Started on delivery back in 1980. It was all letters as well, Football pools to most houses every week. Phone bills, electric bills, gas bills to every single house and often at the same. Start at 5:30 and had to be ready to catch the van at 6:45 to be on the streets by 7. Always finished first delivery by 8:30 and back to the office on the bus for breakfast.
The delivery office was inside the MC and we always crossed functions. Twice a week the MC had an artic arrive straight from Dover docks (we are in the East Midlands) full of overweight bags of magazines from the USA. Which we had to unload onto hay carts ( who remembers them) and take upstairs via lift, to unload again. Very heavy work.
Then it was back out on 2nd delivery with about 3 letters at 11.30.
After all that it was back to the MC in the afternoon for 4 hours docket opening all those really heavy bags from America.
It was non stop back in the 80’s. I’m sure we were on a 43hr week with a minimum of 20 hrs overtime every week. We very rarely had a day off either
Wow just wow
Sounds like great times with very happy memories, wish i could have started when it was like that. Dream job
97 I started, the 2 deliveries.
Lump everything on the 1st and yes back for the 10s and brekkie.
The pay was seriously crap although later SDD changed that.
No way in the world could we keep that up tho.
Weirdly the firm made a ton of money then, and everything went out, none of this cutting off bollox.
Like everything that needed to change, they wanted too much and screwed it up.
So how were they making so much money back then?
No DSA (down stream access) all our delivered work was FULL rate. The idea with DSA was to give the competition time to set up their own delivery people to deliver letters. Of course it was never going to happen as they made far too much money with us doing the expensive final mile delivery.
Totally mad. Like making Sainsbury sell Tesco products next to their own but cheaper. Guess what Tesco would close all its stores.
Rows of houses all bearing down on me........I can feel their blue hands touching me.......All these things in all positions.........All these things will one day take control..........
Working hours 0500 to 10.10 6 days a week and ton of overtime to do 2nd delivery a handful of letters at best...
The working 6 days a week is the only thing ive heard that makes me think things werent so easy back in the day.
Yes that was the down side with only one full day off a week. And the 5am starts (many in at 4.30am to get a head start). Many of use used to get home on a sat morning at 8am and go straight back to bed for a few hours. If not when you went out on a sat night you were dead on your feet by 9.30pm.
In fact on a sat i was back in bed before my dad even got up and he would not know for sure if i had been to work.
Rows of houses all bearing down on me........I can feel their blue hands touching me.......All these things in all positions.........All these things will one day take control..........
Working hours 0500 to 10.10 6 days a week and ton of overtime to do 2nd delivery a handful of letters at best...
The working 6 days a week is the only thing ive heard that makes me think things werent so easy back in the day.
It was 6 days a week but with less hours in the day than we have now, with 4 hours docket each day as OT if you wanted it. Rather have that than the random day off nonsense we have now
Working hours 0500 to 10.10 6 days a week and ton of overtime to do 2nd delivery a handful of letters at best...
The working 6 days a week is the only thing ive heard that makes me think things werent so easy back in the day.
It was 6 days a week but with less hours in the day than we have now, with 4 hours docket each day as OT if you wanted it. Rather have that than the random day off nonsense we have now
We did 2pm - 7pm on a Sunday , Piller Box Collections , Facing / Sorting . Despatches
Working hours 0500 to 10.10 6 days a week and ton of overtime to do 2nd delivery a handful of letters at best...
The working 6 days a week is the only thing ive heard that makes me think things werent so easy back in the day.
It was 6 days a week but with less hours in the day than we have now, with 4 hours docket each day as OT if you wanted it. Rather have that than the random day off nonsense we have now
We did 2pm - 7pm on a Sunday , Piller Box Collections , Facing / Sorting . Despatches
Well yep exactly that, perfect job for if you and the girlfriend (or wife) were saving for a mortgage, plenty of docket available. One of the attractive reasons for making the job a career. These days, its the opposite, definitely dont do this job for the money thats for sure
Working hours 0500 to 10.10 6 days a week and ton of overtime to do 2nd delivery a handful of letters at best...
The working 6 days a week is the only thing ive heard that makes me think things werent so easy back in the day.
It was 6 days a week but with less hours in the day than we have now, with 4 hours docket each day as OT if you wanted it. Rather have that than the random day off nonsense we have now
Oh yeah i totally get that, but im not sure id pick that over my current 9 day fortnight . . . although it’s impossible to know what id be happier with until id tried both.
Working hours 0500 to 10.10 6 days a week and ton of overtime to do 2nd delivery a handful of letters at best...
The working 6 days a week is the only thing ive heard that makes me think things werent so easy back in the day.
Wasn't like working 6 days despite starting at about 5am because you was home before dinner time even after doing overtime. The firm's delivery I was on as a reserve for 6 months when someone retired meant I was heading back to the office at 7.30 on Saturday and home by 8! Not a hard day really and that was after I'd been at royal mail for 5 years and they'd started making the rounds bigger
I remember working 6 days were 4.45am to 12.35 finish. And 10am on Saturday. Much preferred the 5 day setup with two days off. Well until the deliveries became unmanageable! And my knees went!
i think our hours on a Saturday in the 80s (in London) were 0600 - 10.30.It would be a bad day if not finished by 9! Used to get in for a bit of Tiswaz before going to see Chelsea. Even used to manage to get to the away games up north after working! I wouldnt want to be starting on deliveries now. it will cripple you double quick.
started in 86 and had to sit in classroom for 5 weeks with 13 others learning how to sort ect sign official secrets act then after learning all that shoved onto delivery great walk van out at 6.30 sharp and had to finish by 8.45 get van back or catch bus 2nd delivery with few letters always made sure last drop was at the pub went onto driving never looked back easy life I thought until they took me off driving and put me on railway platform for 8 months as punishment OMG
Train …pub …train …pub great times miss it