I never actually ‘worked for the GPO’ – My dad did, and at that time it was still part of the government. Writing biros (pens) were marked ‘Government Property’ – it wasn’t the most commercial of logos! Everything was labelled, numbered and accounted for. It was a well-ordered organisation, although some folks might say it was a bureaucratic nightmare. People seemed to have more respect back then in the late 1960s. It was a time of changing social ideas, but the GPO was a powerful employer with hundreds of thousands of staff on its books. It had a job for anyone who wanted it, as long as they met basic criteria and standards.
By the time I was old enough to work, the telephone part of the GPO had already become ‘Post Office Telecommunications’ and it was that which I joined in 1979. I was enthralled by the company; it didn’t matter too much what I did, simply being in its employ was everything! Perhaps it didn’t always feel that way, every day, but for the most it was exciting ‘working for the Post Office.’ To many, it was ‘just a job’, but to me it was always special.