World War One: How did 12 million letters a week reach soldiers?
A remarkable and humbling account:
During World War One up
to 12 million letters a week were delivered to soldiers, many on the
front line. The wartime post was a remarkable operation, writes
ex-postman and former Home Secretary Alan Johnson.
When a soldier on the Western Front wrote to a London
newspaper in 1915 saying he was lonely and would appreciate receiving
some mail the response was immediate.
The newspaper published his name and regiment and within
weeks he'd received 3,000 letters, 98 large parcels and three mailbags
full of smaller packages.
Had that soldier had the time to respond to every letter he
could have done. Wherever he was fighting, his reply would have been
delivered back to Britain within a day or two of posting.
How the General Post Office (GPO) maintained such an
efficient postal service to soldiers and sailors during World War One is
a story of remarkable ingenuity and amazing courage.
The imperative was clear from the start. Ever
since the establishment of the Penny Post in 1840, the ability to
communicate by letter reliably and cheaply had become a public
expectation.
For fighting soldiers it was essential to morale and the
British Army knew that. It considered delivering letters to the front as
important as delivering rations and ammunition.
The Boer War of 1899 had established an expectation among
soldiers that they would be able to stay in touch with those at home but
the logistics of doing so in WW1 provided a challenge on an
unprecedented scale.
The GPO was already a huge operation before war broke out in
1914. It employed over 250,000 people and had a revenue of £32m, making
it the biggest economic enterprise in Britain and the largest single
employer of labour in the world, according to the British Postal Museum
& Archive (BPMA).
But at its peak during the war it was dealing with an extra
12 million letters and a million parcels being sent to soldiers each
week.
You'll recall our recent post concerning the death threats made against Maajid Nawaz, Liberal Democrat Prospective
Parliamentary Candidate, for posting this innocuous Jesus & Mo image?
The free speech petition in support of Maajid would appear to have made some impact with the Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg:
"I very much recognise and respect that the visual depiction of the Prophet
Muhammad is regarded as deeply offensive and distressing to you and many other
Muslims in the UK and beyond. But I recognise too that there are also Muslims,
including devout ones, who take a different view.
However, the Liberal
Democrats are a party of respect, tolerance and individual liberty. We
fundamentally believe in freedom of expression in an open, liberal and free
society and therefore strongly defend Maajid’s right to express his views.
Maajid was commenting on a recent BBC programme which covered this issue and
wanted to make the point that as a Muslim he did not regard depiction of the
Prophet Muhammad as being offensive.
It is my understanding that Maajid has made it clear that he therefore
tweeted in order to contribute to a live debate rather than out of any intention
to deliberately offend, and that his tweet reflects his genuinely and sincerely
held religious views. I hope that those who take a different view would respect
his right and sincerity in doing so. I’m sure it goes without saying that the
death threats and threats of violence Maajid has received are totally
unacceptable, and I’m sure you will join me in whole-heartedly condemning
them."
Hope that greeting doesn't offend you... because it seems to have offended some and they're not happy. Not happy as in death-threat not happy.
You know the Jesus & Mo cartoon strip which has been around since 2005? And you know our Jesus & Mo cards? Well Maajid Nawaz, Liberal Democrat Prospective
Parliamentary Candidate for Hampstead and Killburn, posted an
innocuous 'Jesus and Mo' cartoon on his Twitter timeline and stated that
he, as a Muslim, was not offended by the content.
His
tweet followed a BBC Big Questions programme in which the cartoons were
discussed and Maajid Nawaz was included as a studio guest. The cartoon
depicts Jesus and Mo saying 'Hey' and 'How ya doin'" to each other.
"On January 12th, Maajid Nawaz, Liberal Democrat PPC for Hampstead and Killburn, posted an innocuous 'Jesus and Mo' cartoon on his Twitter timeline and stated that he, as a Muslim, was not offended by the content. This followed a BBC Big Questions programme in which the cartoons were discussed and Maajid Nawaz was included as a studio guest. The cartoon depicts Jesus and Mo saying 'Hey' and 'How ya doin'" to each other.
Islamists and political opponents have now mounted a campaign against Maajid Nawaz, resulting in numerous threats to his life. We note that this, rather than being based on legitimate concerns of Muslims, is a political campaign spear-headed by a group of Islamist reactionaries with a track record of promoting extremism. They are seeeking to use Muslim communities in order to whip up hatred against a liberal and secular Muslim. We are concerned that this campaign will also be used by anti-Muslim extremists as evidence of Muslim intolerance and incompatibility with liberal values which could, in turn, fuel anti-Muslim bigotry.
We note with concern that this attempt to silence Maajid Nawaz is fuelled by Liberal Democrats party member Mohammed Shafiq. Freedom of expression is essential to the functioning of a liberal democracy, and a core value of the Liberal Democratic party. The agitation of a party member against a designated Prospective Parliamentary Candidate is antithetical to these core values."
This is clearly a matter of freedom of speech and has to be challenged. Please petition Nick Clegg and give full support to LibDem PPC Maajid Nawaz and take disciplinary action against party member Mohammed Shafiq by signing this Change.org petition organised by Chris Moos.
New for 2014. We hope soon to have a range of The New Yorker greeting cards, but in the meantime please enjoy these gems as chosen by Bob Mankoff, the The New Yorkers cartoon editor.
Some of the most popular shows from over 60 years of children’s television are celebrated with 12 much-loved characters featured on a new set of Special Stamps
Characters in the issue are Andy Pandy, Ivor the Engine, Dougal - from The Magic Roundabout, Windy Miller - from Camberwick Green, Mr Benn, Great Uncle Bulgaria - from The Wombles, Bagpuss, Paddington Bear, Postman Pat, Bob the Builder, Peppa Pig and Shaun the Sheep
Each decade since the 1950s is represented in this stamp issue
2014 marks the 40th anniversary of Bagpuss appearing on television
Stamps are designed so each character ‘breaks out’ of the border
ANDY PANDY
“Andy Pandy’s coming to play, la-la-la-la-la-la!” Devised by Freda Lingstrom and Maria Bird, Andy Pandy was first screened live in summer 1950 during the BBC’s For the Very Young slot. Subsequent episodes were filmed to enable repeat broadcasts and became central to the Watch with Mother segment from 1953. Narrator Vera McKechnie addressed string puppets Andy Pandy, Teddy and Looby Loo directly, and encouraged young viewers to sing and dance along with the music and songs. After the original filmed episodes had become too damaged to be broadcast, in 1970 13 brand-new colour programmes were recorded.
Developed for ITV by Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin, Ivor the Engine told the story of small steam train working on a remote line in the “top left-hand corner of Wales”. Narrated by Postgate, in his best Under Milk Wood voice, the show used charmingly rudimentary techniques to animate illustrations of Ivor and driver Jones the Steam. While Ivor would perambulate along the rails making a pleasing “pssh-te-cuff” sound, Vernon Elliott, a classical bassoonist, provided the accompanying music. A total of 32 episodes were made between 1959 and 1964, and a further 40 were commissioned in colour by the BBC in 1975.
BBC Head of Children’s Programming Doreen Stephens was charmed by the feel of the series, but felt the script needed changes. Eric Thompson, who was brought in to redub it, wrote and narrated entirely new stories around the visual elements. The Magic Roundabout debuted on British TV in 1965, with Pollux renamed Dougal, and was an immediate hit.
Created by Gordon Murray, Camberwick Green featured stories about the folk of a picturesque rural village in the county of Trumptonshire. Thirteen 15-minute episodes were filmed in colour and narrated by the Play School presenter Brian Cant. First broadcast in 1966, each episode began with a rhyme: “Here is a box, a musical box, wound up and ready to play. But this box can hide a secret inside. Can you guess what is in it today?” The featured character – perhaps Windy Miller, Dr Mopp or Mrs Honeyman – would then be revealed. Accompanying songs were composed by classical guitarist Freddie Phillips.
It all began in Festing Road, Putney, where author and illustrator David McKee lived. He used the street as the inspiration for Festive Road, the home of Mr Benn. First published in book form in the late 1960s, Mr Benn the TV series followed in 1971. Each episode saw our hero visit a fancy-dress shop where, “as if by magic”, the shopkeeper would appear. Dressed in his chosen costume, Mr Benn would leave the changing room and end up in an unusual location – a knight’s armour, for example, led to an encounter with a dragon, while a caveman outfit took him to the Stone Age and a spaceman costume took him to outer space.
Created by Elisabeth Beresford in a series of books starting in 1968, the Wombles are conical-faced creatures that live in a burrow under Wimbledon Common and spend their days collecting and recycling rubbish. They arrived on our screens in a series of 60 short instalments first airing in 1973. Using stop-motion models directed by Ivor Wood and the perky narration of Bernard Cribbins, the show introduced us to, among others, the exotic Madame Cholet and wise old Great Uncle Bulgaria. ‘The Wombling Song’, the show’s catchy theme tune, gave rise to The Wombles pop group, which, with a little vocal help from songwriter Mike Batt, had many hits.
BAGPUSS
Another unique creation from Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin,
Bagpuss was a pink, striped, “saggy old cloth cat” who first appeared in
1974.
The series was set in a lost-and-found shop where Bagpuss would come to
life on delivery of a discarded, broken item from young girl Emily. He
and his friends – including six mice, banjo-playing toad Gabriel, rag
doll Madeleine and woodpecker bookend Professor Yaffle – would then
weave songs and stories around the object while it was repaired. With
the restored item placed in the shop window for its owner to collect,
Bagpuss would give a contented yawn and settle back down to sleep.
-
See more at:
http://www.royalmailgroup.com/much-loved-characters-children%E2%80%99s-televison-celebrated-royal-mail-stamp-issue#sthash.dfQhxlcQ.dpufBAGPUSS
BAGPUSS
Another unique creation from Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin, Bagpuss was a pink, striped, “saggy old cloth cat” who first appeared in 1974. The series was set in a lost-and-found shop where Bagpuss would come to life on delivery of a discarded, broken item from young girl Emily. He and his friends – including six mice, banjo-playing toad Gabriel, rag doll Madeleine and woodpecker bookend Professor Yaffle – would then weave songs and stories around the object while it was repaired. With the restored item placed in the shop window for its owner to collect, Bagpuss would give a contented yawn and settle back down to sleep.
A Bear Called Paddington, written by Michael Bond, was first published in 1958. In 1975, the TV series directed by Ivor Wood and narrated by Michael Hordern was a mix of Paddington as stop-motion puppet animation and 2D illustration for all the other characters and backgrounds. In the first episode, Mr and Mrs Brown meet the marmalade-loving bear from Darkest Peru and take him home, naming him after the London railway station where he was found. Paddington is the classic innocent abroad, a kind bear, well-meaning and polite, who is unaware of the obstacles and imminent catastrophes so evident to everyone else – but things always turn out fine for Paddington in the end.
Postman Pat is the longest running animated series on the BBC and everyone knows the words to the theme tune. In each stop-frame episode, Pat makes his deliveries in the idyllic village of Greendale. Whilst he often gets distracted by the locals including farmer Alf Thompson, handyman Ted Glen, postmistress Mrs Goggins and various sheep, with his trusty sidekick Jess the Black and White Cat, Pat always makes his delivery. Pat encourages sense of community spirit, bringing out the good neighbour in all of us. You can always count on Postman Pat! Ivor Wood collaborated with writer John Cunliffe to bring his Postman Pat stories to our screens in 1981. Originally narrated by Ken Barrie, Lewis MacLeod more recently took over as the voice of Pat. Pat’s famous red postal van was joined by a fleet of new vehicles in 2008 when his route was extended to include the bustling town of Pencaster.
Can he fix it? Yes, he can! Making his debut in 1998, Bob the Builder was the brainchild of former Muppets designer Keith Chapman. As the world’s favourite builder, Bob’s ability to take on any project promotes a can-do attitude of positivity and the benefits of working together, as sung in his chart-topping theme tune. Bob is ably assisted by his ‘Can-Do Crew’ of Scoop, Muck, Dizzy, Roley and Lofty, as well as his business partner Wendy.
Peppa is a lovable, cheeky little piggy who lives with her little brother George, Mummy Pig and Daddy Pig. Peppa’s favourite things include playing games, dressing up, days out and, most of all, jumping in muddy puddles. After Lily Snowden-Fine and Cecily Bloom, Harley Bird was the third person to provide Peppa’s vocals, and in 2011 she won Best Performer at the BAFTA Children’s Awards. The show sees its 10-year anniversary in 2014 and Peppa will be wearing her golden boots to celebrate.
First appearing in Nick Park’s Oscar-winning 1995 Wallace and Gromit film A Close Shave, Shaun the Sheep graduated to his own TV series in 2007. Shaun is a sheep who doesn’t follow the flock – in fact, he leads them into all sorts of scrapes and scraps, turning peace at Mossybottom Farm into mayhem in the meadow. Shaun and his pals run rings around their poor sheepdog Bitzer, as he does his best to stop the Farmer from finding out what’s going on behind his back. A Shaun the Sheep movie is currently in production.
The stamps are available from 7th January online and from 10,000 Post Offices throughout the UK
THE WOMBLES
Created by Elisabeth Beresford in a series of books starting in 1968,
the Wombles are conical-faced creatures that live in a burrow under
Wimbledon Common and spend their days collecting and recycling rubbish.
They arrived on our screens in a series of 60 short instalments first
airing in 1973. Using stop-motion models directed by Ivor Wood and the
perky narration of Bernard Cribbins, the show introduced us to, among
others, the exotic Madame Cholet and wise old Great Uncle Bulgaria.
‘The Wombling Song’, the show’s catchy theme tune, gave rise to The
Wombles pop group, which, with a little vocal help from songwriter Mike
Batt, had many hits.
- See more at:
http://www.royalmailgroup.com/much-loved-characters-children%E2%80%99s-televison-celebrated-royal-mail-stamp-issue#sthash.dfQhxlcQ.dpuf
THE WOMBLES
Created by Elisabeth Beresford in a series of books starting in 1968,
the Wombles are conical-faced creatures that live in a burrow under
Wimbledon Common and spend their days collecting and recycling rubbish.
They arrived on our screens in a series of 60 short instalments first
airing in 1973. Using stop-motion models directed by Ivor Wood and the
perky narration of Bernard Cribbins, the show introduced us to, among
others, the exotic Madame Cholet and wise old Great Uncle Bulgaria.
‘The Wombling Song’, the show’s catchy theme tune, gave rise to The
Wombles pop group, which, with a little vocal help from songwriter Mike
Batt, had many hits.
- See more at:
http://www.royalmailgroup.com/much-loved-characters-children%E2%80%99s-televison-celebrated-royal-mail-stamp-issue#sthash.dfQhxlcQ.dpuf
ANDY PANDY
“Andy Pandy’s coming to play, la-la-la-la-la-la!” Devised by Freda
Lingstrom and Maria Bird, Andy Pandy was first screened live in summer
1950 during the BBC’s For the Very Young slot. Subsequent episodes were
filmed to enable repeat broadcasts and became central to the Watch with
Mother segment from 1953.
Narrator Vera McKechnie addressed string puppets Andy Pandy, Teddy and
Looby Loo directly, and encouraged young viewers to sing and dance along
with the music and songs. After the original filmed episodes had become
too damaged to be broadcast, in 1970 13 brand-new colour programmes
were recorded.
- See more at:
http://www.royalmailgroup.com/much-loved-characters-children%E2%80%99s-televison-celebrated-royal-mail-stamp-issue#sthash.dfQhxlcQ.dpuf
ANDY PANDY
“Andy Pandy’s coming to play, la-la-la-la-la-la!” Devised by Freda
Lingstrom and Maria Bird, Andy Pandy was first screened live in summer
1950 during the BBC’s For the Very Young slot. Subsequent episodes were
filmed to enable repeat broadcasts and became central to the Watch with
Mother segment from 1953.
Narrator Vera McKechnie addressed string puppets Andy Pandy, Teddy and
Looby Loo directly, and encouraged young viewers to sing and dance along
with the music and songs. After the original filmed episodes had become
too damaged to be broadcast, in 1970 13 brand-new colour programmes
were recorded.
- See more at:
http://www.royalmailgroup.com/much-loved-characters-children%E2%80%99s-televison-celebrated-royal-mail-stamp-issue#sthash.dfQhxlcQ.dpuf
ANDY PANDY
“Andy Pandy’s coming to play, la-la-la-la-la-la!” Devised by Freda
Lingstrom and Maria Bird, Andy Pandy was first screened live in summer
1950 during the BBC’s For the Very Young slot. Subsequent episodes were
filmed to enable repeat broadcasts and became central to the Watch with
Mother segment from 1953.
Narrator Vera McKechnie addressed string puppets Andy Pandy, Teddy and
Looby Loo directly, and encouraged young viewers to sing and dance along
with the music and songs. After the original filmed episodes had become
too damaged to be broadcast, in 1970 13 brand-new colour programmes
were recorded.
- See more at:
http://www.royalmailgroup.com/much-loved-characters-children%E2%80%99s-televison-celebrated-royal-mail-stamp-issue#sthash.dfQhxlcQ.dpuf
