When Worcester had a proper main post office

THERE are few more visible, and in some ways more depressing, examples of 21st-century technology advance than the fate of Worcester’s main post office.

For 55 years it occupied rather grand, purpose-built premises right next to Foregate Street rail bridge and opposite the old Star Hotel, now Worcester Whitehouse.

It was invariably busy, sometimes too much so, and there was often a wait in a snaking queue.

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But at the end of it you met a real person and you trusted you’d got your job done.

Now the whole lot is accommodated in a small section of the first floor of TG Jones, formerly WH Smith, on High Street and the old building is a Tesco Express.

It’s all down to the changing face of communication, the arrival of emails, texts and the internet and competition Royal Mail faces from a host of parcel delivery companies.

Sending a handwritten letter or postcard used to be, in its own way, something special.

Today sending an email takes little more effort than trimming your toe nails.

When it opened on March 19, 1953, Worcester’s was the first new head post office in the GPO’s Midland Region since 1939.

Designed by the Ministry of Works architect J Russell, the building was described as “a modern addition to the city, featuring a fan-shaped office with attractive counter fittings”.

The formalities were performed by the mayor, Councillor W F Holloway, who unlocked the main door with a ceremonial key to the sound of a fanfare blown by trumpeters of the Worcestershire Regiment.

A press release informed: “On its Foregate Street frontage, the building is finished in Portland stone with red facing bricks at the upper level. The interior is in a curved shape and is decorated in six colours. There are phone boxes inside and also in kiosks outside.

“It presents in its restrained design a fitting addition to Worcester’s many fine buildings and an appropriate complement to the Faithful City.”

Guests were shown the spacious main office, the telegraph office, the administrative offices and latest standards in staff accommodation.

Suitably high ceilinged, the new post office gave customers the feel of entering something worthy.

A bit like stepping inside a large bank or roomy hotel foyer, not like an everyday shop or anywhere piffling.

Of course, the busy time for the Post Office is traditionally the lead-up to the festive season when ‘Christmas casuals’ are recruited to help out the regular staff.

Applications usually open at about this time of the year so if you are interested check out the Royal Mail Group careers website.

Back in 1961, myself and a schoolmate from WRGS, both country boys, were assigned to deliver letters to the work-in-progress Warndon council estate between us.

We had to carry our sacks of mail on the bus (two trips) and I think finished at about 5.30 in the evening. As a consolation prize, the following year we were given Hanbury Park in St John’s.

Worcester has had a postmaster for nearly 400 years since 1635. In the early 19th century the city was a main staging post on the route from north to south. Seventeen mail and other coaches left daily for destinations as diverse as London, Bristol, Chester and Birmingham.

One of the main coaching inns was the Star and Garter in Foregate Street, later the Star Hotel, and it’s probably no coincidence they decided to build Worcester’s main post office opposite with the main sorting office at the rear off Sansome Walk.

As the country’s roads improved in the 1800s and with better coach design, mail coaches travelled faster than ever before and crowds would gather at the Star and Garter to see the rapid change of horses.

There were stages every 10 to 12 miles and the slick organisation at the posting inns was remarkable.

Furious driving became such a common practice that an Act of Parliament in 1838 threatened convicted persons with the treadmill.

Two of the fastest coaches ever to run changed horses at the Star in Worcester.

They were the rival coaches L’Hirondelle and Hibernia which ran between the port cities of Liverpool and Bristol and raced each other all the way.

Their speeds were extraordinary considering they operated on rough untarmacked roadways and their times included the stops to change horses.

In May 1832 the Hibernia left Liverpool at 6am and arrived at Worcester at 5pm (an average speed of around 11 mph)while the following year the L’Hirondelle covered the 136-mile journey from Liverpool to Cheltenham in nine hours 30 minutes (more than 14 mph).

Which would be a first-class letter service even today.