A busy day for casual staff at the Post Office sorting office at the Old Cattle Market, Ipswich, a few days before Christmas in 1963.
Ipswich’s postal services featured in a recent Days Gone By and this week Dave Kindred looks at readers’ memories of the days of telegrams arriving by motorcycle messenger and the Christmas period at the sorting office, when casual staff helped sort the thousands of extra cards and parcels being sent.
A mountain of mail to sort a few days before Christmas at the Ipswich sorting office in 1963.
The photo above shows a mountain of mail to sort a few days before Christmas at the Ipswich sorting office in 1963, where Rod Cross spent time working in the mid-1960s, “when it was almost obligatory for any financially-stretched student (and most were!) to work on the Christmas post.
“With one’s grant almost exhausted after the long autumn term and the expense of Christmas just around the corner, it was a real lifeline to be able to step straight into two or three weeks of paid employment. The work was either outdoors doing the rounds, or indoors sorting the mail.
“I considered myself one of the fortunate ones. Not for me the job of traipsing around in the wind and rain, carrying a heavy sack and at the mercy of every vindictive canine in the neighbourhood. Instead, I had the more cushy option of a warm, dry sorting office with my own desk to work at and even a little wooden seat to sit on – albeit one that swivelled round and round and was constructed more with practicality in mind than comfort.”
He added: “My day began at 8.00am and finished at 4.00pm which was not much more than an average school-day.
A busy time with at the Ipswich sorting office in December 1963.
“I was allowed mid-session breaks and half an hour for lunch in the canteen.
“In all, it was pretty civilised and by far the best working conditions I experienced in a whole variety of holiday jobs.
“That’s all 50 years ago now.
“Progress has meant automation and not only has the old sorting office gone, but it seems its replacement in Commercial Road is about to follow suit.”
A telegram delivery rider in the Thoroughfare behind the Post Office, Ipswich, in June 1963.
Jennifer Kidby remembered the time when she was a student nurse at the Anglesea Road Hospital, Ipswich.
She said: “A group of us were expecting our final examination results and rather than wait for the mail to be delivered later that morning we decided to go to the sorting office at 3.00am to get our letters.
I remember being stopped by a friendly policeman, who asked where we were going at that hour of the morning!
There was great joy when all of us opened our mail to tell us we were all State Registered Nurses. Happy memories.
The telegram Beryl Willson received at her wedding reception in 1961.
At her wedding reception in 1961 Beryl Willson received a telegram, above.
She said three were delivered to the reception at the Burlington Babtist Church Hall, which she still has.
She said: “I remember the telegram boys on their motorcycles.
“Although I am eighty-one now the recollection of my wedding is still so clear. We were married for fifty-three years.”
Paul Hayward’s grandfather was born in Cutler Street, Ipswich, in 1887.
The 1901 census shows him, at 14 years of age, working as a telegraph/messenger boy for the Post Office and by 1911 he had graduated to be a postman.
Mr Hayward wrote: “He worked for the Post Office all his working life and family the legend is that when he retired he was the assistant post master, although I am not sure how true that tale is, perhaps other readers can help.
“I can remember seeing photos of him in uniform outside the rear entrance in The Thoroughfare.
Marian Jordan sent this photograph of the telephone exchange at the corner of St Matthews Street and Portman Road, Ipswich.
Marion said: “This photo was taken of the switch room at Christmas and I believe the staff, reading left to right, were Iris Halls, Jill Scarfe, Ellen ?, and Jackie Symonds.
In the middle is supervisor Liz Holmes talking to Midge Copping and on the right at the directory enquiries desk is Di Turner.”
Did you work here?