Over 15 episodes Dominic Sandbrook charts the key stories in the history of the Post Office, from the Mail Coach to the Penny Black, to the 1890 Workers Strike and the creation of the Post Code. He says: “For almost 400 years the Post Office has allowed people to reach out across the divide of space, creating a culture based on the free flow of information, news and ideas. It’s been at the cutting edge of communications technology; and at one point it was the single biggest employer in the world.
The post office has been a force for free speech, free enterprise and even democracy itself. It has become an indelible part of our national life, a symbol of Britishness itself. Technically it’s known as the Royal Mail. But I think it should be known as the People’s Post.”
The Peoples Post, Monday- Friday at 1345 from 5th-23rd December 2011
The Country Post © THE BPMA
Writer and Presenter Dominic Sandbrook
Producer Joby Waldman
Assistant producers Barney Rowntree, Kathryn Willgress
Historical Consultants Susan Whyman, Iain Stevenson
Researcher: Peter Sutton
Musicians: Sam Lee, Bella Hardy, Mick Sands, Nick Hart
Actors Morgan George, John Sessions, Simon Tcherniak,
Malcolm Tierney, Jane Whittenshaw,
With thanks to Chris Taft, Alison Bean and Jenny Karlsson at the BPMA, Roy Palmer, The people of Dunsfold village.
