Post by Matt James on Apr 16, 2009 13:01:33 GMT
Captain Alfred Richardson ISO JP – The Telegraph Boy
1928 – 1932
At the age of fourteen when Alfred left school he became (after three months searching for a job) a telegraph boy. He had done well at school and felt he had not got the job he deserved, but he did not realise what opportunities it would give him.
He got the job at fourteen years old as stated in Middleton now Greater Manchester, and he does remember doing an examination at Manchester Post Office for telegraph boys at the age of sixteen, and he took correspondence courses from the Loweburn College in Manchester which cost a lot!
He wore a small round cap with a peak and dark blue trousers with a red stripe down, and a matching waistcoat. They were also issued with a large waterproof cape which they hardly ever wore. The starting wage was 8s 11d a week plus one shilling for cleaning the bike. The bike was a red one with ‘sit up and beg’ handlebars.
Few people had telephones in those days so deaths in particular were notified by telegram. Many elderly people still dreaded the approach of the telegraph boy because it had been used in the Great War to notify a family of deaths.
Another major reason for telegrams was a wedding and people tipped as much as 3d often for the wedding telegrams, which was very gratefully received. Alfred gave all the money to his mother and received one shilling a week in return. By the time he finished in 1932, with yearly increments the money had gone up to about one pound and Alfred received a bit more!
He finished at eighteen to become a clerk in Manchester Post Office which eventually led him to a career as a senior civil servant in the Ministry of Pensions.
His close friend Edwin driver was the other telegraph boy in Middleton Post Office and Edwin went on to become a post man for a short while, and then learnt with his uncle to repair watches, and Edwin moved out of the Post Office at that stage.
They delivered about eight telegraphs a day and went home for lunch. (The Post Office was in Sadler Street in Middleton just round the corner from Durnford Street where Alfred was brought up with his mother, father and three brothers.)
They would always ask whether there was a reply to the telegram. This had to be a minimum of nine words at a penny a word, but a lot of this would be taken up with the address.
Alfred wore a leather bag on his belt with the telegrams in it. He was able to take the bicycle home each night.
Alfred remembers studying in the early hours of the morning to finish his correspondence courses and he thinks this must have served him in good stead for the examination to be a clerk later when he got top marks!
my father who is 93 (2008) was a telegraph boy in Manchester from 1928
until 1932. I attach his story which he dictated. Cheers
Ann Brownless
Captain Alfred Richardson ISO JP 1928 Manchester
1928 – 1932
At the age of fourteen when Alfred left school he became (after three months searching for a job) a telegraph boy. He had done well at school and felt he had not got the job he deserved, but he did not realise what opportunities it would give him.
He got the job at fourteen years old as stated in Middleton now Greater Manchester, and he does remember doing an examination at Manchester Post Office for telegraph boys at the age of sixteen, and he took correspondence courses from the Loweburn College in Manchester which cost a lot!
He wore a small round cap with a peak and dark blue trousers with a red stripe down, and a matching waistcoat. They were also issued with a large waterproof cape which they hardly ever wore. The starting wage was 8s 11d a week plus one shilling for cleaning the bike. The bike was a red one with ‘sit up and beg’ handlebars.
Few people had telephones in those days so deaths in particular were notified by telegram. Many elderly people still dreaded the approach of the telegraph boy because it had been used in the Great War to notify a family of deaths.
Another major reason for telegrams was a wedding and people tipped as much as 3d often for the wedding telegrams, which was very gratefully received. Alfred gave all the money to his mother and received one shilling a week in return. By the time he finished in 1932, with yearly increments the money had gone up to about one pound and Alfred received a bit more!
He finished at eighteen to become a clerk in Manchester Post Office which eventually led him to a career as a senior civil servant in the Ministry of Pensions.
His close friend Edwin driver was the other telegraph boy in Middleton Post Office and Edwin went on to become a post man for a short while, and then learnt with his uncle to repair watches, and Edwin moved out of the Post Office at that stage.
They delivered about eight telegraphs a day and went home for lunch. (The Post Office was in Sadler Street in Middleton just round the corner from Durnford Street where Alfred was brought up with his mother, father and three brothers.)
They would always ask whether there was a reply to the telegram. This had to be a minimum of nine words at a penny a word, but a lot of this would be taken up with the address.
Alfred wore a leather bag on his belt with the telegrams in it. He was able to take the bicycle home each night.
Alfred remembers studying in the early hours of the morning to finish his correspondence courses and he thinks this must have served him in good stead for the examination to be a clerk later when he got top marks!
my father who is 93 (2008) was a telegraph boy in Manchester from 1928
until 1932. I attach his story which he dictated. Cheers
Ann Brownless
Captain Alfred Richardson ISO JP 1928 Manchester