ECDO KEB

[WC24A]

I went past the old city of London office ECDO- KEB the other day (London EC1-4) and it got me thinking about a few things that I heard from my days as a postman in WCDO, wonder if anyone who worked there can answer...1. Did postman have to learn the inward sorting for 1,2,3 and 4s or did you only have to learn, say the 2s and 3s for example? Did anyone know all the 1234s and did you get more money( allowance)for it?
Second question , on Saturdays did delivery postmen on the 3s and 4s have to assist the postman on the more residential deliveries as hardly anything went out on the 3s and 4s on a Saturday?
And finally did all the collections of mail get processed at ECDO or did it always go to Mount Pleasnt.
Thanks

[enzio1272]

I use to work there years ago before they moved to mount pleasant.
I knew 1 and 4 IPS don’t think many would have known all 4 though.
But do remember having to go to EC school to learn the sorting and do a test at the end.
On the Saturday it was every person for themselves so if you where doing EC1 you probably had residential on it and think EC2 had some to mainly the Barbican if I remember right if you where on EC 4 you more then likely just threw your walk in and disappeared.

[WC24A]

Thanks very much for the reply, how about the outward work ( mail colkections and sorting)was that done at KEB or did it all go to the Mount? Thanks

[dillypot]

I started there in 86 we had to learn 2 divisions mine was ec3 and 4 plus we had to pass an o.p.s. test(outward primary sorting) which was all the london boroughs which was sorted and dispatched from the k.E.B. they also had the F.S.(foreign section) on the second floor which as the name suggests sorted all the foreign mail.We used to receive and dispatch mail via the underground mail rail aswell sorry I could go on all day happy times

[WC24A]

Thanks for the response, I've always wondered how other offices operated , we had to learn both the WC1s and 2s inward sorting also on the outward we did London postcodes and despatches as postmen , we also did the lower level sorting for rest of the country, then PHGs would sort and break them down further within the town/ counry etc. So did KEB only do London outward work? Did rest of the country work go to the Mount. I'm sure some double apperture post boxes were split London and rest of the country? I've always wondered what actually went on at the Mount as most London head office districts were like mail centres for the area as well as the delivery office for that area back then. Great job and people back then, I also started in 86 and stated for 5 years, yeah I remember the underground railway, great idea, great times.

[baldrick]

I've always wondered what actually went on at the Mount as most London head office districts were like mail centres for the area as well as the delivery office for that area back then.

I worked at MP from 1981. At that time we sorted the mail arriving from the London airports, and posted in the EC1-4 going to the rest of the country.
Mail for London EC1-4 was sent to KEB, on the underground Post Office Railway mostly, larger items by van. Mail for other London areas was sent to the Mail Centre for those postcodes. There were eight other London MCs at that time iirc.
We didn't do any deliveries from MP then. Only after KEB closed and the EC Deliveries moved into our basement area.

[WC24A]

Thanks for the reply, I remember going to MP in a van as an assistant dropping stuff off, I'm sure it was datapost pouches or letters? Anyway a long time ago and the memories fade a bit! Great job, great times.