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Postbox Maintenance Postman

Bernard67Arnold

Bernard67Arnold

master brummie
Having spent 42 years working for Royal Mail, the five years I had what most people would call a Bobbys job, from 1990 til 95 I was one of the two
men covering the Derby postcode area on postbox repair, painting, new locks etc, this work is now done by ROMEC the engineering arm of Royal
Mail. Office hours, 8 til 4.30 Mon to Fri, my own van, whatever tools we wanted, it was great although we covered a big area. Some of the older
boxes required two of you to lift the door off, being castiron.
Derbyshire is a beautiful county, round the Peak, Matlock, Bakewell etc;
Will post a photo of Tissington Hall, bye Bernard
 
Sounds like you thoroughly enjoyed you work Bernard. Look forward to seeing the photo's you are going to post. No pun intended. Jean.
 
I have very happy memories of Matlock Bath. When i worked in the catering trade we worked 6 days a week, and most Sundays cleaning. So when Bank holidays came along we made the most of them, spent many a happy few days at the New Bath Hotel and surounding area.
 
Bernard sounds like you enjoyed your job. My husband Michael was in the oil industry for over 30 years until redundancy. He would travel this area a lot as he had a few small garages in the area. Sadly most have gone now. I used to worry in the winter in case he got stuck there. He did once!:)
 
One of my photography interests is old post boxes, i love the wall mounted boxes carrying the 'VR' legend.

Not that many around from what i can gather...
 
Hello Moss,

Nice picture, not been to Stourport for many years.

I wonder whether post boxes have always been painted red?


Interesting statistic, especially in view of the current situation.

Apparently in the middle of the 19th century there were up to nine
postal deliveries made each day in the business area in central London.

regards
Neville..
 
Hi Moss, rough bit of pointing up on the wall eh!, nice box,just before I
retired, we used to come under Birmingham for major jobs, they had a flat
back lorry with a lifting hook and arm on it, it was operated by a man called Nigal, who had worked in the PO garage at Tamworth until it closed,
when you think of the weight in these Double Pillar boxes that now at some of the subpostoffices. I have not put any of boxes on my picture page, I didnt think anyone would be interested? Ive got dozens! from the last40 odd years. cheers Bernard
 
Hi Nev, dont start me off on Post boxes, I ve got dozens of photos, I havent put on picture page because I didnt think anyboby would be interested, must get them out, I was a member of the Letter Box Study Group
for many years until last year, but it got hi/jacked by yuppies and technics,
I went to their AGM in Barton under Needwood, and they were almost
doubling the sups to pay for a coloured newsletter, dont know why?most
post boxes are red! cheers for now Bernard
 
They're lovely Bernard. I love the ones set into a wall although you don't see many now.
 
Hi Bernard,

I have a photograph of the Warwick box also, where were the others taken?

It's amazing how many different types there are.


regards
Neville..
 
Hello again Nev, No;, one was a retirement present from the Team, our
collection managers crew, number 3 is a Liverpool special, the Warwick one again, The VR one built into the pillar was at Moira, Burton.
I have many more, I just dont know if anyone is interested in them.
bye Bernard
 
Hello again, Went to Blackpool a couple of years ago to see the lights and
found this VR box recently painted, its a good job I had numbered and indexed them, I coundnt remember taking it! Bernard sorry must be BOGOF
 
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Hello again, the two big boxes, my neice found on a school trip to Belgium, the other two were a present from Germany to Margaret Roberts
home town, cheers, Bernard
 
Hi Len, there was also a foundry in Derby, Handisides it was Friargate I believe, quite a lot of boxes on the street still have that name on them,
nowadays I think they are all made in Scotland. Bernard
ps, this one is rare, Ed VIII.
 
That must be rare, i have only ever come across 'VR', 'GR' and 'ER'.


regards
Neville..
 
Hi Nev, have you not seen any EVIIR,?, also I think we have got 3 EVIIIR from 1936, in DERBY . someone told me in London, the people were singing in the streets, Hark the Hearld Angels Sing, Mrs Simpson pinched our King, also the
GPO as it was, sent men round at night, changing the pillar box doors.
They also had problems in Scotland in 1952, they put boxes in with EIIR
and the scots wouldnt have them, up north she EIR. As that man on the ATV
crime show used to say, Keep them Peeled, bye Bernard
 
That's right about the Scottish boxes Bernard, they show just ER but there is or was one outside Ayr GPO that showed EIIR in the 1980's when I used to go there as a coach driver on National Holidays. I was told it was the only box in Scotland to show this. Perhaps you know about this one, if so would be pleased know more about it.
Mike
 
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Hi Mike, I am not up to date with that sort of info, to be honest the last three or four years before my wife died I had a full time job looking after her with no help whatsoever from social services or the NHS, and there was very little time for outside interests Dementia is an awlful thing to
cope with, I was just about at the e nd of my tether when Enid had a stroke, which in many ways was a blessing. I seem to remember it was a
bit like the IRA, they bombs in post boxes and things like that. I had only
just started as a Postman, June 1953, cheers now Bernard
 
Oh Bernard I would hate to think what you called him:explode::explode:. Your pride and joy eh. Jean.
 
Hi jean I was lucky it was only emulsion paint, had it been gloss, more work;
it was in a pretty rough area where nobody has respect for anyone or
anything. All in a days work, I never regreted for one moment joining the
PO as it was then, I had to pass the Civil Service entrance exam in 1953, now Royal Mail can take 30,000 of the streets and trust them with your
mail, and mine. take care now Bernard
 
When we go to the van next Bernard I am going round to photograph the post boxes and you will be surprised how many old ones there are. You take care too Bernard [and Jack] from Jean.
 
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