When I grew up in 1940s and 1950s Britain, people letters and postcards
were the main way that people kept in touch with each other. As the volume
of mail (which we called 'post') was relatively large, there were two
deliveries each weekday: the 'first post' and the 'second post'. There was
one delivery on Saturdays and none on Sundays.
Postman arriving by bicycle to deliver a parcel,
screen shot from an old film.
The number of deliveries, though, was in stark contrast to the
deliveries in the early 1900s when my mother was a
child. Then it was quite normal to post a letter in the morning and get a
reply that same evening. The last delivery (the fourth of the day, known as
the 'last post') could be as late as 9.30 at night.
If you can add anything to this page or provide a photo, I would be pleased to hear from you.
Pat Cryer, webmaster
My mother describes the postmen's uniform
in the early 1900s, but when I was a child in the 1940s and 1950s, postmen always wore
dark navy uniforms with peaked hats rather like those
of bus conductors.
This website Join me in the 1900s is also known as
Join me in the 1900's and is ©
Pat Cryer.
The 1940s and 1950s are also written as the 1940's and 1950's.
