The People's Post - A Narrative History Of The Post Office

Episode

Title

First
Broadcast

Comments

The Origins Of The Post Office

20111209

Introduced by Henry VIII to aid the spread of intelligence, the first 200 years of Royal Mail saw a series of attempts to reform the postal system with mixed results. By the early 19th century the system had reached breaking point as all social classes sought ever more ingenious ways to avoid the high cost of postage.

Launched in 1516, the Royal Mail was intended to support official communications and bolster intelligence. It was only a rise in literacy and trade that stimulated a demand for a public service. In the paranoid era of the English Civil War the postal network became an important instrument of state control. In a secret room deep in the post office building, agents opened and copied letters from suspected dissidents on a grand scale.

Launched in 1680, The London Penny Post was the first accessible and cheap method for sending mail within the capital for the equivalent of £6.

During the eighteenth century an expanding postal network offered new possibilities for long-distance relationships. From travelling preachers to sailors and their families, people from all backgrounds found ways to write home.

Introduced in 1784 the mail coach slashed journey times by two thirds, provided a new state of the art form of public transport, and allowed newspapers to reach the provinces within 24 hours. The timepieces carried by guards also had the unintended consequence of creating standard UK time in the era before GMT.

In the early 1800s the post office operated an expensive and illogical payment system. This forced letter-writers into ever more imaginative ways of avoiding postage, from using private couriers, to sending coded newspapers. MPs were allowed to send letters for free, but as only a signature was required it created a system that was ripe for abuse.

Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook

Historical Consultant: Susan Whyman

Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart

Actors: Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak,

Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw,

Producer: Joby Waldman

A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4.

Dominic Sandbrook investigates how the post office has shaped British society.

Omnibus edition. Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office

The Secret Room

20111205

As Royal Mail faces an uncertain future, Dominic Sandbrook explores the social history of the post office.

Throughout its history, the Post Office has been a consistently progressive and democratising force in society. Launched in 1516 by Henry VIII, the Royal Mail was intended to support official communications and bolster intelligence. It was only a rise in literacy, trade and interest that stimulated a demand for a public service.

It became a vehicle for literacy, free speech, commerce and communications in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, before evolving into a kind of prototypical welfare state in the early twentieth century, when it was the largest employer in the world. The Post Office has become a cherished social institution, linking people together and extending their vision outward into the wider world.

It's called Royal Mail but it should be known as the People's Post

In the paranoid era of the English Civil War the postal network became an important instrument of state control. In a secret room deep in the post office building, agents opened and copied letters from suspected dissidents on a grand scale.

Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook

Historical Consultant: Susan Whyman

Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart

Actors:Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak,

Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw

Producer: Joby Waldman

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4.

Dominic Sandbrook investigates how the post office has shaped British society.

Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office

Becoming The People's Post

20111216

The arrival of Universal Penny Postage in 1840 marked the beginning of the post office as a genuine public service. Introduced by the social reformer, Rowland Hill, he argued that lowering the cost of postage would mean more people would send more letters leading to wider social benefits and increased profits. As secretary of the post office, Hill oversaw the implementation of the world's first adhesive postage stamp, the Penny Black.

As Royal Mail faces an uncertain future, Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office and examines it's impact on literacy, free speech, commerce and communication. The Post Office has become a cherished social institution, linking people together and extending their vision outward into the wider world.

It's called Royal Mail but it should be known as the People's Post

Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook

Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart

Actors: Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak,

Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw

Producer: Joby Waldman

A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4.

Dominic Sandbrook looks at the arrival of Universal Penny Postage in 1840.

Omnibus edition. Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office

The London Penny Post

20111206

As Royal Mail faces an uncertain future, Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office and examines it's impact on literacy, free speech, commerce and communication.

Launched in 1680 by London merchant, William Dockwra, the Penny Post was the first accessible and cheap method for sending mail within the capital. Costing the equivalent of £6 today, there were receiving houses all over London and the suburbs where you could go to post a letter and expect same day delivery.

Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook

Historical Consultant: Susan Whyman

Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart

Actors:Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak,

Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw

Producer: Joby Waldman

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4.

A Culture Of Letters

20111207

During the 18th century, an expanding postal network offered new possibilities for long-distance relationships. From traveling preachers to sailors and their families, people from all backgrounds found ways to write home.

As Royal Mail faces an uncertain future, Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office and examines it's impact on literacy, free speech, commerce and communication.

Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook

Historical Consultant: Susan Whyman

Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart

Actors:Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak, Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw

Producer: Joby Waldman

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4.

Dominic Sandbrook looks at 18th-century long-distance letters.

The Post Office And The State

20111223

In 1870 the telegraph system came under the control of the post office, in the first ever instance of the government nationalising a commercial industry. The aim was to provide an extended and more efficient network, to serve the public and make a profit.

In the late nineteenth century the Post Office became a key instrument of the State.

Providing a national telegraph service, as censor and channel in the first world war, as a model employer in the 1930s and pioneer in communications technology for much of the twentieth century. The last four decades have seen the State pulling away from Royal Mail leaving it's future very much uncertain.

Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook

Historical Consultant: Iain Stevenson

Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart

Actors: Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak,

Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw

Producer: Joby Waldman

A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4.

In 1870, the telegraph system came under the control of the post office.

Omnibus edition. Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office

The Mail Coach

20111208

Introduced in 1784 the mail coach slashed journey times by two thirds, provided a new state of the art form of public transport, and allowed newspapers to reach the provinces within 24 hours. The time-pieces carried by guards also had the unintended consequence of creating standard UK time in the era before GMT.

As Royal Mail faces an uncertain future, Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office and examines its impact on literacy, free speech, commerce and communication.

Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook

Historical Consultant: Susan Whyman

Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart

Actors:Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak,

Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw

Producer: Joby Waldman

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4.

Introduced in 1784, the mail coach slashed journey times by two thirds.

Freepost

20111209

In the early 1800s the post office operated an expensive and illogical payment system. This forced letter-writers into ever more imaginative ways of avoiding postage, from using private couriers, to hiding letters in barrels of butter, to sending coded newspapers. MPs were allowed to send letters for free, but as only a signature was required it created a system that was ripe for abuse.

As Royal Mail faces an uncertain future, Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office and examines it's impact on literacy, free speech, commerce and communication.

Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook

Historical Consultant: Susan Whyman

Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart

Actors:Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak,

Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw

Producer: Joby Waldman

A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4.

Dominic Sandbrook investigates how the post office improved efficiency in the 1800s.

The Penny Black

20111212

It's called Royal Mail but it should be known as the People's Post

Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook

Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart

Actors: Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak,

Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw

Producer: Joby Waldman

A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4.

Dominic Sandbrook looks at the arrival of Universal Penny Postage in 1840.

Business Post

20111213

The post office played a vital role in the spread of mass consumerism.

Thanks to cheap postage, businesses could advertise and interact with people in their own homes. When it took over the Parcel Post in 1883 the Post Office offered the first genuinely joined up postal service, leading to a boom in mail order catalogues.

Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook

Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart

Actors: Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak,

Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw

Producer: Joby Waldman

A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4.

Thanks to cheap postage, businesses could advertise and interact with people more directly

Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office

Love Letters

20111214

Universal penny postage meant people from all backgrounds could afford to sustain long distance relationships. But it also led to increased pressure: lovers were expected to write two or three times a week, even if they lived in the same town. Sales of letter-writing manuals rocketed, allowing people to copy model examples of the perfect love letter.

Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook

Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart

Actors: Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak,

Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw

Producer: Joby Waldman

A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4.

Dominic Sandbrook investigates the role of love letters in the history of the Post Office.

Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office

A Community Hub

20111215

During the nineteenth century the post office became a central pillar in the community; a symbol of order, stability and public service. As well as stamps and stationary, sub-postmasters supplied news, advice and local gossip. From 1862 the Post Office Savings Bank offered savings accounts to poorer people for the first time.

As Royal Mail faces an uncertain future, Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office and examines it's impact on literacy, free speech, commerce and communication

Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook

Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart

Actors: Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak,

Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw

Producer: Joby Waldman

A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4.

From 1862, the Post Office Savings Bank offered savings accounts to poorer people.

The Postal Worker's Strike

20111216

By 1890, Britain had a state of the art postal service with six daily deliveries in Britain's towns. To achieve this service, delivery staff often worked six day weeks with shifts split over a twelve or fourteen hour day. In sorting offices, postal staff complained of leaky roofs and inadequate toilets. Worse still, postmen weren't permitted their own independent union, and in 1890 frustration turned to industrial action.

As Royal Mail faces an uncertain future, Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office and examines it's impact on literacy, free speech, commerce and communication.

Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook

Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart

Actors: Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak, Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw

Producer: Joby Waldman

A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4.

Dominic Sandbrook investigates the industrial action of the postmen in 1890.

The Telegraph

20111219

In the late nineteenth century the Post Office became a key instrument of the State.

Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook

Historical Consultant: Iain Stevenson

Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart

Actors: Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak,

Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw

Producer: Joby Waldman

A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4.

In 1870, the telegraph system came under the control of the post office.

Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office

The Post Office At War

20111220

In 1914 the post office was called upon to play a vital role in the country's war effort. Every week twelve and half million letters left Britain for Flanders, and it took 2 days for a letter to reach the front. The post office also supported the army's censorship activities, preventing sensitive information reaching enemy hands and helping to capture spies.

It's called Royal Mail but it should be known as the People's Post

Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook

Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart

Historical Consultant: Iain Stevenson

Actors: Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak,

Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw

Producer: Joby Waldman

A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4.

In 1914, the post office was called upon to play a vital role in the country's war effort.

A Job In A Million

20111221

In the 1930s the GPO was a model employer, pioneering equal opportunities and offering staff a secure career path. Employees were encouraged to attend academic classes and leisure pursuits, but lateness and inefficiency weren't tolerated.

As Royal Mail faces an uncertain future, Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office and examines its impact on literacy, free speech, commerce and communication. The Post Office has become a cherished social institution, linking people together and extending their vision outward into the wider world.

It's called Royal Mail but it should be known as the People's Post

Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook

Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart

Historical Consultant: Iain Stevenson

Actors: Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak,

Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw

Producer: Joby Waldman

A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4.

In the 1930s, the GPO was a model employer, offering staff a secure career path.

The Post Code

20111222

When a national post-code system was introduced in the 1970s it met with fierce resistance: from postal workers, concerned about the pace of change, and a general public incensed by useless symbols. Intended to aid sorting mechanisation, today postcodes are used by geodemographic databases to classify households for the benefit of commerce, government services and political canvassing.

It's called Royal Mail but it should be known as the People's Post

Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook

Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart

Historical Consultant: Iain Stevenson

Actors: Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak,

Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw

Producer: Joby Waldman

A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4.

When a national post code system was introduced in the 1970s, it met with resistance.

The Last Post

20111223

In 1969 the post office ceased being a government industry to become a nationalised industry. It avoided being sold off in the 1980s, only to face even bigger challenges in the 2000s: sustaining the costs of a huge labour force, and rivalry from digital communications. As it sits on the brink of privatisation, what does the Royal Mail mean today?

It's called Royal Mail but it should be known as the People's Post

Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook

Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart

Historical Consultant: Iain Stevenson

Actors: Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak,

Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw

Producer: Joby Waldman

A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4.

Episodes

Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Comments
01	The Origins Of The Post Office	20111209	Introduced by Henry VIII to aid the spread of intelligence, the first 200 years of Royal Mail saw a series of attempts to reform the postal system with mixed results. By the early 19th century the system had reached breaking point as all social classes sought ever more ingenious ways to avoid the high cost of postage. Launched in 1516, the Royal Mail was intended to support official communications and bolster intelligence. It was only a rise in literacy and trade that stimulated a demand for a public service. In the paranoid era of the English Civil War the postal network became an important instrument of state control. In a secret room deep in the post office building, agents opened and copied letters from suspected dissidents on a grand scale. Launched in 1680, The London Penny Post was the first accessible and cheap method for sending mail within the capital for the equivalent of £6. During the eighteenth century an expanding postal network offered new possibilities for long-distance relationships. From travelling preachers to sailors and their families, people from all backgrounds found ways to write home. Introduced in 1784 the mail coach slashed journey times by two thirds, provided a new state of the art form of public transport, and allowed newspapers to reach the provinces within 24 hours. The timepieces carried by guards also had the unintended consequence of creating standard UK time in the era before GMT. In the early 1800s the post office operated an expensive and illogical payment system. This forced letter-writers into ever more imaginative ways of avoiding postage, from using private couriers, to sending coded newspapers. MPs were allowed to send letters for free, but as only a signature was required it created a system that was ripe for abuse. Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook Historical Consultant: Susan Whyman Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart Actors: Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak, Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw, Producer: Joby Waldman A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4. Dominic Sandbrook investigates how the post office has shaped British society. Omnibus edition. Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office
01	The Secret Room	20111205	As Royal Mail faces an uncertain future, Dominic Sandbrook explores the social history of the post office. Throughout its history, the Post Office has been a consistently progressive and democratising force in society. Launched in 1516 by Henry VIII, the Royal Mail was intended to support official communications and bolster intelligence. It was only a rise in literacy, trade and interest that stimulated a demand for a public service. It became a vehicle for literacy, free speech, commerce and communications in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, before evolving into a kind of prototypical welfare state in the early twentieth century, when it was the largest employer in the world. The Post Office has become a cherished social institution, linking people together and extending their vision outward into the wider world. It's called Royal Mail but it should be known as the People's Post In the paranoid era of the English Civil War the postal network became an important instrument of state control. In a secret room deep in the post office building, agents opened and copied letters from suspected dissidents on a grand scale. Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook Historical Consultant: Susan Whyman Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart Actors:Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak, Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw Producer: Joby Waldman A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. Dominic Sandbrook investigates how the post office has shaped British society. Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office
02	Becoming The People's Post	20111216	The arrival of Universal Penny Postage in 1840 marked the beginning of the post office as a genuine public service. Introduced by the social reformer, Rowland Hill, he argued that lowering the cost of postage would mean more people would send more letters leading to wider social benefits and increased profits. As secretary of the post office, Hill oversaw the implementation of the world's first adhesive postage stamp, the Penny Black. As Royal Mail faces an uncertain future, Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office and examines it's impact on literacy, free speech, commerce and communication. The Post Office has become a cherished social institution, linking people together and extending their vision outward into the wider world. It's called Royal Mail but it should be known as the People's Post Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart Actors: Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak, Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw Producer: Joby Waldman A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4. Dominic Sandbrook looks at the arrival of Universal Penny Postage in 1840. Omnibus edition. Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office
02	The London Penny Post	20111206	As Royal Mail faces an uncertain future, Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office and examines it's impact on literacy, free speech, commerce and communication. Launched in 1680 by London merchant, William Dockwra, the Penny Post was the first accessible and cheap method for sending mail within the capital. Costing the equivalent of £6 today, there were receiving houses all over London and the suburbs where you could go to post a letter and expect same day delivery. Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook Historical Consultant: Susan Whyman Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart Actors:Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak, Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw Producer: Joby Waldman A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4.
03	A Culture Of Letters	20111207	During the 18th century, an expanding postal network offered new possibilities for long-distance relationships. From traveling preachers to sailors and their families, people from all backgrounds found ways to write home. As Royal Mail faces an uncertain future, Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office and examines it's impact on literacy, free speech, commerce and communication. Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook Historical Consultant: Susan Whyman Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart Actors:Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak, Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw Producer: Joby Waldman A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. Dominic Sandbrook looks at 18th-century long-distance letters.
03	The Post Office And The State	20111223	In 1870 the telegraph system came under the control of the post office, in the first ever instance of the government nationalising a commercial industry. The aim was to provide an extended and more efficient network, to serve the public and make a profit. In the late nineteenth century the Post Office became a key instrument of the State. Providing a national telegraph service, as censor and channel in the first world war, as a model employer in the 1930s and pioneer in communications technology for much of the twentieth century. The last four decades have seen the State pulling away from Royal Mail leaving it's future very much uncertain. Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook Historical Consultant: Iain Stevenson Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart Actors: Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak, Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw Producer: Joby Waldman A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4. In 1870, the telegraph system came under the control of the post office. Omnibus edition. Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office
04	The Mail Coach	20111208	Introduced in 1784 the mail coach slashed journey times by two thirds, provided a new state of the art form of public transport, and allowed newspapers to reach the provinces within 24 hours. The time-pieces carried by guards also had the unintended consequence of creating standard UK time in the era before GMT. As Royal Mail faces an uncertain future, Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office and examines its impact on literacy, free speech, commerce and communication. Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook Historical Consultant: Susan Whyman Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart Actors:Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak, Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw Producer: Joby Waldman A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. Introduced in 1784, the mail coach slashed journey times by two thirds.
05	Freepost	20111209	In the early 1800s the post office operated an expensive and illogical payment system. This forced letter-writers into ever more imaginative ways of avoiding postage, from using private couriers, to hiding letters in barrels of butter, to sending coded newspapers. MPs were allowed to send letters for free, but as only a signature was required it created a system that was ripe for abuse. As Royal Mail faces an uncertain future, Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office and examines it's impact on literacy, free speech, commerce and communication. Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook Historical Consultant: Susan Whyman Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart Actors:Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak, Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw Producer: Joby Waldman A Somethin' Else production for BBC Radio 4. Dominic Sandbrook investigates how the post office improved efficiency in the 1800s.
06	The Penny Black	20111212	The arrival of Universal Penny Postage in 1840 marked the beginning of the post office as a genuine public service. Introduced by the social reformer, Rowland Hill, he argued that lowering the cost of postage would mean more people would send more letters leading to wider social benefits and increased profits. As secretary of the post office, Hill oversaw the implementation of the world's first adhesive postage stamp, the Penny Black. As Royal Mail faces an uncertain future, Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office and examines it's impact on literacy, free speech, commerce and communication. The Post Office has become a cherished social institution, linking people together and extending their vision outward into the wider world. It's called Royal Mail but it should be known as the People's Post Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart Actors: Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak, Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw Producer: Joby Waldman A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4. Dominic Sandbrook looks at the arrival of Universal Penny Postage in 1840.
07	Business Post	20111213	The post office played a vital role in the spread of mass consumerism. Thanks to cheap postage, businesses could advertise and interact with people in their own homes. When it took over the Parcel Post in 1883 the Post Office offered the first genuinely joined up postal service, leading to a boom in mail order catalogues. Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart Actors: Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak, Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw Producer: Joby Waldman A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4. Thanks to cheap postage, businesses could advertise and interact with people more directly Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office
08	Love Letters	20111214	Universal penny postage meant people from all backgrounds could afford to sustain long distance relationships. But it also led to increased pressure: lovers were expected to write two or three times a week, even if they lived in the same town. Sales of letter-writing manuals rocketed, allowing people to copy model examples of the perfect love letter. Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart Actors: Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak, Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw Producer: Joby Waldman A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4. Dominic Sandbrook investigates the role of love letters in the history of the Post Office. Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office
09	A Community Hub	20111215	During the nineteenth century the post office became a central pillar in the community; a symbol of order, stability and public service. As well as stamps and stationary, sub-postmasters supplied news, advice and local gossip. From 1862 the Post Office Savings Bank offered savings accounts to poorer people for the first time. As Royal Mail faces an uncertain future, Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office and examines it's impact on literacy, free speech, commerce and communication Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart Actors: Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak, Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw Producer: Joby Waldman A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4. From 1862, the Post Office Savings Bank offered savings accounts to poorer people.
10	The Postal Worker's Strike	20111216	By 1890, Britain had a state of the art postal service with six daily deliveries in Britain's towns. To achieve this service, delivery staff often worked six day weeks with shifts split over a twelve or fourteen hour day. In sorting offices, postal staff complained of leaky roofs and inadequate toilets. Worse still, postmen weren't permitted their own independent union, and in 1890 frustration turned to industrial action. As Royal Mail faces an uncertain future, Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office and examines it's impact on literacy, free speech, commerce and communication. Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart Actors: Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak, Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw Producer: Joby Waldman A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4. Dominic Sandbrook investigates the industrial action of the postmen in 1890.
11	The Telegraph	20111219	In 1870 the telegraph system came under the control of the post office, in the first ever instance of the government nationalising a commercial industry. The aim was to provide an extended and more efficient network, to serve the public and make a profit. In the late nineteenth century the Post Office became a key instrument of the State. Providing a national telegraph service, as censor and channel in the first world war, as a model employer in the 1930s and pioneer in communications technology for much of the twentieth century. The last four decades have seen the State pulling away from Royal Mail leaving it's future very much uncertain. Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook Historical Consultant: Iain Stevenson Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart Actors: Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak, Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw Producer: Joby Waldman A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4. In 1870, the telegraph system came under the control of the post office. Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office
12	The Post Office At War	20111220	In 1914 the post office was called upon to play a vital role in the country's war effort. Every week twelve and half million letters left Britain for Flanders, and it took 2 days for a letter to reach the front. The post office also supported the army's censorship activities, preventing sensitive information reaching enemy hands and helping to capture spies. As Royal Mail faces an uncertain future, Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office and examines it's impact on literacy, free speech, commerce and communication. The Post Office has become a cherished social institution, linking people together and extending their vision outward into the wider world. It's called Royal Mail but it should be known as the People's Post Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart Historical Consultant: Iain Stevenson Actors: Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak, Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw Producer: Joby Waldman A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4. In 1914, the post office was called upon to play a vital role in the country's war effort.
13	A Job In A Million	20111221	In the 1930s the GPO was a model employer, pioneering equal opportunities and offering staff a secure career path. Employees were encouraged to attend academic classes and leisure pursuits, but lateness and inefficiency weren't tolerated. As Royal Mail faces an uncertain future, Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office and examines its impact on literacy, free speech, commerce and communication. The Post Office has become a cherished social institution, linking people together and extending their vision outward into the wider world. It's called Royal Mail but it should be known as the People's Post Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart Historical Consultant: Iain Stevenson Actors: Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak, Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw Producer: Joby Waldman A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4. In the 1930s, the GPO was a model employer, offering staff a secure career path.
14	The Post Code	20111222	When a national post-code system was introduced in the 1970s it met with fierce resistance: from postal workers, concerned about the pace of change, and a general public incensed by useless symbols. Intended to aid sorting mechanisation, today postcodes are used by geodemographic databases to classify households for the benefit of commerce, government services and political canvassing. As Royal Mail faces an uncertain future, Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office and examines its impact on literacy, free speech, commerce and communication. The Post Office has become a cherished social institution, linking people together and extending their vision outward into the wider world. It's called Royal Mail but it should be known as the People's Post Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart Historical Consultant: Iain Stevenson Actors: Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak, Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw Producer: Joby Waldman A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4. When a national post code system was introduced in the 1970s, it met with resistance.
15	The Last Post	20111223	In 1969 the post office ceased being a government industry to become a nationalised industry. It avoided being sold off in the 1980s, only to face even bigger challenges in the 2000s: sustaining the costs of a huge labour force, and rivalry from digital communications. As it sits on the brink of privatisation, what does the Royal Mail mean today? As Royal Mail faces an uncertain future, Dominic Sandbrook charts the development of the post office and examines its impact on literacy, free speech, commerce and communication. The Post Office has become a cherished social institution, linking people together and extending their vision outward into the wider world. It's called Royal Mail but it should be known as the People's Post Writer and Presenter: Dominic Sandbrook Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart Historical Consultant: Iain Stevenson Actors: Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak, Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw Producer: Joby Waldman A Somethin Else production for BBC Radio 4.