Post by Matt James on Apr 16, 2009 15:06:24 GMT
G.P.O. BOY MESSENGERS BELFAST.
I write as an erstwhile Boy Messenger in the Belfast Head Office during the period 4th September 1939 - 1941 when, after what was known as the "Sixteen Exam" I was promoted to what was then called S.C & T (Sorting Clerk & telegraphist) grade - I was a Telegraphist - in which I remained until 1947 when I resigned arising from a dispute with the G.P.O over compulsory overtime. However, I still place a high value upon my 2 years service as a Boy Messenger and this has remained with me throughout a long life not with standing my leaving the Post Office service as previously mentioned,
We have an Annual Re—Union the 31st., celebration of which occurred on Saturday, 29th March 2008 when one of our members handed out photo¬copies of a leaflet probably extracted from your computer website, We meet in the bar of a local flat green Bowling Club at 12 noon when chin— wagging ensues for an hour followed by lunch at 1-00 p.m. After a welcoming speech by the Chairman of Committee the "Senior Boy" is honoured followed by entertainment by a visiting organist who accompanies "Turns from the floor", A singalong also takes place and the function concludes with the assembled company rendering "How Great Thou Art",
I thought I could usefully enclose a copy of a poem I wrote during the 1980’s which, of course and of necessity, is couched from a local Belfast standpoint. Thus, I feel it necessary to provide a glossary of some of the words and terms appearing therein and peculiar to Belfast, These are:-1. "Buff" means overtime, I don’t know how this originated but may have been taken from the colour of the form upon which one claimed payment. 2.A "Hairy" was a delivery to a very distant address or an address involving difficult cycling in a hilly area, 3."Whacking" was where messengers accompanied each other on deliveries to different addresses in contravention of the Regulations, This was often to addresses on opposite sides of the City and led to boasting that we "Whacked" such and, such an address with such and such an address, I feel that this meant("Whacking" (beating?) the Regulations,4.A "Stew" was a Messenger's term for a meal relief and when the due time for same was close a short "Turn" was often requested. 5.An "Incidental" was a short break to attend a call of nature (visit to the toilet).6._"Scalped" referred to the forceful removal of the red button on top of the cap, 7.A "Soft Job” was secondment to largely indoor duties in the Office or Offices in the Custom House, Telephone House and other ancillary Post Office premises, 8. A "Catch" was a tip from an addressee in contravention of official Regulations that Boy Messengers should not accept gratuities, 9."Corky" was the name given to a notorious elderly lady with a stiff leg and deficient in intelligence who lived close to the City centre which she traversed daily and was, altogether wrongly, tormented mercilessly everywhere she went, 10. A "Turn" was the delivery of a telegram or a number of same, Although not appearing in the poem as it was not applicable to Boy Messengers but in the Sorting Office and Postmens’ Office the term "The Brush" referred to night duty.
I do not have a computer and, approaching 83 years of age, I have no intention of obtaining one.
Copies of some photographs of Re—unions are enclosed, Whilst I have the dates of a couple of those I did not record the exact year in respect of others and can only mention the decade in which they were taken. In addition to dates I have recorded the venues on the back of each.
it will, no doubt, be of interest to you to learn that some of our members travel, as we say locally, from across the water — addresses in England - these are Southampton, Ascot, Bexhill—on-Sea, Rotherham and Peterborough.
As is probably the case in your own area many Boy Messengers reached some of the highest echelons in the Civil Service — Customs & Excise, War Office and many other branches.
Nicknames were common:— There were 2 lads each with a slant in their eyes (they were locals and certainly not Chinese or Eurasian) they got "Chang" and "Wong" respectively. A fellow who wore rather stiff collars to his shirts got "Pastor". A fellow called Harvey got "Len" after a famous boxer of the time. Similarly one called Hutton also got "Len” in relation to a well-known cricketer of the time. A slow talking fellow got "Lightning". A boy with a somewhat mournful expression was known as "Seldom". One lad of rather swarthy complexion got "Chocolate", A chap whose surname was Green got "Peasare", we had 6 Millers/Millars. One who lived in a Belfast suburb called Glengormly got "Glen" after the district and also the famous American Bandleader, Another Miller was "Dusty". Other nicknames I recall were "Butch" (his father was a butcher), "Bap", "Crooner", "Birdie”, "Moon”, "Cupid", "Harpo" (this fellow had a shock of golden curly hair like one of the Marx Brothers), "Clanky", "Buster", "Porky", "steamboat", a lad who stood some 6 Feet 3inches at age of 14 was known as "Tiny", "Thumper", one whose surname was McCoy got "Tim" after a famous cowboy film star at the time, "Sticky" and "Cuckles" There were many others one of which was applied to a rather sullen fellow who rarely spoke who got "Silent John" although his Christian or forename was Sam,
Boys who were caught getting a "tow" from the back of a lorry or other vehicle were punished by being "awarded" with 2 hours extra duty without pay. One was punished as a result of being detected riding up a road between 2 tramcars.
One's brass badges, buttons etc had to be cleaned frequently with the use of "Brasso”, brush and button—stick and were inspected before being allowed on duty. we were allowed sessions in the local swimming baths and an annual swimming gala was held. Prior to the outbreak of the Second World War Messengers were drilled on the flat roof of the office building but this was discontinued in fear of enemy aircraft attack. Football competitions were held and a seaside camp was held at Bangor West about 15 miles from the City.
Life-long friendships were formed. Many ex-Messengers joined the fore and served in the Army, Navy and R.A.F.
I hope all this is of interest to you. My happy recollections of my time as a Boy messenger are summed up in the final lines of my poem.
(MERVYN PATTERSON BELFAST FORMER T99)
I write as an erstwhile Boy Messenger in the Belfast Head Office during the period 4th September 1939 - 1941 when, after what was known as the "Sixteen Exam" I was promoted to what was then called S.C & T (Sorting Clerk & telegraphist) grade - I was a Telegraphist - in which I remained until 1947 when I resigned arising from a dispute with the G.P.O over compulsory overtime. However, I still place a high value upon my 2 years service as a Boy Messenger and this has remained with me throughout a long life not with standing my leaving the Post Office service as previously mentioned,
We have an Annual Re—Union the 31st., celebration of which occurred on Saturday, 29th March 2008 when one of our members handed out photo¬copies of a leaflet probably extracted from your computer website, We meet in the bar of a local flat green Bowling Club at 12 noon when chin— wagging ensues for an hour followed by lunch at 1-00 p.m. After a welcoming speech by the Chairman of Committee the "Senior Boy" is honoured followed by entertainment by a visiting organist who accompanies "Turns from the floor", A singalong also takes place and the function concludes with the assembled company rendering "How Great Thou Art",
I thought I could usefully enclose a copy of a poem I wrote during the 1980’s which, of course and of necessity, is couched from a local Belfast standpoint. Thus, I feel it necessary to provide a glossary of some of the words and terms appearing therein and peculiar to Belfast, These are:-1. "Buff" means overtime, I don’t know how this originated but may have been taken from the colour of the form upon which one claimed payment. 2.A "Hairy" was a delivery to a very distant address or an address involving difficult cycling in a hilly area, 3."Whacking" was where messengers accompanied each other on deliveries to different addresses in contravention of the Regulations, This was often to addresses on opposite sides of the City and led to boasting that we "Whacked" such and, such an address with such and such an address, I feel that this meant("Whacking" (beating?) the Regulations,4.A "Stew" was a Messenger's term for a meal relief and when the due time for same was close a short "Turn" was often requested. 5.An "Incidental" was a short break to attend a call of nature (visit to the toilet).6._"Scalped" referred to the forceful removal of the red button on top of the cap, 7.A "Soft Job” was secondment to largely indoor duties in the Office or Offices in the Custom House, Telephone House and other ancillary Post Office premises, 8. A "Catch" was a tip from an addressee in contravention of official Regulations that Boy Messengers should not accept gratuities, 9."Corky" was the name given to a notorious elderly lady with a stiff leg and deficient in intelligence who lived close to the City centre which she traversed daily and was, altogether wrongly, tormented mercilessly everywhere she went, 10. A "Turn" was the delivery of a telegram or a number of same, Although not appearing in the poem as it was not applicable to Boy Messengers but in the Sorting Office and Postmens’ Office the term "The Brush" referred to night duty.
I do not have a computer and, approaching 83 years of age, I have no intention of obtaining one.
Copies of some photographs of Re—unions are enclosed, Whilst I have the dates of a couple of those I did not record the exact year in respect of others and can only mention the decade in which they were taken. In addition to dates I have recorded the venues on the back of each.
it will, no doubt, be of interest to you to learn that some of our members travel, as we say locally, from across the water — addresses in England - these are Southampton, Ascot, Bexhill—on-Sea, Rotherham and Peterborough.
As is probably the case in your own area many Boy Messengers reached some of the highest echelons in the Civil Service — Customs & Excise, War Office and many other branches.
Nicknames were common:— There were 2 lads each with a slant in their eyes (they were locals and certainly not Chinese or Eurasian) they got "Chang" and "Wong" respectively. A fellow who wore rather stiff collars to his shirts got "Pastor". A fellow called Harvey got "Len" after a famous boxer of the time. Similarly one called Hutton also got "Len” in relation to a well-known cricketer of the time. A slow talking fellow got "Lightning". A boy with a somewhat mournful expression was known as "Seldom". One lad of rather swarthy complexion got "Chocolate", A chap whose surname was Green got "Peasare", we had 6 Millers/Millars. One who lived in a Belfast suburb called Glengormly got "Glen" after the district and also the famous American Bandleader, Another Miller was "Dusty". Other nicknames I recall were "Butch" (his father was a butcher), "Bap", "Crooner", "Birdie”, "Moon”, "Cupid", "Harpo" (this fellow had a shock of golden curly hair like one of the Marx Brothers), "Clanky", "Buster", "Porky", "steamboat", a lad who stood some 6 Feet 3inches at age of 14 was known as "Tiny", "Thumper", one whose surname was McCoy got "Tim" after a famous cowboy film star at the time, "Sticky" and "Cuckles" There were many others one of which was applied to a rather sullen fellow who rarely spoke who got "Silent John" although his Christian or forename was Sam,
Boys who were caught getting a "tow" from the back of a lorry or other vehicle were punished by being "awarded" with 2 hours extra duty without pay. One was punished as a result of being detected riding up a road between 2 tramcars.
One's brass badges, buttons etc had to be cleaned frequently with the use of "Brasso”, brush and button—stick and were inspected before being allowed on duty. we were allowed sessions in the local swimming baths and an annual swimming gala was held. Prior to the outbreak of the Second World War Messengers were drilled on the flat roof of the office building but this was discontinued in fear of enemy aircraft attack. Football competitions were held and a seaside camp was held at Bangor West about 15 miles from the City.
Life-long friendships were formed. Many ex-Messengers joined the fore and served in the Army, Navy and R.A.F.
I hope all this is of interest to you. My happy recollections of my time as a Boy messenger are summed up in the final lines of my poem.
(MERVYN PATTERSON BELFAST FORMER T99)
