Wartime PO Terminology

[uptodat]

In a previous post I explained that I had put on line 306 pages of Northampton Post Office's wartime newsletters which include letters from staff in the services. I'm stuck on some of the terminology and would be grateful if someone could explain:
"Post-Office skins" - context suggests forms about disciplinary matters.
"Greens and Pinks" - context is a member of National Fire Service helping postal staff at Paddington Station.
"Nineteen Duty" context suggests unpopular shift?
"King Edward Building" Another London location?
I can imagine what the "Primary Tables" and Preparation tables" were / are?
Here's hoping someone will help out.

[Lounge Lizard]

In a previous post I explained that I had put on line 306 pages of Northampton Post Office's wartime newsletters which include letters from staff in the services. I'm stuck on some of the terminology and would be grateful if someone could explain:
"Post-Office skins" - context suggests forms about disciplinary matters.
"Greens and Pinks" - context is a member of National Fire Service helping postal staff at Paddington Station.
"Nineteen Duty" context suggests unpopular shift?
"King Edward Building" Another London location?
I can imagine what the "Primary Tables" and Preparation tables" were / are?
Here's hoping someone will help out.

King Edward Building was the main Post Office in London for many years - Former General Post Office Building, King Edward Street, City of London Built 1907-1911 to the designs of Sir Henry Tanner, architect of the Office of Works. An early example of the use of reinforced concrete construction. In front of the building is a statue (by Onslow Ford) of Rowland Hill, with the inscription "HE FOUNDED UNIFORM PENNY POSTAGE 1840"
The others aren't quite so easy.

[wandle]

"Nineteen Duty" context suggests unpopular shift?

Hmmm

The 'nineteenth hole' in golf is the pub at the end of a round.
"Nineteen Duty" sounds like a week off on the sick, spent down the pub ?

beer drinkers.gif

[fishtank]

"Pinks and Greens" is the the WW2 U.S Army dress uniform.



Perhaps someone had a "friend" from over there over here.

[TrueBlueTerrier]

"Primary Tables" and Preparation tables" were / are? - If you guessed Primary that was where they sorted to the duties I think your right we call it IPS. Preparation tables I am guessing is what we call Frames and thats where we prepare our rounds before we deliver them.

19 Duty May just be that a delivery duty named 19 - At my Office they are numbered and then have the section added at the end, (ie 1E, 15W, 22C, 18N etc) but in an office of only 1 post code they won't have the letters at the end.

[uptodat]

Many thanks for your assistance folks. I'll be adding to the glossary on the webpages:
https://sites.google.com/site/northamptonnews/home

[Forrest Grump]

"Skins" this was common parlance for a bollocking of some form or another. In Crewe they had a "Skin Box" which was a spare locker in the RLE where bollockings could be given in private (unless anyone in locker 9 was listening).

[uptodat]

Thanks Forrest. But RLE, Locker 9? And how did "skin" come to mean a bollocking? Was it confined to the PO who did skin have a wider application? One girl spoke of PO skins as though there were other sorts. I wonder when it died out. (Scuse my ignorance!)

[uptodat]

I've been told by retired postal worker that Skin did refer to form requiring explanation for some error or misdemeanour. Greens and pinks apparently were tags placed on labels to indicxate the contents of bags. Nineteen duty remains a puzzle but apparently all roles, walks etc were duties so it refers to either a popular one or an unpopular one.