Granny Smith Also About Being Human

From Hellmail

30 November 2009 by Steve Lawson – © Hellmail.co.uk

Hellmail review of Dear Granny Smith

UK Postal News

Roy Mayall – Granny Smith Also About Being Human

CWU Members Split Over Further Strike Action

Royal Mail Quality Of Service Dips

Biggest Threat To Postal Services Is Already Here

Dennis Gilham Retires From Neopost

>>more headlines<<

The postman always used to ring twice

Most years produce an unexpected Christmas hit. Roy Mayall’s rhapsody to the beleaguered postie could be the one for 2009

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2009/nov/29/robert-mccrum-nostalgia-postman

Robert McCrum

The Observer, Sunday 29th November.

Roy Mayall on the Today programme

Interviewed by Sarah Montague, with management consultant David Stubbs.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8380000/8380172.stm

I must say I was nervous, mainly because I had so much I wanted to say, so all of my thoughts were vying in my brain for attention. You can hear it, but Sarah Montague was very professional and quickly put me at my ease with a friendly look, and towards the end I came into my stride. I was mainly worried that I was being put into a confrontational situation with the management consultant, and that he would spout a lot of facts and figures at me that I couldn’t answer, but he turned out to be a quite gentle person and actually agreed with some of my points. Afterwards James Naughtie said some encouraging words about his own postie and posties in general and I felt very welcomed by the whole team.

Postmen: We bind the nation together

He is probably Britain’s best-known postman and set to achieve greater celebrity. But there is a certain cloak-and-dagger element to our meeting. He agrees to let me come to his home town but all I can tell you is that it is somewhere in the South of England. He is fiftysomething, but won’t be more specific. He has been doing his round for “a number of years”.

Read more here.

Dear Granny Smith – an extract

We call you “Granny Smith” and that nickname stems from the old days, because we were always there for Granny Smith. We had an idea of service. And if an old lady was worried about something, we’d listen. Sometimes we’d pick up the paper on our way to our round, and we’d drop it off for her, or we’d run little errands for her if she was in need. We’d listen to her woes and her troubles and her joys and about what her grandchildren were up to and she’d offer us tea, and sometimes we’d accept it. We were a lifeline for Granny Smith: someone she knew would be arriving that day.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Dear-Granny-Smith-an-extract

Letter in the LRB

Postmen speculate endlessly as to why Royal Mail is making it impossible for us to do our job properly. The most common theory is that Royal Mail actually wants to get rid of us and replace us with casual workers.

http://www.lrb.co.uk/v31/n21/letters

The End of Public Service

The End of Public Service

The Royal Mail must be the only business in the world that actually pretends its turnover is shrinking when the very opposite is the case.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Royal-Mail-and-the-End-of-Public-Service

Sky Man Goes Undercover At Royal Mail

Casual workers at the Royal Mail.  System is in disarray.

“There’s no induction, no training and no health and safety brief,” according to a SkyNews undercover reporter. Read the report here.

Royal Mail rivals say they can’t cope

One of Royal Mail's rivals

Royal Mail’s rivals have admitted that they might not be able to cope with the extra business that is coming their way as a result of postal strikes.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/royal-mail/6336332/Postal-strike-Royal-Mail-rivals-say-they-cant-cope.html

Night Mail by WH Auden

Still from 'Night Mail'

The classic film made by the GPO film unit.

Words by WH Auden. Music by Benjamin Britten.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gmq6mFAEqNQ