How our postal workers have coped with the Christmas rush through the years

TODAY is the last recommended posting date for Christmas letters and cards sent by second class mail so we are looking at how the festive rush has been coped with through the decades.

This selection of pictures from The Mail archive show delivery services by both the Royal Mail and on a smaller and much more local level by Scout groups.

In December 1998 the Barrow and Furness MP John Hutton mucked in to help postal workers with the Christmas mail.

Mr Hutton visited Barrow’s sorting office, on Abbey Road, where he was given a guided tour and saw the massive amount of Christmas letters, cards and parcels the staff were dealing with.

The Mail, on December 23 in 1999, noted: “Furness postal staff with groaning seasonal mail sacks expect to have delivered a record total of 1.75 million cards by Christmas eve.

“Royal Mail spokeswoman Wendy Martin said Barrow was confident of beating last year’s figure and delivering a million cards and letters to the LA14, LA13 and LA15 postal areas.

“And the 35 delivery postal staff based at Ulverston sorting office expect to have delivered a record 750,000 cards to the LA12 district of Ulverston and its surrounding areas by last post on December 24.

The Mail, on December 2 in 1992, noted: “Ulverston Scouts are offering an alternative Christmas card delivery service in order to boost their funds.

“The Dragley Beck-based 2nd Ulverston Scout Group are running the service which operates in Ulverston and Bardsea.

“The money raised will go towards the redevelopment of their hunt.

“Special stamps have been printed for the Scouts and they have their own green post boxes placed at more than 25 different locations, including the library, pubs and shops.

“The service is being offered at a bargain price of 8p per delivery.”

In 2002 Ulverston councilor Jim Prosser designed Ulverston stamp-style stickers featuring town crier Alf Jarvis.

They were sold on sheets of 65 for just £1 and were designed to boost the image of the town and raise cash for a new inshore rescue craft.

This year’s last recommended posting date using first class stamps is this Friday and special delivery items should be sent by Monday, December 23.