Today is National Postal Worker Day! A time to celebrate the work these unspoken hero’s do each day.
Even during the pandemic, when our world has seemed upside down, the post has arrived – mostly on time, along with parcels that we have ordered online. In 2017-2018, the Royal Mail Group delivered around 14.4 billion letters! Last year, not surprisingly, the number did drop, but still, our post arrived!
Until researching for writing this blog, I hadn’t realised just how long our national institution of the Post Office had been going – back to the 16thcentury, during the reign of King Henry VII.
Originally, not everyone had the luxury of a postal service, it was only for the privilege upper classes. However, it was made available to everyone in 1635, but unlike today, it was the recipient who paid the postage costs, not the sender!
The adhesive postage stamp was invented by a Birmingham school teacher, Rowland Hill back in 1837, who received a knighthood for his invention.
I wanted to write a poem to celebrate the posties who are out there in all weathers and conditions.
The other thing I’ve noticed while I’ve been at home most days, people don’t knock on doors anymore. Well, not with a firm knock that is audible, and few modern doors have door knockers.
People rarely ring bells, which isn’t surprising because most don’t work – ours included. It does work however, when someone else’s down the street is pressed, and ours rings. Obviously, they have the same frequency setting. But when our doorbell is pressed, it doesn’t ring in our house. I’m wondering in which house it does ring?
Back to the door knocking. On occasions, I only know some is at the door, because I’ve seen them walk past the window. Their knocks are so incredibly timid… hence this second poem!
