Paul, Royal Mail Manager

My name is Paul Smith and I’m a manager at Royal Mail Delivery Office in Market Harborough.

Looking at the Ladybird books, do you think your job is like the one depicted in the book?

Yeah, I’ve been looking over the book The Postman and The Postal Service, there’s been a lot of changes over the years, but yes, we collect the mail and we deliver it back to you.

What are the main differences between then and now?

So, the uniform’s definitely changed, throughout the book it shows a history of horse and moving into vehicles and then trains to aeroplanes. With the current environment worries and carbon footprint, we’ve started to remove our aeroplanes from the skies and going back to trains.

What things have stayed the same?

The community spirit, you still see a postal person emptying a box and delivering the mail to you. The network’s changed but what has stayed the same is us on the street.

What makes your job special?

The history of Royal Mail and the five hundred year history, it’s really important to be a part of a historic business that’s relevant, as it was then and as it is now.

Have you always worked in Harborough?

I’ve worked for the business for quite some time, I’ve spent the last two years in Market Harborough it’s a very nice place to be.

What is special about doing your job in Harborough/Harborough area?

Becoming part of the community, people are very welcoming and it’s quite a proud town to be a part of.