GEOFF CRAMBIE: Days when mail was sorted in Colne

Given to me many years ago by my former fellow postman and great friend, Frank Storey, this excellent picture shows letter sorting at our Colne office before fools in high places closed it forever exactly 12 years ago. This ill-advised insidious decision was made by a combination of picaroons surrounded by none other than sycophants and lickspittles who between them, betrayed every Colne postal worker and indeed, the good folk of Colne for all time.

So back to our sorting office scene of a sight we’ll never see again. Here firstly on the left, we see Royal Mail men, Fred Whitaker, Albert Barnes, Georgie Starford, then my old pal, Frank Storey and Bob Gregson.

Now on the right, we see Joe Kibble, Harvey Watson and over by the window is Rennie Earnshaw.

Many of these dedicated men of the Colne Sorting Office served over 40 years’ service and are still fondly remembered in our town today. No more is our mail being sorted in Albert Road as the town hall’s chimes ring out 5 a.m. the Royal Mail is today another world from our evocative picture from the past.