Post by Matt James on Apr 16, 2009 12:55:32 GMT
Hi
On alternate weeks, it was the duty of the other boy and myself to deliver the early morning mail to the nearby village of Audley End Essex and the large estate owned by Lord Braybrooke.The village was easy, but the houses on the estate were well scattered, particularly the game keeper's lodges which were nearly all in the middle of woods and not easy to find.
At the beginning of the war Lord Braybrooke lived in the very large Mansion, but it was eventually taken over by The War Office and the Polish S.A.S. trained agents and spies there prior to being parachuted into Europe.
It was all very secret and I never got further than the front pourch with a Telegram. A few years ago a book was published called Station 43 that tells the whole story
As well as delivering telegrams we acted as errand boys for the young female counter and Telegraph Clerks.
We would go to Andrews the Bakers Safron Waldren Essex mid morning to pick up cream doughnuts and buy one for ourselves. On the late shift one of the Clerks would send us round to the nearby Abbey Hotel for a plate of Welsh Rarebit
At this time Wartime clothing coupons were issued at Post Office Counters and sometimes people would come in and pick them up and give them back to the girls for her to use. I often wondered why they always looked so smart.
I remember one day when a very attractive young woman presented herself to the front counter for a job interview with the Postmaster and , she waited while the door was unlocked to let her into the main building.
By this time word had got around the building and I remember watching the looks on the faces of all the male staff who had suddenly appeared from nowhere to watch her shimmy up the wide staircase to the Postmasters room.
She was a cert for the job .
Getting back to the big red bike , every road leading out of the town from the office was a hill and it was always difficult when straining on the pedals to let go with one hand to salute the Postmaster on his way to work.
No doubt more stories will come back to me sometime, but I think this is more than enough. !!!
Paul Mann
On alternate weeks, it was the duty of the other boy and myself to deliver the early morning mail to the nearby village of Audley End Essex and the large estate owned by Lord Braybrooke.The village was easy, but the houses on the estate were well scattered, particularly the game keeper's lodges which were nearly all in the middle of woods and not easy to find.
At the beginning of the war Lord Braybrooke lived in the very large Mansion, but it was eventually taken over by The War Office and the Polish S.A.S. trained agents and spies there prior to being parachuted into Europe.
It was all very secret and I never got further than the front pourch with a Telegram. A few years ago a book was published called Station 43 that tells the whole story
As well as delivering telegrams we acted as errand boys for the young female counter and Telegraph Clerks.
We would go to Andrews the Bakers Safron Waldren Essex mid morning to pick up cream doughnuts and buy one for ourselves. On the late shift one of the Clerks would send us round to the nearby Abbey Hotel for a plate of Welsh Rarebit
At this time Wartime clothing coupons were issued at Post Office Counters and sometimes people would come in and pick them up and give them back to the girls for her to use. I often wondered why they always looked so smart.
I remember one day when a very attractive young woman presented herself to the front counter for a job interview with the Postmaster and , she waited while the door was unlocked to let her into the main building.
By this time word had got around the building and I remember watching the looks on the faces of all the male staff who had suddenly appeared from nowhere to watch her shimmy up the wide staircase to the Postmasters room.
She was a cert for the job .
Getting back to the big red bike , every road leading out of the town from the office was a hill and it was always difficult when straining on the pedals to let go with one hand to salute the Postmaster on his way to work.
No doubt more stories will come back to me sometime, but I think this is more than enough. !!!
Paul Mann