pat
New Memb
Posts: 5
|
Post by pat on Mar 19, 2016 14:14:17 GMT
to continue from my last post.
I wonder if any lads from Liverpool, Manchester, or Birmingham ever had a post office cadet force in their city. We had one in London and we was allowed an extra weeks holiday a year to attend camp, and some long weekend's. Just filled in a special leave form and away you went. Talking about forms do you recall the P18 we called them skins, you'd get one for not wearing a hat or taking to long on your round, you could never win. Other forms included the E docket and the Railex which were great as you went out of your area, the only problem with the railex is if it turned up at 6 30pm.
Do you remember when you summer jackets were first issued, they was made of khaki and was nice and cool and could roll up the sleeves. The best coat was the donkey jacket great for all weather's. Remember the pea soupers in the winter we was given smog masks, it got so thick at times you had to get off and walk.
Well eventually all good things come to an end and on the day before my 18th birthday I returned to the uniform stores and handed back my belt and pouch, the leggings and still a stinking but this time plastic cape.
Good luck to all ex messengers. Pat.
|
|
pat
New Memb
Posts: 5
|
Post by pat on Mar 19, 2016 14:13:22 GMT
to continue from my last post.
I wonder if any lads from Liverpool, Manchester, or Birmingham ever had a post office cadet force in their city. We had one in London and we was allowed an extra weeks holiday a year to attend camp, and some long weekend's. Just filled in a special leave form and away you went. Talking about forms do you recall the P18 we called them skins, you'd get one for not wearing a hat or taking to long on your round, you could never win. Other forms included the E docket and the Railex which were great as you went out of your area, the only problem with the railex is if it turned up at 6 30pm.
Do you remember when you summer jackets were first issued, they was made of khaki and was nice and cool and could roll up the sleeves. The best coat was the donkey jacket great for all weather's. Remember the pea soupers in the winter we was given smog masks, it got so thick at times you had to get off and walk.
Well eventually all good things come to an end and on the day before my 18th birthday I returned to the uniform stores and handed back my belt and pouch, the leggings and still a stinking but this time plastic cape.
Good luck to all ex messengers. Pat.
|
|
pat
New Memb
Posts: 5
|
Post by pat on Mar 16, 2016 16:08:48 GMT
Hi again. To continue from where I left off .
Well three of us were walked to our new office at spring st, the others went elsewhere and never seen again. However the office was a large one up to fifteen boys, we had shifts from 8to4 9to5 and 1130 to 730pm this was a daily rotation including Saturdays. Sunday was on overtime 8to12 12to4 . This was probably the same at all offices. The following week we went to the postal school at King's Cross to learn all the paperwork and the do's and don'ts. Eventually we got our uniforms and settled in. If you was on late shift you had to line up in the bike shed for inspection, to make sure you're trousers were pressed, cap badge polished because you're number was on it , if you had coloured socks on then you was sent home to change.
There were two PSMs in charge of us , George Budd and Joe Pead , we called them governor and they were firm but fair and a laugh at times. The day college I attended was at Hackney for the first six months it was miles away from west London, the school was standing on its own with bomb sites all around, and a cafe up the road that took our luncheon vouchers where you queued for a seat to have a meal. After a time I went to Hammersmith some lads went to City day, ( somewhere in the city ). The college was only around the corner from the post office savings bank so the girls also attended. Underneath the bank was the youth club for all messengers and bank girls, it was the girls who brought along the record player and records, and the boys played snooker or darts, they were good nights lots of laughs and music.
One year the club was invited by the youth club in Edinburgh as guests for a long weekend ( Easter? ), can anyone remember that, anyway I was lucky to be one of six to go from our area. We left postal H / Q ( K.E.B) in a coach loaded with Moppers from around London. It took all day to get there and it was dark when we arrived, we bedded down in their sports / social hall. Over the next few days we went horse riding and toured the castle, and sampled a Haggis in Edinburgh sorting office canteen that's all I can remember.
My battery is going so I have to go sorry to waffle on but I will think on good luck for now . Pat.
|
|
pat
New Memb
Posts: 5
|
Post by pat on Mar 8, 2016 16:52:50 GMT
Hi everyone. Well it all started for me and five other lads at Paddington district office. We met the inspector of telegram boys, who told us how lucky we were to be a member of the GPO. Then we were taken to the uniform store's and measured up. We was given a belt and pouch, an arm band, canvas leggings, and a stinking oil skin cape and told to buy our own cycle clips. I'm sorry I have to sign off now but will catch up later.
|
|
pat
New Memb
Posts: 5
|
Post by pat on Mar 6, 2016 13:46:33 GMT
Hi I was a mopper at Spring St w2 spent a few odd weeks at Lanark road as cover. On our Sunday duties we used to do w9 and nw8 as well as w2. This was 1954/57. Pat.
|
|