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The People's Post: A Narrative History of the Post Office Episodes

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  1. The Last Post

    15/15 As it sits on the brink of privatisation, what does the Royal Mail mean today?

  2. The Post Code

    14/15 When a national post code system was introduced in the 1970s, it met with resistance.

  3. A Job in a Million

    13/15 In the 1930s, the GPO was a model employer, offering staff a secure career path.

  4. The Post Office at War

    12/15 In 1914, the post office was called upon to play a vital role in the country's war effort.

  5. The Telegraph

    11/15 In 1870, the telegraph system came under the control of the post office.

  6. The Postal Worker's Strike

    10/15 Dominic Sandbrook investigates the industrial action of the postmen in 1890.

  7. A Community Hub

    9/15 From 1862, the Post Office Savings Bank offered savings accounts to poorer people.

  8. Love Letters

    8/15 Dominic Sandbrook investigates the role of love letters in the history of the Post Office.

  9. Business Post

    7/15 Thanks to cheap postage, businesses could advertise and interact with people more directly

  10. The Penny Black

    6/15 Dominic Sandbrook looks at the arrival of Universal Penny Postage in 1840.

  11. Freepost

    5/15 Dominic Sandbrook investigates how the post office improved efficiency in the 1800s.

  12. The Mail Coach

    4/15 Introduced in 1784, the mail coach slashed journey times by two thirds.

  13. A Culture of Letters

    3/15 Dominic Sandbrook looks at 18th-century long-distance letters.

  14. The London Penny Post

    2/15 Penny Post was the first accessible and cheap method for sending mail within the capital.

  15. The Secret Room

    1/15 Dominic Sandbrook investigates how the post office has shaped British society.