Rushden Postwoman Likes Her Work - Up at Five but Never has a Cold

Rushden’s first uniformed post-woman, Mrs. Margaret Dickson, had a number of interesting things to say about her war-time work when interviewed by an “Echo and Argus” reporter last week-end.

Our reporter found her at the G.P.O., busy about her duties, loading parcels onto a barrow in preparation for one of her rounds. She was wearing a new post-woman’s uniform which recently arrived for her and which includes dark blue trousers with the familiar postman’s red stripe down the seam.

Mother of three children and with a husband to look after, Mrs. Dickson, who lives at 115, Cromwell-road, has to fit in as best she can her duties as a housewife with those of helping to deliver the nation’s wartime letters.

“I have to get up a five every morning,” she told a reporter, “in order to be down at the Post Office to sort the letters and start my round.”

She walks five miles a day and found the work rather tiring at first. Now she is used to it and likes it. Indeed, she will tell you, it seems to suit her. She has been working as a post-woman since last Christmas and all through last winter she did not have to miss a day’s duty and did not even have a cold.

In The Last War

This is not the first war in which Mrs. Dickson has taken over a man’s job to help the country in its time of need. In the last war she worked on the railways, as a ticket collector at Crystal Palace. One war she collected tickets; the next she gives out letters!

Another post-woman is also employed at Rushden and other postal workers speak highly of the work that both are doing. “We all get on well together” is their verdict, while the Senior Postman (Mr. R. C. Cherry), says that they do their work very efficiently.

And what of the dogs, - those guardians of the home, who, unlike their masters and mistresses, never seem to welcome the arrival up the garden path of the uniformed figure who brings the letters? Even they it seems are mollified. Mrs. Dickson is not scared of them, for she says “even they are friendly. Perhaps they like women postmen better.”

A Londoner, Mrs. Dickson came to Rushden last September with her family. Her elder son is now in the forces and her husband is working in a local shoe factory.

She has only one complaint and it is this: she had to use up some of her precious clothing coupons in exchange for her new uniform.

Dog Attacks Postman

A Rushden postman gave evidence of being attacked by a dog when delivering letters, in a case at Wellingborough Magistrates’ Court on Friday.

William Edwin Jones (59), caterer, 93, High-street South, Rushden, was charged with being the owner of a dangerous dog not kept under proper control at Rushden on February 17th. He was ordered to pay 17s. 4d. costs and keep the dog under control.

The postman, Sydney Stocker, said that he delivered mail to defendant’s house.

As he approached the house and was sorting the letters, a dog got hold of his trousers. It grazed and broke the skin of one let. Witness delivered the letters, and as he came away from the house defendant called: “The dog won’t hurt you.”

“I said ‘Maybe not, but he’s just had my leg,’ and Mr. Jones called him in,” said witness.

Scratches

P.C. Maddison said that there were four scratches near one of witness’s knees.

When he saw defendant at his home, he saw the dog, which was about seven. Defendant told him that he heard the dog bark and went out to find the postman holding his leg. He added that he invited the postman in, but he refused.

“When I visited the house, the dog was quite quiet, and did not attempt to attack me,” said witness.

Defendant told the court that the dog was used to people in his café and he could not understand why it had happened.

It belonged to his son, who was in India.

Five of the six Rushden Post Office van drivers who gained safe driving awards gather near their vans after Inspector Ellis had presented them with their certificates. l-r: Mr A Morrow, Mr M L Lamb, Mr W Birt, Mr W Cox, and Mr A R Mantle behind the wheel. Missing from the picture is Mr C G Childs, who was out on his rounds.

Mr. Childs was one of six drivers to gain awards, the highest one being presented to Mr. A. McMorrow, who received a second bar to his five-year medal.

Mr. W. A. Birt received a first bar to a five-year medal, Mr. W. J. Cox, first year certificate; Mr. A. R. Mantle, second year certificate; and Mr. M. L. Lamb, third year certificate.

The postmaster, Mr. F. Ford, in introducing Inspector Ellis to the drivers, said the Rushden office had a very good record – over 28,000 miles were covered yearly, 20,000 of them in the town under difficult traffic conditions – and there had been no accidents.