Those were the days!

[cyclemech1]

Found this little gem of a film, how simple life once was (Probably poorly paid and long hours though).

Check out the collection times on the pillar-box!

http://player.bfi.org.uk/film/watch-sto ... tter-1949/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[datasaint]

Four collections a day from a post box? Why?

I was surprised to see a franking type machine in action, didn't think technology was far enough ahead in the late 40's to detect the placement of a stamp.

And not having rubber bands, what a ball ache tying up with twine.

[greengiant]

Nice Brooks saddle on the post bike!

[Lounge Lizard]

Four collections a day from a post box? Why?

I was surprised to see a franking type machine in action, didn't think technology was far enough ahead in the late 40's to detect the placement of a stamp.

And not having rubber bands, what a ball ache tying up with twine.

Franking machines were first used experimentally in 1857, the Universal machine seen there having been introduced in 1910 and widely used until the Ink Jet ones started to replace them from 1993.
In the late 40's machines didn't detect the placement of a stamp, the envelopes here were first manually stacked with all the stamps in the same corner.

[Spartacus]

I've been in the job just under 25 years and all of that was still happening at our office.

We had a facing up table where collections were tipped, letters then went through the stamp cancelling machine, then primary sorting and despatch to the MC.

We did a short version of this before the 2nd delivery went out to extract local letters.

We had loose loading of vans to and from the MC, and we used string to tie the bags.

We had a TPO at 04.15 every morning, everything loose loaded on it, we had to handball it on to a trolley, then on to the wagon, then off again at the DO.

We had the 48 box fittings for IPS and prep.

A different world.