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Monday 19 December 2011

Post Early For Christmas - Sepia Saturday

Now they are arriving from people to whom I have I have not sent a card so all I can do now is plead

(LP Cover)

deliver them in time.

Back in 1856 the village postman needed a means to get around.
The Village Postman (copy from a book by JM Carrick)
It must have been an art to make deliveries then as Van Gogh's postman would confirm.
Van Gogh - Portrait of Joseph-Etienne Roulin 1889
I wonder who received a letter from Russia with love in the early 1900s.
Russian Empire Postman (unknown author)
At that time a postman had a hazardous occupation in many places so if your post is late there could be a tragic reason.
Memorial Stone to Robert Cunningham-Postman
Stone located on Killantringan Moor (Photo by Keith Brown: CC A-S A 2.0 generic license)
Robert Cunningham died in a snow storm in 1908
If you should hear your door bell just wait and see because remember the postman always rings twice. If you're lucky when you open your door to see it will turn out to be
Postman pat
Postman Pat
(Photo by Pete Reed - ex flickr: CC BY-NC 2.0)

Merry Christmas one and all. May the postman deliver you lots of cards from the ones you love

13 comments:

Christine H. said...

Thanks for this wonderful and interesting tribute to postmen. They are particularly well loved in this household, as my father-in-law was a postman. He died three years ago tomorrow.

21 Wits said...

Oh what a clever helpful soul you are in such a glorious tribute to the dear jolly postman of yester year and today.....I so enjoyed this bit of mail today ....and hopefully others will continue the joy of putting our jolly postmen and ladies to work everyday! Merry Christmas and the most happy of holidays I hope you will share this year with all you loved ones! Bob!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Bob .. these are just great - so succinct - yet so informative with their pictures ..

Loved them .. and the fact that in January 1840 the Uniform Penny Post came into being .. cards and letters could be paid in advance and then delivered.

Wonderful informative post -

Happy Christmas and New Year to you and your family .. cheers Hilary

Arabella said...

What a delightful "post", Bob. Merry Christmas to you and I hope you get lots of Christmas cards in your mailbox this year.

Hugs,
Marie

Little Nell said...

I did enjoy the ...ahem...post, Bob! When I was a student I used to work on the Christmas Post. For three years they put little 5’0” me on deliveries with an enormous sack, sometimes twice a day , in freezing , icy, and, yes foggy (in those days) weather. My friends worked in the warm sorting office.

Linda said...

Sweet! Thanks for keeping us posted!

Liz Stratton said...

Now those are some fantastic photos. They must have stayed warm in those uniforms. Fun post! Merry Christmas!

Postcardy said...

Please Mr. Postman, bring me some Christmas postcards.

Unknown said...

How do you do it Bob, time after time pure magic.

Seasonal greetings

Mike

Bruno Laliberté said...

That was fun!!
Hopng you'll have the time to do another one for next weekend...
If not, see you in 2012!!
:)~
HUGZ

Tattered and Lost said...

An homage to the postman. Wonderful.

The Russian one looks like something out of Monty Python.

Anonymous said...

Lovely post :-) It's still a fairly tough job, but it must have been pretty hazardous and punishing in times gone by.

Mike Brubaker said...

Wonderful! Best wishes for 2012.