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Postbox Maintenance Postman

Bernard when I was a kid living outside Bath, our local postman saw me and a friend waiting for a bus to town and stopped to offer us a lift in. He said as he wasn't supposed to carry passengers we would have to ride in the back so go to the back doors and he would come round. It was a Morris E type sort with rubber mudguards and when we got to the back a bar across the that doors moved. He then came round and opened the doors. You'll be safe in there when the doors lock but it will be dark he said. We didn't mind we were saving the bus fare. It was a bumpy ride but soon enough when we stopped we heard the bar on the back move and soon the daylight came in. We were dropped off two streets away from the sorting office. Do you know how that locking bar on the back worked, was it controlled from the cab? Have often wondered.
Just as a matter of interest there was a bungalow just up the road from us that was below road level. One icy morng the post van skidded off the road and landed upright on the bungalow roof. That provided some entertainment for the locals watching the van being recovered. Fortunately nobody was injured but the postman had to put up with mickeytaking after that and becoming known as the airmail man.
 
Hi Mike, a few years ago most the vans had drop/bars as we called them, the release bar was behind the drivers seat, and rod went down the side of the van, there was spring loaded slot that held the bar in place, They were a good idea, you couldnt open the back doors while the bar was
down.During my time,1953/95 the PO went from almost no security to OTT.For twelve years I worked on CashCO which is the divison the takes. the stock and cash to the subpost offices, there used to two of you, driver
and escort, and we were attacked one day in Derby and the money pinched, but thats another story, got keep one in hand Bernard
 
I find this thread totally fascinating and thank you Bernard for starting it. Jean. Love the three in one phone box come stamp machine letter box.
 
Hi Jean, it looks as if all my luverly post boxes have gone!! If anyone wants to see them again I still have them on Picasa 3.5 let me know!!! bye Do know where I can
buy a fur lined walking stick? take care +keep warm, regards to Pete Bernard
 
Thanks Len,its beautiful, loving restored, after passing my driving test in Burton, in 1958 I went on a rural delivery in South Derbyshire and drove a Z type as they
were called, there was a little button on the dash to turn it on, and the starter was on the floor of the van, an iron spike that you pressed with the big toe on your
left foot. No heater of course, at that time at Burton we had about 30 vans, only one had an heater, the first of the new Moggies, with the opening windscreen, it was
split half way.When I think back to how little traffic there was ! All the ale still went by rail, we almost had the road to ourselves, Happy days, Happy motoring!!
Cheers Bernard
 
Hello there, the EVII is quite rare when you think he only reigned for nine years, 1901/1910, it a bit like
the present day Prince Charles will an old man when he gets the top job, I never tire of looking at boxes!!
Bernard
 
Hi Dave, These boxes were just coming into service when I retired in March 1995, we called them ROMEC boxes, the engineering side of Royal Mail were asked to
design and produce new boxes. The box I hated was the "K" type, yet it won a British Counsel Award in 1979 I think it was, they always reminded of the old German
mines they had during the the war as Collection boxes for the war effort, any one remember them, there was one near the steps in the Bull Ring by the old Market Hall, gosh I am digging into my memory bank today, Bernard
 
Hi Dave, before I went onto the Postbox duty, for twelve years I worked for Cashco, which is the division of Royal Mail which services the sub/post offices with cash
and stamps etc. The police in Coventry were told one day that one of their informers had overheard some men in a pub planning a attack on PO van on the ring road
in Derby.For a week we had armed police in the back of our vans, after which they thought it was duff info, the following week we were hit by the gang. We had a two man crew, the driver delivered the remmitance, the escort (me) got out first to look around, the guy was hiding behind a small wall across the road, hit my mate on
the head and ran off with the cash. I am posting a letter I got from my Boss, and a cheque for £50. Oh to be young + fit again Bernard
 
Hi Dave, that is an unusual box, I dont think its a VR penfold, there are some "mock" ones about, I will have to look again at it Bernie
 
Bernard when we go down the van my project will be taking photo's of the old post boxes and put them on your thread. Jean.
 
Hi Patty + Ray, I dont really know much about how you display pics but I am sure one the experts will put us right very shortly, sorry Bernard
 
Hello again Dave, you found a real old one there, it looks "homemade" almost, they are quite a number of "odd" boxes around the country its finding them!!!
Well done you have flumoxed, is that the right word? me cheers Bernard
 
Hi Dave, I have just remembered something which will make you smile, the man who did the postbox job
before me was an old soldier Jim, he had been out in the far east, I went out with him for two weeks to
learn the job.We were doing a box out at a place called Burnaston, this big black Lexus pulled up, the
electric window slid down and a voice said, Excuse me, we can not find the new Toyota car factory, Jim
said, off the cuff, That strange! You found Pearl Harbor (oh dear!!). Bernard
 
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