1635

Establishment of state postal service by Royal Proclamation of Charles I. Public now able to use the facilities of the Royal Posts. Letters carried between 'posts' by mounted Post Boys.

2 August 1784

First Mail Coach service runs between Bristol and London via Bath.

1830

Letters first carried by rail on newly opened Liverpool and Manchester Railway.

22 May 1838

Mail Coaches for Holyhead, Manchester, Liverpool and Carlisle carried on rail trucks on Euston – Birmingham Railway.

April 1846

Last London-based Mail Coach leaves for Norwich.

1880

First use of pedal tricycles by the Post Office to deliver mail; trials held in Coventry.

1 June 1887

Long distance horse-drawn mail coaches re-introduced to carry parcels.

1897

First official introduction of Post Office bicycles. 100 purchased from the Quadrant Cycle Company, largely to cope with the delivery of telegrams following the extension of the radius for free delivery.

16 Dec 1897

Experimental steam motor-van used between London's Mount Pleasant and Redhill, Surrey.

1902

Post Office abandons a standard specification for its bicycles. Standard 'trade' pattern cycles adopted.

1903

Motor tricycle used in a trial in London.

1904

Post Office Stores Department purchases a second-hand Wallis & Stevens traction engine; their first mechanically powered vehicle.

1907

Stores Department purchases their first new Post Office lorry, a Maudsley, for £727.

1914

Trials of motorcycle combinations as a replacement for mounted postmen, tri-cars purchased the following year.

1925

First purchase of solo motorcycles by the Post Office following successful trials the previous year.

1929

Post Office introduces a 'standard' pattern bicycle. This design remains in use (with minor modifications) until 1992.

1933

Successful experiments held in Leeds of telegraph messengers using motorcycles.

6-8 Oct 1936

Mobile Post Office 'GPO 1' makes its first public appearance at the Marden and District Commercial Fruit Show.

24 Sept 1949

Last horse-drawn mail van leaves King Edward Building, London.

1954

Pedestrian-operated Electric Delivery Trucks (PEDT) enter service.

20 Feb 1967

First Postbus route opens between Llangarig and Llanidloes in Powys, Mid-Wales.

2000

Following successful test run in Oxford, trials commence in London with electric delivery van called the Carryall manufactured by Bradshaws of Peterborough.

June 2003

Royal Mail announced the new integrated road and air network for the distribution of mail. They begin to cancel train services including the Travelling Post Offices. Last TPO journey, between Bristol and Penzance, arrived at Penzance at 06.30 on 10 January 2004.

Illustrations

One of the last mail coaches

Horse-drawn mail van

Postmen and messenger

Maudsley van, c. 1907

Morris vans and BSA Bantam motorcycles

A group of telegrams boys

A Postbus delivering mail in Scotland

Travelling Post Office, 1986