Post by Matt James on Apr 16, 2009 12:56:13 GMT
More Memories of my time as a messenger & tools we used
Kellys Directory, a thick book like a dictionary - useful to find business and commercial address.
Glass’s Guide, a pocket book to find the smaller alleys, places, and passages, it gave the nearest road or street, i.e. - Eden Place Birmingham 3 was Colmore Row to Edward Street I don’t think there was an address in it to deliver to
Gosta Green Birmingham 4 a district no longer shown on the map, I remember delivering ‘Telegrams’ to a cinema and a BBC Studio. It was the bottom of Corporation street – Moland Street was in the area and also Bagot Street, there were some very old terraced houses in them
My father’s cousin was born in Woodcock Street Gosta Green Birmingham, Arthur Vickers V.C. a local man who became a hero in the First World War
I was recently in a book shop in Winchester and read in one of their books that Telegrams were first sent in London in 1870 and cost one shilling (5pence) for 20 words
Post Office Bikes were heavy, perhaps fellow Telegram messenger boys will know if they were 26 x 1 ¾ and not 26 x 1 3/8 like other bikes, I heard at the time they were made by the C.W.S. the Co –Op in Tyseley nr Birmingham for £10.
Going on about security Badges I think mine number was 3491 as a telegram messenger boy and no.1891 when I became a Postman.
I liked the cape we wore when it was raining, it covered your hands and the handlebars and the rain water just ran off.
The Beatles as a group were not popular as a group then till 1962, they were supporting other artist such as Elvis, Cliff Richard, Buddy Holly, Matt Monroe, Anthony Newley were popular in 1960-62
I liked the subsidised meals in the canteen, I could still eat another meal at home at night, Elvis had a hit in 1962 “Return to Sender”, and we had a nickname for anything going back, RTS
ALF, Automatic Letter Facer, an early mechanical sorting machine in the L.S.O. (Letter Sorting Office) Head Post Office Birmingham early 60’s it was green in colour and about 8ft high 20ft long, it was motivated by a series of canvas belts and chains, a fast manual sorter could beat it.
Delivering a telegram to a small printing company in Birmingham 1 area, one of the Regents it was either Row, Parade Place or Street (I’m not quite sure which one ) a man was printing Boxes for Alka Seltser, I said to him is that all you do ? He said it was and he had got work for the next 12 months to print them.
The place was up wooden stairs to a factory above a factory that had thick frosted glass windows, metal windows frames with rag stuffed in any broken or cracked ones.
The store I mentioned in a previous story Marshall & Snelgrove, a family member has told me it’s now a Hotel with Primark next door in New Street
photo below Victoria Square G.P.O 1896 Birmingham
Walter Vickers
Former messenger boy Birmingham now living in Hampshire
Kellys Directory, a thick book like a dictionary - useful to find business and commercial address.
Glass’s Guide, a pocket book to find the smaller alleys, places, and passages, it gave the nearest road or street, i.e. - Eden Place Birmingham 3 was Colmore Row to Edward Street I don’t think there was an address in it to deliver to
Gosta Green Birmingham 4 a district no longer shown on the map, I remember delivering ‘Telegrams’ to a cinema and a BBC Studio. It was the bottom of Corporation street – Moland Street was in the area and also Bagot Street, there were some very old terraced houses in them
My father’s cousin was born in Woodcock Street Gosta Green Birmingham, Arthur Vickers V.C. a local man who became a hero in the First World War
I was recently in a book shop in Winchester and read in one of their books that Telegrams were first sent in London in 1870 and cost one shilling (5pence) for 20 words
Post Office Bikes were heavy, perhaps fellow Telegram messenger boys will know if they were 26 x 1 ¾ and not 26 x 1 3/8 like other bikes, I heard at the time they were made by the C.W.S. the Co –Op in Tyseley nr Birmingham for £10.
Going on about security Badges I think mine number was 3491 as a telegram messenger boy and no.1891 when I became a Postman.
I liked the cape we wore when it was raining, it covered your hands and the handlebars and the rain water just ran off.
The Beatles as a group were not popular as a group then till 1962, they were supporting other artist such as Elvis, Cliff Richard, Buddy Holly, Matt Monroe, Anthony Newley were popular in 1960-62
I liked the subsidised meals in the canteen, I could still eat another meal at home at night, Elvis had a hit in 1962 “Return to Sender”, and we had a nickname for anything going back, RTS
ALF, Automatic Letter Facer, an early mechanical sorting machine in the L.S.O. (Letter Sorting Office) Head Post Office Birmingham early 60’s it was green in colour and about 8ft high 20ft long, it was motivated by a series of canvas belts and chains, a fast manual sorter could beat it.
Delivering a telegram to a small printing company in Birmingham 1 area, one of the Regents it was either Row, Parade Place or Street (I’m not quite sure which one ) a man was printing Boxes for Alka Seltser, I said to him is that all you do ? He said it was and he had got work for the next 12 months to print them.
The place was up wooden stairs to a factory above a factory that had thick frosted glass windows, metal windows frames with rag stuffed in any broken or cracked ones.
The store I mentioned in a previous story Marshall & Snelgrove, a family member has told me it’s now a Hotel with Primark next door in New Street
photo below Victoria Square G.P.O 1896 Birmingham
Walter Vickers
Former messenger boy Birmingham now living in Hampshire