Post by Matt James on Apr 16, 2009 16:59:30 GMT
Messenger Boy & YIT Stories.
Tony Fenwick. 1943--1946. London-Various locations
It was in August 1943 that I took up employment as a MGR; reporting
to Finsbury Square Post office, near Moorgate in London. The Postman in charge of us messengers was Harry Kernott and two other names that I recall were Jeff Tee and Bob Orton. Bob and myself became quite good friends and often travelled to White Hart lane on a Saturday after work to watch the Spurs play. Jeff & Bob played an important role in our little office as they operated the pneumatic tube system that ran underground from CTO ( near St. Pauls ) and carried all the Telegrams
that we had to deliver in our area; this covered Old St., Gt. Eastern St.
and City Rd. among others.
For those of you not familiar with technical details the tube was operated by compressed air which blew a cylindrical container containing the messages to us from CTO. or sucked the container back in an adjoining tube.
I used to cycle to work daily and for a short time worked in King Edward building ,opposite CTO. and most of our deliveries from KEB were packages which went under the name of Express deliveries.
All our tasks were carried out on foot except when we had a heavy parcel to deliver we were allowed to use a Taxi.
Two other places I was sent to perform ?other tasks? was one in Euston Rd, opposite the Railway station; this was to make up dummy parcels for people training to become Counter Clerks, and two in an old country Mansion in Finchley. The latter was to operate a 10+50 switchboard and route calls through to a lot of Boffins in various rooms throughout the mansion. One of our tasks was to wait table at lunchtime for these Boffins-----we had our food after they had finished.
The food prepared by the cook was excellent so we didn?t mind waiting till last, it usually meant more for us. I never did discover what these Boffins were working on it certainly was hush hush--well there was a war on. And this reminds me that during my MGR. days there was a guy called Hitler who was sending Doodle Bugs and Rockets ( V 2?s) to try and blow us all to kingdom come. At times it became a bit hairy in the City and if you were in the middle of a delivery when a raid started then one had to find a friendly wall to shelter by. On one occasion when I was en route to a road just past Moorfields eye hospital when I heard this tremendous explosion, it was one of these Rockets that had landed. When I reached my destination I was horrified to find half the street blown down. A warden stopped me and asked what address I was going to and when \I showed him the Telegram he said that the house was almost completely demolished and they were carrying bodies out on stretchers, so I advise you my lad he said to return to your office. I thought at the time what a blessing that it didn?t land on the hospital,
but that was no consolation to the people that were hit of course.
In spite of the War I enjoyed my working experience and met some nice workmates, it?s a pity that I can?t remember the names of some of them but apart from Bob who I mentioned earlier there was a lad by the name of Alan who I met at the Finchley mansion and who lived in the same street as myself in Tottenham, he was very friendly
and was also a good piano player; that I discovered when we had our VE day street party.
Well folks I was going to write about my time as a GPO engineer but I will leave it to another time----I?ve no wish to upset the Editor by writing too much. Regards to anyone who remembers me.
Tony Fenwick. 1943--1946. London-Various locations
It was in August 1943 that I took up employment as a MGR; reporting
to Finsbury Square Post office, near Moorgate in London. The Postman in charge of us messengers was Harry Kernott and two other names that I recall were Jeff Tee and Bob Orton. Bob and myself became quite good friends and often travelled to White Hart lane on a Saturday after work to watch the Spurs play. Jeff & Bob played an important role in our little office as they operated the pneumatic tube system that ran underground from CTO ( near St. Pauls ) and carried all the Telegrams
that we had to deliver in our area; this covered Old St., Gt. Eastern St.
and City Rd. among others.
For those of you not familiar with technical details the tube was operated by compressed air which blew a cylindrical container containing the messages to us from CTO. or sucked the container back in an adjoining tube.
I used to cycle to work daily and for a short time worked in King Edward building ,opposite CTO. and most of our deliveries from KEB were packages which went under the name of Express deliveries.
All our tasks were carried out on foot except when we had a heavy parcel to deliver we were allowed to use a Taxi.
Two other places I was sent to perform ?other tasks? was one in Euston Rd, opposite the Railway station; this was to make up dummy parcels for people training to become Counter Clerks, and two in an old country Mansion in Finchley. The latter was to operate a 10+50 switchboard and route calls through to a lot of Boffins in various rooms throughout the mansion. One of our tasks was to wait table at lunchtime for these Boffins-----we had our food after they had finished.
The food prepared by the cook was excellent so we didn?t mind waiting till last, it usually meant more for us. I never did discover what these Boffins were working on it certainly was hush hush--well there was a war on. And this reminds me that during my MGR. days there was a guy called Hitler who was sending Doodle Bugs and Rockets ( V 2?s) to try and blow us all to kingdom come. At times it became a bit hairy in the City and if you were in the middle of a delivery when a raid started then one had to find a friendly wall to shelter by. On one occasion when I was en route to a road just past Moorfields eye hospital when I heard this tremendous explosion, it was one of these Rockets that had landed. When I reached my destination I was horrified to find half the street blown down. A warden stopped me and asked what address I was going to and when \I showed him the Telegram he said that the house was almost completely demolished and they were carrying bodies out on stretchers, so I advise you my lad he said to return to your office. I thought at the time what a blessing that it didn?t land on the hospital,
but that was no consolation to the people that were hit of course.
In spite of the War I enjoyed my working experience and met some nice workmates, it?s a pity that I can?t remember the names of some of them but apart from Bob who I mentioned earlier there was a lad by the name of Alan who I met at the Finchley mansion and who lived in the same street as myself in Tottenham, he was very friendly
and was also a good piano player; that I discovered when we had our VE day street party.
Well folks I was going to write about my time as a GPO engineer but I will leave it to another time----I?ve no wish to upset the Editor by writing too much. Regards to anyone who remembers me.