Canteens of old.

[exband9]

I dont know if anyone reading these posts is old enough to remember when the canteens were run by the Postmen on a non profit making basis then were all taken over by the Post Office.
The canteens did employ cooks etc but this was in the day when all of the current red tape and political correctness didnt exist.
As an aside, when I worked as a young counter clerk in the city of London one of the offices I worked at while doing my reserve was Billinsgate BO right opposite the fish market.
This was before the days of betting shops, the local bookmaker was a member of the tea club and had one of the phone boxes in the office reserved for his use.
Even in those days (late 1950s) the fish porters had great wads of money to spend an gambled a lot.
Back to the subject, our cook in Billingsgate was an ex naval cook with a wooden leg (old style) a wonderful cook.
The office used to open to the public at 7.00am and close at 3.00pm a wonderful place to work. great days!!

[stokes11eg]

I think you'll find D.G.P and his side kick; D.V are old enough to remember those days! Are you retired yet?

[johnnyp]

Ours was self messing up untill last August,untill bods from the local council turned up(the first time in a 100 years)and said we were not allowed to use it unless the 2 guys had proper training or some crap.

[sidewinder]

We used to have a bar next to our canteen!

[krussel]

I remember when i first started this job. coming back after first delivery, most people sat down together and the food was good. There was always a weekly 'special'(Proper meal) with a pudding.
Today, i was informed by the cook, it's only a breakfast bar now, and all you get is the same fat filled rolls! No real choice, and with everybody flitting in at different times, it feels more like an express departure lounge at some grootty bus
station than the social setting it was. AH, for the old days!!

Stokesy i could not agree more as i used to love our canteen when we all took a proper break. Sadly it closed when the night shifts went about 7 years ago and is now a dusty relic, bloody shame.

The food was really good with all sorts of pasta and curries. In fact when i was living on my own for a few years i used to order 2 portions and take it home for my tea . Come to think of it i even remember walking down there on a weeks leave to have some brekfast, which was perhaps a bit sad but the food was better than i could afford to cook

[mickyplum]

When I started at the G.P.O 36 and a half years ago, you could buy a breakfast "special" for 12 and a half pence. A typical "special" was egg, bacon, sausage, beans, two toast and a tea, memories!!!

[3wheelbike]

I remember when i first started this job. coming back after first delivery, most people sat down together and the food was good. There was always a weekly 'special'(Proper meal) with a pudding.
Today, i was informed by the cook, it's only a breakfast bar now, and all you get is the same fat filled rolls! No real choice, and with everybody flitting in at different times, it feels more like an express departure lounge at some grootty bus
station than the social setting it was. AH, for the old days!!

Ahh! the smell of breakfast when you returned from your first delivery. I am talking of the 60's. Duly fed you sorted mail before leaving on your second delivery using your own cycle so there was no need to return to the office. In my later years I took my own cereals using a canteen plate & spoon helping myself to a sachet of sugar & buying a cup of milk. Comments from my colleagues around me suggested I would take my own beer to the pub.
In the mid 50's the canteen was known as a Restaurant club run by a staff committee. The PO finally took it over & everything took a dive.