12 JANUARY 2016 http://www.stampandcoin.co.ukStamp update
Q&A: Alan Johnson
Labour MP Alan Johnson has written extensively
about his past as a postman and recently presented
a BBC documentary charting the history of Britain’s
postal service. We asked Alan about his links with the
Post Offi ce and his thoughts on British stampsHow did your involvement in the Post Office affect your life and outlook?
The Post Office affected my life by offering me gainful employment, although
I have to say it was the huge amount of overtime I performed that helped me
raise a family rather than the basic wage. In terms of outlook, I was proud to
work in such a historic and respected public service, and understood a great
deal more about the interaction between the public and the state through my
work with the Post Office.What special memories do you have from your time as a postman?
Too numerous to mention, but perhaps the special memories are about
Christmas when the job became a completely different experience. During
Christmas pressure we used to recruit students to carry out the deliveries
while the postmen and women stayed indoors sorting and preparing. We
were normally on twelve-hour-straight shifts and because of the association
between the Post Office and Christmas it was a very special time. I enjoyed
Christmas pressure more than any other time of the year.Having charted the history of Royal Mail for the BBC, what do you
think the future holds for our postal system?
I disagree strongly with the break-up and privatisation of the Post Office. The
fact that they are two completely separate businesses (Post Office Counters
and Royal Mail) is a huge step backwards, and privatisation will lead to a
worse quality of service, particularly for people in rural areas. That may not
happen next year, or in five years, but eventually the concentration on share-
holder value will inevitably mean that the Saturday delivery to the door and
many other aspects of Royal Mail’s service will come under the spotlight. I
also think the opportunity should have been taken to make Royal Mail wholly
owned by its workforce. As things stand, when Royal Mail staff are allowed
to sell their shares on, the same thing will happen as happened with BT thirty
years ago. Staff will sell the shares and will no longer have a stake in the
business. It’s not too late to make the eleven percent owned by the staff into
a trust, similar to that which operates in John Lewis, so that shares can only
be sold back into the trust, and the workforce always retain that important
stake which maybe at some stage in the future can be expanded.Having visited the British Postal Museum & Archive, what aspects of
the forthcoming Postal Museum are you most looking forward to?
This is an easy one. I’m looking forward to going on the underground
railway once more, once it’s been redeveloped for its new role as part of
The Postal Museum.What do you think of Royal Mail’s more recent stamp issues,
such as the Star Wars stamps?
I don’t collect stamps and don’t remember any particular sets, but I was always
a supporter of what used to be the Royal Mail Philatelic Bureau, and the
issue of stamps in Britain has probably been more imaginative, colourful and
interesting than in any other country in the world. Star Wars is no exception.Alan Johnson’s book Please, Mr Postman is published by Bantam Press.Royal Mail recently reminded customers
to ‘post early for Christmas’ with a special
postmark, currently being added to post.
According to the Royal Mail, the company
has been ‘planning its festive operations since
April and is preparing to handle millions of
items a day in the run up to the big day’. The
postmark has been applied to UK stamped
mail nationwide since 16 November, and
reads: ‘Remember to post early for Christmas!
royalmail.com/greetings’.
Andrew Hammond from Royal Mail, said:
‘We are all busy so it is easy to leave posting
cards and presents to the last minute. We don’t
want anyone to be disappointed if they are
waiting for Christmas mail so we are urging
customers to post early as Royal Mail builds up
to its busiest time of year.’
The recommended last posting dates for UK
Christmas delivery are:
2nd Class – Saturday 19 December
1st Class – Monday 21 December
Special Delivery Guaranteed – 23 DecemberPost early postmark
A website has been launched to encourage
the US Postal Service to issue a stamp for the
Japanese American Soldiers who served in the
US army during the Second World War.
The ‘They Deserve a Stamp’ website
(theydeserveastamp.org) includes information
about the Japanese soldiers who fought for the
USA during the Second World War despite
thousands of Japanese Americans being classed
as ‘enemy aliens’ and placed in incarceration
camps following the attack on Pearl harbour.
A statement on the site reads: ‘They fought
for freedom abroad when their own government
imprisoned their families at home. A stamp is
the least we owe the brave Japanese American
Soldiers of World War II. The fact it’s been
denied this long is up to us to change. Ready to
make history for a group who helped write it?’
The website shows images of recent US
stamps and states: ‘Elvis, Batman, Penguins,
Harry Potter, Butterflies & Garfield all have
commemorative stamps. Who doesn’t have one?
The most decorated military unit in
US history.’Website campaigns for
Japanese American
soldiers stamp
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