Post Offices (Shire Library)

The local post office has a special place in the social history of Britain. This book provides an historical overview of the development of this public institution - from 'letter receiving house' to familiar high-street presence. It outlines the range of services post offices have provided over time - from stamps, pensions and postal orders, to airmail, savings certificates, dog and TV licences. Highlighting the 'heyday of the GPO' during the 1930s, 40s and 50s, the author recalls childhood memories of post office counters selling stamps and sweets, the weekly pension lines, and the friendly local postmaster. It constitutes a celebration of a very British institution now threatened by modern-day forces.