Post by colonel on Feb 13, 2012 14:18:06 GMT
Hi Ian and Graham, I have sent all of this message to you both by email, but I thought I would also post it here in case anyone else who was there in those days might find it jogs their memory.
I remember you, Ian Cordery, and from all the other names you both mention in your postings, I can also remember Lynd (who I mis-spelled as "Lind" in my original posting), Graham Mcquillan (is this you, Graham who answered my posting?), Pete Cracknell, and "Paddy" Purcell one of the supervising PHGs. There were two other PHGs supervising in Wimpole Street, and I regret I cannot recall their names, although I remember their faces. There was also an ancient decrepit postman named "Stanley" who brought messages in every day and always seemed "one can short of a 6-pack".
Just to prove I was there, I remember Pete Cracknell had the creases actually permanently sewn into his GPO trousers by his mother. I seem to recall him mentioning this was an old army trick. Also, whenever two or more of the lads could contrive to stick together when out doing telegram deliveries, this was called a "Saz" and "Sazzing", although I do not know the origin of the expression.
I remember Mount Street, although I never had much to do with them down there. At Wimpole Street, though, I once had to go by train to Camberley in Surrey to make a delivery when every delivery boy at Mount Street happened to be out.
I can remember that, when I first started at Wimpole Street, we generally played cards and "table football" with combs and coins until our name was called for a delivery, but after some months, some workmen arrived and erected a wooden partition across the room so that we all had to sit in a row on chairs facing the supervisor's desk and behave ourselves. Another name I can remember is Fuller (can't recall his first name).
After a year or so, I was sent to indoor messenger duties at Rathbone Place, where I remained until 18, when I took the sorting test and became a postman. A while later, Fred Soan also became a postman there.
As for me, at that time I was aged 16 and, I guess, I worked from Wimpole Street for about 12 - 14 months until I was transferred to indoor duties at Rathbone Place sorting office. I was quite tall - about 6'3? - and thin (although I am much heavier now!) and I think it was "Toffo" Brunton who gave me the nickname "The Colonel", do you remember him?
Maybe some of this will ring a bell. My God, it was an awful long time ago!
It was fantastic to hear from you both, and I look forward to finding out what you think about this reply,
Very Best Wishes,
Peter Mills ("Colonel")
I remember you, Ian Cordery, and from all the other names you both mention in your postings, I can also remember Lynd (who I mis-spelled as "Lind" in my original posting), Graham Mcquillan (is this you, Graham who answered my posting?), Pete Cracknell, and "Paddy" Purcell one of the supervising PHGs. There were two other PHGs supervising in Wimpole Street, and I regret I cannot recall their names, although I remember their faces. There was also an ancient decrepit postman named "Stanley" who brought messages in every day and always seemed "one can short of a 6-pack".
Just to prove I was there, I remember Pete Cracknell had the creases actually permanently sewn into his GPO trousers by his mother. I seem to recall him mentioning this was an old army trick. Also, whenever two or more of the lads could contrive to stick together when out doing telegram deliveries, this was called a "Saz" and "Sazzing", although I do not know the origin of the expression.
I remember Mount Street, although I never had much to do with them down there. At Wimpole Street, though, I once had to go by train to Camberley in Surrey to make a delivery when every delivery boy at Mount Street happened to be out.
I can remember that, when I first started at Wimpole Street, we generally played cards and "table football" with combs and coins until our name was called for a delivery, but after some months, some workmen arrived and erected a wooden partition across the room so that we all had to sit in a row on chairs facing the supervisor's desk and behave ourselves. Another name I can remember is Fuller (can't recall his first name).
After a year or so, I was sent to indoor messenger duties at Rathbone Place, where I remained until 18, when I took the sorting test and became a postman. A while later, Fred Soan also became a postman there.
As for me, at that time I was aged 16 and, I guess, I worked from Wimpole Street for about 12 - 14 months until I was transferred to indoor duties at Rathbone Place sorting office. I was quite tall - about 6'3? - and thin (although I am much heavier now!) and I think it was "Toffo" Brunton who gave me the nickname "The Colonel", do you remember him?
Maybe some of this will ring a bell. My God, it was an awful long time ago!
It was fantastic to hear from you both, and I look forward to finding out what you think about this reply,
Very Best Wishes,
Peter Mills ("Colonel")