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At the turn of the 21st century the Post Office, with slogans such as 'Think of a Letter', reminded us that the early days of the organisation can be traced back to the middle of the nineteenth century when the mail service was just beginning. Indeed, the safe delivery of letters is as important now as it has always been, but in times gone by the Post Office was also a key communications provider, as well as offering government backed savings accounts.

Surprisingly, the services provided today are remarkably similar, but the organisations have changed many times over...

Organisation

Keeping up with the name changes becomes increasingly difficult as modern day firms use more outsourcing and third party business agreements, but we start with the General Post Office...

The Post Office

The General Post Office, or simply the GPO as it was more affectionately known, was once responsible for running both the Postal and Telephone Services of the UK and in 1950 was structured something like this:

• General Post Office
  • Post Office Counter Services
  • Royal Mail
  • Post Office Savings Bank
  • Post Office Telephones

Staff who worked for the GPO were sometimes referred to as 'God's Poor Orphans'.

An Introduction to the Post Office

An Introduction to the POST OFFICE - A training booklet December 1959. This handbook is to welcome you into the Post Office, to give you a general idea of its varied and widespread activities, and to show you briefly, how best you can contribute your share in its service to the public. You will know from your own experience how much better such service is if it is smartly and cheerfully given. You will now have many opportunities to play your part in this way both as an individual and as a member of a team.

Throughout the 1960s, the Post Office was still a government department, part of the Civil Service, but on 1st October 1969 it became a public corporation (nationalised industry). The telecoms part of the business was still very much under Post Office control, but the separate divisions of  Post Office Telecommunications and Post Office services had their own headquarters, THQ and PHQ.  

• Postal HQ
  • Post Office Counter Services
  • Royal Mail
  • Post Office Savings Bank
• Telecoms HQ
  • Post Office Telephones

Follow, the history of Post Office Telephones on the link below...

Post Office Telephones

	Pillar boxes, poles, kiosks and cabinets, the Post Office was once responsible for them all! The name, Post Office Telephones was used until about October 1969 when the Post Office ceased to be a government department. Photo: LSA

During the 1970s, 80s and 90s, the Post Office continued much as before. The major changes going on in the organisation were perhaps not noticeable to the public until 2001, when a completely new name was adopted...

Consignia

On 26th March 2001, the government owned Post Office became a plc (public limited company) and with it came the controversial change of name to Consignia.

The name is based on the word "consign". "To consign means to entrust to the care of - which is what each of our customers does every day," said The Post Office's chief executive John Roberts.

The new name was not popular in the UK and eventually, on 4th November 2002, was changed to Royal Mail Group plc. Thus the long established and well known names of  'Post Office' and 'Royal Mail' could continue.

Royal Mail Group plc

The Consignia group which was transferred to Royal Mail Group in 2002 was made up of the following trading units:

• Post Office
• Royal Mail
• Parcelforce Worldwide

And the current businesses can be found at  | www.postoffice.co.uk | www.royalmail.com | www.parcelforce.com |

Royal Mail

Letter delivery, Mail by Rail, the Post Office Railway, TPOs and more...

On 1 May 1840, the first stamps went on sale in Britain and over the years the sending and delivery of letters and parcels has continued to grow as the Post Office has provided an essential public service. Despite its difficulties the Post Office has always found new and innovative ways of ensuring that the demands of its customers are met, by a combination of road, rail, and air transport, supported with new technology. The Postal Service really is 'The Real Network'.

Post Office Counters

	Post Office Counters, the public/retail face of the Post Office. In 2006, Post Office Ltd is the current trading name for the counter services which are still a part of everyday life... Photo by Java Jane

The Post Office Savings Bank

Including Savings Accounts, Premium Savings Bonds (ERNIE), and Savings Certificates.

	On 16th September 1861 the Palmerston government set up the 'Post Office Savings Bank' - a simple savings scheme aiming to encourage ordinary wage earners "to provide for themselves against adversity and ill health". Take your savings to the Post Office Savings Bank...

The GPO Film Unit

	Producing well known classics such as 'Night Mail' the GPO Film Unit was established in 1933. 'Night Mail'  (1936) was produced by John Grierson with verse by W H Auden. This early documentary featured the Postal Special's nightly run from London to Scotland. Here we investigate just some of the films made by the GPO and its successor The Post Office...

National Giro

National Giro was set up by the Post Office in 1968, and was an initiative of the Labour government to provide banking facilities for those people who did not have bank accounts. The process was overseen by the politician Tony Benn the Postmaster General.

HMSO - Her Majesty's Stationery Office

'Supplied for the Public Service' was the watchword printed on many S.O. (Stationery Office) products. Namely that the notebooks etc were for use by government departments in the public service(s). The telephone side of the GPO was a public service until it was privatised (as British Telecom) in 1984. The Post Office in its many guises is a public service which is gradually being opened up to competition. Her Majesty's Stationery Office was responsible for the printing and distribution of many publications a well as sundries for use within the government. Part of HMSO has been sold off and is now simply TSO - The Stationery Office...

Books

The Post Office by Nancy Martin. Dent 1969.

	Mail by Rail: A history of the TPO & Post Office Railway, by Peter Johnson (1995).

Links

Bath Postal Museum - Situated within the building from which the world's first postage stamp was sent, it includes information on key people in history who shaped the UK's postal system. As well as an excellent philatelic section, the museum encourages schools participation and is recommended for a visit if you are in the area.

Colne Valley Postal History Museum

	This way to visit the Colne Valley Postal History Museum which houses the largest private collection of GPO letter boxes in mainland UK.

Grimsby Delivery Office - Royal Mail history by Steve Parrott.

Royal Mail Groups -The Official UK sites of: Royal Mail, The Post Office and Parcelforce.

The British Postal Museum & Archive

When the former National Postal Museum (NPM) closed to the public in 1998 it combined with the Post Office Archives to form the Heritage unit of Royal Mail. In 2004 this unified archive and museum service became an independent charitable trust. This new trust officially received a donation of the former NPM object collections, and took responsibility for managing The Royal Mail Archive (Public Records) on behalf of Royal Mail Group plc. More...

The Letter Box Study Group (official website) at www.lbsg.org  -A lively new site exploring the world of (mainly UK) letter boxes.

On Mike's Railway History pages you'll find an interesting article The Post Office Tube which details, the little known underground railway.

Mailrail.co.uk is an unofficial site, but packed with information and photos. Recommended...

Malcolm Smith's Post Box Pages - See his wonderful photographic record of the many types of letter boxes.

Nairnshire Modelling Supplies - Nigel Burkin takes contemporary railway modelling one step further, with his new (April 2008) on-line shop.

Paul's Unofficial Letterbox Pages (PULP) - For all those interested in the study of Letter Boxes.

The Post Office Vehicle Club - Preserving Post Buses, recording vehicle numbers and keeping the heritage alive.