Just after WW2 in the week before Christmas the Sixth Forms at High Storrs Boys disappeared to become temporary postmen. It happened for several years and thinking back we didn't ask and nobody said we could or not go either. In 1948 and 1949 I worked out of the sorting office on Ecclesall Road just above Greystones Road. That covered an area out to Ringinglow one way and somewhere around Moorfoot the other. I was put with the postman who did Washington Road and a short length of Sharrow Lane towards Highfields. Day one and we went round together. It looked straightforward, two rows of terrace houses. Wrong. Improbably many did not have a letterbox so it was knock and wait hopefully which took the time up. However my mate had it worked out. Many had a gap under the door big enough to slide a hand in so in went the mail. The other technique was the knee at the edge and push hard to warp the door enough to slide letters in at the side. And I was to remember the one with the dog with a taste for postmen; get their mail in any way you can without the door being opened.
Next day booking in at 7 a.m. I found the bag sorted and ready to go. As of then all postmen would be indoors sorting so we were in at the deep end. Handful of tokens for the tram and bus
and walk to Banner Cross for the 28 bus to Sharrowhead. Down Sharrow Lane and start delivering along Washington Road on one side and back on the other. Then I came to the two passages with a keystones marked CT1 and CT2. I had not met Courts befoe and there never seemed to be enough doors. Fortunately there was always someone in the yard to help out. Back up to Psalter Lane for the bus back to the office. So the week passed, fairly straightforward.
Then Christmas Day, out of the house by 6.30. No trams or buses so at 7.15 we were crammed into a van with the instruction " Don't bring anything back. We're going home now so bring the bag back tomorrow if you want paying". We were delivered to our respective walks. Off along Washington Road as usual. cross over and start back. Nice fine peaceful morning, nobody else moving. Then faint sounds of music? Round the corner comes the Salvation Army Citadel Band with songsters and banner, stop, and set up shop in the middle of the road. Two verses of "Christians Awake" and away. They stopped again, two more choruses as I caught up with them. And twice more. At Wostenholme Road we parted company. I concluded if there were any Christians still asleep they had no business to be. Then came the fun bit, a three mile walk home. It occurred to me that all week there had been more.walking to get to and from than in the delivering. Then the SallyArmy's effort came to mind. They had managed to get to the Citadel and then march down the Moor and up to Washington Road. The breaks for playing probably came as a relief. And it was as far back as they had marched out. They went up in my estimation.
In 1949 I did better. This time it was Knowle Lane Hoober Avenue and Marsh House Road. At this time Knowle Lane was unmade past Hoober Avenue with a few houses out in the wilds on a rough track. Altogether an easier walk than the previous year. And they all had letterboxes. Very handy to get on the tram opposite the sorting office. get off at the terminus and start delivering. It struck me as odd the number of times there would be someone waiting for me in the doorway.
Strange how useless items stick in the mind. Every day there was a big bundle marked REDIRECTED MAIL, all for one Doctor Cuthbert Ainscough on holiday from an address in Lancashire. Every day I would be greeted with " Ah! The supernumery". As it looked as if every patient in his practice had sent hime a card I had a word for him as well. Other than that it was quite uneventful. Christmas Day meant being driven out again. This time walking home was no problem. I had been doing the same route for the previous six years.
I didn't have a musical accompaniment this year but you can't have everything. Recently this came up in conversation with our local postman who comes in his van, parks up delivers and goes away. He could not believe there had been Christmas Day deliveries. Times change.