The Council’ article.”
Liz Bell, Great Shefford

“We were delighted that Penny Post was able to place a recruitment advert for us quickly and efficiently. Because their excellent publication reaches people directly, we had the position filled in no time.  Very grateful to them, not only for avoiding those exorbitant agency fees but for finding someone local who already knew about us.”
Sue Jones, The Harrow at Little Bedwyn

“Penny Post is the best village notice board for miles around! It constantly delights us with unexpected events in the local area, and quirky facts! Within a couple of days of a recommendation appearing about my childcare skills, I had several enquiries, and people continue to ask me to help out with both regular and occasional childcare. Thank you, Penny Post!”
S.B, Hungerford

“Penny Post was most useful to us when we launched Brearley & Rich Estate Agents in early 2016. As well as helping to establish the brand with residents of the Hungerford/Marlborough/Newbury area, Penny Post was able to promote specific properties, drive traffic to our website and give us a forum for providing advice about buying and selling property. We would recommend businesses to use Penny Post’s website, weekly e-newsletter and active social-media presence to help promote themselves in an effective and imaginative way to the local area.”
Jon Rich, Brearley & Rich, Marlborough

“Penny Post has been a great way for us to get to know the area and the community before moving back from abroad, and since arriving.  Not only that, but it was a great way to spread the word about our missing dog, who is now safely back home. Thank you so much to Penny and her fantastic website and look forward to making the most of her many great posts.”
N.P., Woodlands St Mary

“Just to let you know that I’ve already had an enquiry as a result of your plug for my tutoring. Thank you very much.”
Rachel Barker Maths Tutor, Hungerford

“I have just read your piece in Penny Post and I would very much like to volunteer as a helper for the Food Bank. Please could you send me some information regarding this.”
E. Smith

“Penny was really helpful in connecting us with local outlets to sell our honey.”
Jan Doyle, Newbury and District Beekeepers’ Association

“Decided to read Brian’s recent article Dogs, Scissors and a Dead Squirrel Glowing – I have been laughing out loud and now I am misty eyed and I’m crying! Brilliant. My husband did the same for 10 + years picking up my lovely stepson from Hereford every other weekend, so can so relate. And of course now it’s just made me think of my daughter finishing school after GCSEs and all that goes with that. I’d not given it too much thought till I read your article, so had a little weep. Thank you, absolutely loved it – all parents with kids finishing school should have a read.”

“Any chance I could get a copy of the last newsletter? I was keeping it as it had some good info on jobs for univ. students during summer and wanted to show my step son and accidentally deleted it! Fingers crossed.”
Sian Piper, Hungerford

“Being new to the area I was delighted when I was able to receive some immediate marketing support from Penny Post. I also placed a couple of recruitment adverts with them and both produced results almost immediately.”
Christian Alba, Alba’s Traditional Butchers, Hungerford

“We very much appreciate Penny Post’s continued support of Hungerford Nursery School Centre for Families and Children and the campaign to secure its future.”
Maureen Martin, Chair of Governors

“On behalf of Citizens Advice West Berkshire, and specifically our research and campaigns team, I’m writing to thank you for your support in our recent scams awareness campaign.”
Lynn Collie, Research and Campaigns Coordinator, Citizens Advice West Berkshire

“Penny and Brian are not only provide brilliant support but also fun people to work with helping us develop our words and brand. Great value for money as well.”
Ollie Hunter, The Wheatsheaf, Chilton Foliat

“I was over the moon to find out that I’d won the Penny Post Garstonbury competition. The organiser Freddie was kind enough to post the tickets out to us and also included a complimentary camping ticket. It was a lot bigger than I’d expected and all the bands were really good. It was great to hear artists that we wouldn’t usually listen to and to hear the local talent (which is plentiful). Our favourites were La Mort Subite. All the food looked and smelt lovely – I enjoyed chips and a veggie burger from the Queens Arms stand and a pot of ice cream from the quirky VW ice cream truck.  It was a fabulous day and we’ve got memories which we’ll treasure forever. Thank you Penny Post and all of the friendly organisers, staff and acts from Garstonbury.”
Heather, Thatcham

“Can I just say thank you for the ease with which I sold a machine through Penny Post recently – it was snapped up within hours of the newsletter going out.”
Philip Brown, Hungerford

“Brilliant community news page for West Berkshire and the surrounding are – definitely worth a FB like and signing up to their newsletters.”
Will Beattie

“Just a quick note to say thanks for all your efforts in helping Acorn Berkshire fill the position of driver/administrator. As a result we have now recruited the ideal person. Penny Post has succeeded where others failed!”
Ian Nesbit, Acorn Berkshire

“Really pleased to have won the Penny Post 2017 Quiz and am really looking forward to the night out in the Queens Arms in East Garston. You strike just the right level with the difficulty of these quizzes – no point in making them too easy. I also like the way you use them to draw attention to local organisations. For instance, I had no idea the Ray Collins Charitable Trust existed and what wonderful work it does.”
James Hoskins, Newbury

“I’m delighted with the initial response since promoting myself through the Business Club with Penny Post. We’ve had three leads already in the first week and a half. Over the moon with this and looking forward to working with you during the coming year.”
Adam Badger, Smart Blinds, Thatcham

“Hello Team Penny Post – thank you very much for support the ‘Save the White Hart Inn’ campaign team – Penny Post makes a difference to rural communities in West Berkshire. Rural communities need a news platform like Penny Post – so many important issues to be aired”.
Anne Budd, Hamstead Marshall

“I always get results when I ask Penny Post readers for donations and they are so friendly and helpful when I go to collect. I am so grateful!”
Philly Buck, Family Support Worker

“Firstly, congratulations and thank you for a useful, interesting and intelligent read each week. It feels like a privilege to be on the list! We have found out about lots of events we would never have gone to but for Penny Post. You are very good at telling us great things local people have been getting up to, especially local children’s groups. I can’t say too strongly how vital this is as an antidote to the negative news stories one reads all to frequently elsewhere. It therefore makes living here a richer, more fulfilling experience for us all!”
R.B., Hungerford

“Keep up the good work!”
Roy Bailey, Great Shefford

“Not only does Penny Post include an immediate, easy to read, accurate summary of what’ s on in the area but it’s so useful when I’m desperate to find some suitable activity for the family. It’s also great for finding contacts through your advertisers for reliable services or buyers for second-hand goods that are just too good to throw away. It’s ideal for the businesses who can’t justify the expense of a more formal advert or mail shot yet want to reach out to the immediate local community.”
D.M., Wickham

“Thank you Penny Post for helping me rent our cottage so quickly.”
Harriet, East Garston

“This is just to register our appreciation of Penny Post. It has played an important part in helping us to integrate to our new environment and to feel in touch with events. Without it I would not have not known about the RDA needing volunteers nor would we have been able to offer some hospitality to the Ukrainian choir. Many thanks.”
L.T., East Garston

“Thanks to Penny Post for help with our recruitment advert – we couldn’t believe how quick the response was and it was very affordable too.”
Carla Woodcock, HCA Healthcare

“Thank you Penny for your wonderful support, our page looks great and you’ve been so efficient and great to work with. Thank you for helping to raise awareness for our local charity and promoting our event, it is so very much appreciated!”
Julia Philipson, Community Fundraiser, Alexander Devine Children’s Hospice Service

“Thank you so much for your recent help in our appeal for old coins for our residents here at Winchcombe Place care home. To be able to use the coins in our reminiscence sessions has made a huge impact to the enjoyment of our activities. We had a lot more than expected so more residents are now joining in!”
Jim MacLeod, Winchcombe Place Care Home

“Thanks for placing the advert – I’ve had two enquiries already.”
J.W., Lambourn

“Just to say thanks for continuing to send your wonderful Penny Post – it’ s been very useful to spread news about events and drum up interest in all things local (about time!) and raise much needed funds for many local societies and events. Keep it up and I look forward to the next one!”
V.C., Welford

“Thanks for helping me sell our dining table and chairs so quickly. As for the koi carp which we needed to find a new home for at short notice, we had several takers on the phone within twenty minutes of your promoting it  – two hours later, one of them had arrived and collected them.”
Jean, East Garston

“By placing a recruitment ad with Penny Post, we were able to get the vacancy publicised in the area within hours through their e-newsletter and social media. We had some excellent CVs from the ad and we’ll definitely be using Penny Post again.”
Michelle, Ticketer, Hungerford

“Penny Post works! We had several enquiries for the 45 chairs we needed to find new homes for and they’ve all gone. Thanks for your help.”
Dani Winslett, Hungerford Town Hall

“An excellent, informative and impartial report of the proceeding at the Full Council meeting on Monday 9 January 2017. Some other reporters could learn a lesson from this.”
Rob, Hungerford

“Huge thank you Penny as I’ve got my first behaviour visit booking as a result of the article in Penny Post – Hooray.  A couple from Hungerford saw it and they’ve asked me to do a home visit to help out with a couple of Collies.”
Jill Thorpe, Develop Your Dog

“We recently tried the ‘Penny Post Special‘ solus email marketing service with great success. February is historically our quietest month but with the help of Penny a professional targeted campaign was launched in the last week of January 2015: by the 30th I was booked out! I would highly recommend this service to any business wishing to create awareness of their offers and services.”
Jon, Eclipse Cleaning

“I have benefited from your Penny Post immensely. I’ve found a designer for my website, thanks to you. My new computer was sorted out for me by Ros, thanks to you. I have enquiries from people wanting to rent my spare room the rent of my room and my friend Libby got her job as a result of my seeing an advert, both thanks to you!”
C.S., East Garston

“Thanks so much for everything you have done to help promote Andresa Skin Clinic for me over the years – you have been amazing.”
Janet Carruzzo

” I am pleased to tell you I have a family of three starting in September who spotted the classes through your website. Thanks for all your work and help – more than half of my students have come through Penny Post!”
Angela Quiroga Spanish Club, Wickham

“We found our ad in Penny Post really helpful. We have had good interest and will certainly be looking to advertise again in the future.”
Jacqui Letsome, Newbury Almshouse Trust

“Thanks to Penny Post I have started blogging –  something I never thought I’d do! I send my copy to Penny: she tweaks it, posts my blogs on her website, Facebook page and Twitter account and tags me. Suddenly my business is out there on all the social media platforms and I retweet.  I’ve only recently started this but the profile of my company and myself as the author have increased massively. It’s an incredibly reasonable charge for the small business package and definitely more than worth it.”
Jessamy Walker, Brown Dog Financial Planning, Hungerford

“Even though Penny Post is free to subscribe to, I like to make occasional donations as the newsletter and website are interesting and informative about local events and it’s clear that a lot of work goes into promoting charitable and voluntary groups.”
Penelope Lake, subscriber & secretary of Newbury National Trust

“Penny Post is a great hub for community spirit and a great place to advertise news, jobs and opportunities. Excellent customer service and they live up to their promises. It was great working with them to help us recruit staff and we look forward to doing so again in the future.”
Triteq, Hungerford

“I just wanted to say that I always enjoy reading Penny Post, and I think that you have a good mixture of news, events, opportunities and advertisements. Keep it up!”
B.F., Newbury

“Thank you for doing our recruitment advertisement. It has really helped and we have now filled all of our vacancies.”
Leanne Wilson, Hungerford Tesco

“Thanks to the amazing Penny Post network, I received a great response to my advert for a house sitter and found a lovely local lady in less than a week. It is a really effective way of reaching a very large number of local people.”
J.F., Lambourn

“We recently placed a job advert in Penny Post. It was good value, we received good service and – most importantly – it generated the application of the successful candidate.”
Will Blackwell, Tomorrow’s Guides, Hungerford

“Penny Post has proved to be a very reliable source of advertising that we turn to time and time again when recruiting. We have successfully employed several members of staff through advertising on your website and are keen to continue with this good working relationship.”
Redcrest Events, Chieveley

“Placing our ad with Penny Post couldn’t have been easier. Brian is impeccably professional, answered my enquiry promptly, clearly explained the process, and suggested some very helpful edits to our wording. We had far more replies than we were expecting and filled our vacancy easily. We’ve had another vacancy come up and didn’t hesitate to use Penny Post to advertise it. The readership seems to be wide and over a broad enough area to attract a lot of interest and yet is local so we have replies from people who live nearby. We are opening a small business later in the year and will definitely use Penny Post to promote it.”
L.B., Lambourn

“Many thanks for your Penny Post and all that it does to help the community, both near and far geographically. It reaches and impacts so many people from different walks of life and I wanted to express my gratitude. One of your readers passed last year’s featured article, detailing my doctoral research with children, to a mother with a child affected by neuromuscular dysfunction (dyspraxia). This permitted her to locate me and to ask for advice. She will travel quite a distance to bring her child for treatment but also for some guidance regarding future therapeutic management”.
Dr Melanie Morgan-Jones (D Health), East Garston

“I have had a really good response from the solus email. I got enough new students to start my Tuesday Spanish classes, so I am very happy with that. And it’s great to be able to put my blogs on your website as well.”
Angela Quiroga Spanish Club, Wickham

“I’ve been reading the Penny Post emails every Friday since moving to the area about 18 months ago. There’s a lot of work that goes into each week’s snippet of news, what’s on, job opportunities and other useful sections. We’ve benefited from finding out about fun social activities and generally what’s happening in our little corner of the world. I entered the Christmas Quiz as a bit of fun. It was not easy but extremely compelling. We worked on it night and day and were finally able to answer all the questions – I was so excited to find out that I’d actually won! I can’t wait to enjoy our lovely Sunday lunch at the Halfway Inn. Thanks, Penny, for running the competition and thanks, Brian, for setting the questions and making us really think!”
J.P., Froxfield

“Thanks to Penny Post for helping us fill our vacancy at Inkspots. We will certainly use your service again. It is very reasonable and effective.”
Helen Hanna, Inkspots Pre-School

“As is my weekly ritual I have looked through Penny Post – thank you very much for including the recommendation from your friend Frank regarding Bluebird Care – very much appreciated. We have just had a call into the office from one of your subscribers in Marlborough who clicked on link and the testimonial resonated with the circumstances his 85-year-old mother is going through.”
John, Bluebird Care

“Very many thanks. This is so wonderfully informative. Something for everyone!”
B.R., Newbury

“If you are looking for a local person, then an advert in Penny Post can work miracles. We have always tried to recruit locally as we believe that reducing the traveling time to work creates a better work life balance and results in happier staff. We also encourage recommendations from existing staff. Who better to say what it is really like working for our company? We placed an advert for a PR Graduate recently and we had a great candidate come forward who also knew two of our existing staff and had sounded them out.  Great result!  Within  seven days, we have put the ad on Penny Post, interviewed, offered the position and agreed a start date. Thank you Penny Post!”
Karen Sperry, UPS Systems, Hungerford

“On several occasions this has been a very helpful message board; I found and used the carpet cleaning service; saw when events were on; and recently made contact with three people in my search for English and French flags…so you see, a wide range!”
A.D., Newbury

“We’ve recently appointed a well qualified, experienced and local book-keeper for our business in Hungerford via Penny Post. We were really impressed by the quality of responses as well as the quantity. This is the third appointment we’ve made for admin staff via a single advert in Penny Post. At a fraction of the price of many print publications it’s exceptional value for money and a great service for a small business like ours. I can highly recommend Penny Post for recruiting staff. A job well done indeed.”
Dana Mellor, Philip Brown Violins Ltd.

“You will be pleased to learn that the request for volunteers has born fruit.”
Lambourn Riding for the Disabled

“Thanks for your help with recruiting – we had plenty of high-quality applicants.”
RSK Entertainment

“Thank you so much for including the Fair in Penny Post and helping us to promote the event.”
Hungerford Christmas Fair

“Just to let you know that I had an instant taker for most of what I was selling – thanks for putting out the word!”
E.D., Hungerford

“I really appreciate the help Penny Post give me in publicising my Neighbourhood Watch meetings and including links to my handouts… Penny Post newsletters go out to a large circulation and is an asset to the local community.”
Newbury & Thatcham Neighbourhood Watch

“There have been at least four occasions when I have attended networking events and total strangers have said that they’d read about my event in the Penny Post. Saves such a lot of time and explanation!”
Lis Allen, creator of the Vagina Dialogues

“Penny Post has helped me raise awareness for the charity I collect everyday rubbish for. Penny spent time understanding the objectives of the charity and making sure the information was completely accurate.”
Count the Kicks

“Our office manager ad was very successful with plenty of immediate responses through Penny Post. So many local people seem to know about you and it’s been useful to keep these contacts on file.”
Douglas Instruments

“Advertising for teaching assistants and teachers in Penny Post has assured us of reaching a wide local audience and has resulted in an increased number of applications. We now use Penny Post every time we need to advertise as it is good value for money and has a large and growing readership. I can thoroughly recommend it to anyone seeking to make appointments.”
Head Teacher, Hungerford Primary School

“Penny Post is such a great idea.”
A.C., Newbury

“Always love your newsletters – as a newcomer they have helped me quickly feel like a local! Wishing you much luck with future plans.”
M.B., Hungerford

“I just want to say a big thank you to the Penny Post for alerting me to the launch meeting of the Hungerford Young Performers last night. I took my eldest son along and he loved it. I would have overlooked this opportunity if it hadn’t been for Penny Post.”
D.M., Hungerford

“Penny Post is a hive of info – it is brilliant. It helps us feels connected to the local community as we’re newcomers.”
E.S., Hungerford Newtown

“I have really benefitted from Penny Post, both posting things myself and using information posted by others. It is a great local asset. We have moved back into the area after a few years away and have a disabled son, whom we needed support for. It was through you that we found a local person to help.”
U.P., East Garston

“Thank you for sending this to me each week. Even though I live in Shalbourne I do most of my shopping in Hungerford and find Penny Post so useful. Thank you once again.”
J.T., Shalbourne

“I met you at the Lambourn Carnival and subscribed to your informative email. That and the website are really good to help find out what’s going on in the local community.”
M.K., Lambourn

Whether you’re a local voluntary group, business or resident wanting to publicise an event, sell your products or services or recruit staff, be entertained or informed or if you simply want regular accurate, constructive and topical local information Penny Post can help.

If you would like to provide your own testimonial about Penny Post please contact [email protected]