Written by Dominic Sandbrook
Format: MP3
Bitrate: 64 Kbps
Dramatization

Episode 1: The Secret Room

During the English Civil War, agents opened and copied letters from suspected dissidents.

Episode 2: The London Penny Post

Penny Post was the first accessible and cheap method for sending mail within the capital.

Episode 3: A Culture of Letters

During the 18th century, an expanding postal network offered new possibilities.

Episode 4: The Mail Coach

Introduced in 1784, the mail coach slashed journey times by two thirds.

Episode 5: Freepost

In the early 1800s, the post office operated an expensive and illogical payment system.

Episode 6: The Penny Black

The arrival of Universal Penny Postage in 1840.

Episode 7: Business Post

Thanks to cheap postage, businesses could advertise and interact with people more directly.

Episode 8: Love Letters

The role of love letters in the history of the Post Office.

Episode 9: A Community Hub

From 1862, the Post Office Savings Bank offers savings accounts to poorer people.

Episode 10: The Postal Worker's Strike

The industrial action of the postmen in 1890.

Episode 11: The Telegrath

In 1870, the telegraph system came under the control of the post office.

Episode 12: The Post Office at War

In 1914, the post office was called upon to play a vital role in the country's war effort.

Episode 13: A Job in a Million

In the 1930s, the GPO was a model employer, offering staff a secure career path.

Episode 14: The Post Code

When a national postcode system was introduced in the 1970s, it met with fierce resistance.

Episode 15: The Last Post

As it sits on the brink of privatisation, what does the Royal Mail mean today?