The public opening...
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The London's Top People: Derek Dewey-Leader goes to the Post Office Tower to meet the staff who meet the public. |
The Tower was opened to the public on 19th May 1966. A ceremony of invited dignitaries in the morning was followed by the public opening in the afternoon.
London's Top People
Derek Dewey-Leader goes to the Post Office Tower to meet the staff who meet the public.
[Extract from Post Office Magazine of July 1966.]
They come in their thousands to London's 620ft -high Post Office Tower, to look at the capital from an observation platform three times higher than Nelson's Column and buy miniature Towers at what is probably the only Government-run souvenir shop in the country.
The guardians of the Tower are a new corps of Post Office staff, some with their own special maroon uniforms and designations previously unheard of in the Civil Service. A former barmaid, a waitress who used to serve VIPs at Buckingham Palace garden parties and a sprinkling of long-serving Post Office staff make up the corps.
In the first three weeks more than 50,000 people visited the Tower, 5,500 of them on Whit Monday. In the first week visitors put £160-worth of sixpences in the seven telescopes on the observation platforms for a close-up look at famous landmarks.
Tower Manager Mr Frederick Joyce, 51, started in the Post Office as a Boy Messenger and up to a short time ago was dealing with Centre Area telephone accounts. Diplomacy is an important part of Mr Joyce's work, explaining to visitors that the Tower is primarily an operational unit and that engineers as well as sightseers need to use the lifts, and that, because of limitations of space, they cannot get a cup of tea on the observation platforms.
Mr Joyce's three assistants are Mrs Vivienne Hunter, who looks after the Tower cash accounts and special visits, Mr G.V. Grender, Accommodation Officer with responsibilities for cleaning and maintenance, and Mr Douglas Allingham, who was seconded from London Telecommunications Region Headquarters as Project Manager. Among Mr Allingham's special responsibilities were the organisation of the Tower for the public opening and finding out how the Tower's two shops should be stocked.
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Mr Allingham... "No one had any experience of running this sort of souvenir shop and I had to work on instinct," he said. "Such items as miniature Towers and picture postcards were planned by the Post Office Public Relations Department. I bought in leather goods, stainless steel items and a lot of small things for the children." |
When Mr Joyce has his full complement of staff he will have three Tower supervisors and 21 attendants responsible for the comfort and safety of the visitors.
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"...In two weeks 1,500 plastic Towers were sold." |
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"...engineers as well as sightseers need to use the lifts ." |
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The Tower is open Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 9.30pm and at weekends from 9am to 9.30pm. Some restaurant visitors do not leave until nearly two in the morning and one lift has to be kept operating for them and an attendant has to be on duty on the observation platform until the last diners go. |
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Many valuable lessons were learned during a ten-day dress rehearsal of the arrangements in which some 40,000 Post Office people played their parts. Batches of tickets for visits to the Tower were sent to heads of various departments in London for distribution or ballot. Staff were asked to pay a nominal charge of a shilling to test box office arrangements. The normal price is adults 4s, children 2s. |
The Tower staff learned how best to control queues and a system was devised for allowing engineering staff to travel in the lifts. It was also found that it paid not to restrict people from entering the foyer because of the roaring trade done at the shops!
Behind the shop counters is a cheerful staff of salesmen and women, among them Mr Richard Roberts, 41, who used to be a ship's navigating officer. Now he sells souvenir magazines by the hundred at 2s 6d a time. Saleswoman Mrs Aida Marlow has been in the Post Office 12 years. She was previously a Sorter. Manageress of the shop is Mrs Joyce Jeffree, who used to be a recruitment officer at Regional Headquarters and has been a barmaid. Another new recruit is saleswoman Mrs Pat Godden who used to be a waitress at Buckingham Palace garden parties.
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Tower supervisor Mr George Thompson, 55, former Postman at South Western District Office, likes his smart maroon uniform and peaked cap. "I always knew my London well but I've got to know it even better pointing out the landmarks to visitors," he said. "The Americans ask the most questions." |
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But the future that is fast becoming an international attraction in its own right is the pleasant little pool and cascading fountain which visitors pass as they leave. During the ten days of staff visits someone threw a penny into the pool. Someone else followed suit and a new custom was created. Now hundreds of visitors sit beside the pool, toss a coin in the fountain and, perhaps, make a wish. |
Notes
FOUR former Postmasters General had a reunion at the Post Office Tower before it was opened to the public. They were the guests of present Postmaster General Mr Wedgwood Benn at a luncheon in the revolving restaurant. Earl Listowel who was PMG in 1945, Mr Ness Edwards, 1950, Mr Ernest Marples, 1957, and Reginald Bevins, 1959 were there. Two other famous Postmasters General, Earl Attlee and Lord Hill of Luton were unable to attend.
The title of "Postmaster General" was abolished under the Post Office Act of 1969. A new public authority governed by a chairman was established under the name of the "Post Office." The position of "Postmaster General" was replaced with "Minister of Posts and Telecommunications".
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