British Pathe

British Instructional Films Ltd presents a Classroom Film. Grateful Acknowledgements are made to the G.P.O.

London: Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, St Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge. A man points out the sights to a young boy. C/U of a postcard of the Bridge. The boy turns it over and we...

British Instructional Films Ltd presents a Classroom Film. Grateful Acknowledgements are made to the G.P.O.

London: Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament, St Paul's Cathedral, Tower Bridge. A man points out the sights to a young boy. C/U of a postcard of the Bridge. The boy turns it over and we see his message. He posts it through the "Country" slot. A postman comes along to empty the box and changes the "next collection" sign. The mail is tipped out in a mail sorting room. We see John's card being placed on to a conveyor belt then through a machine. Panning shot of a large number of men sorting mail. The mail is placed into a basket which travels by conveyor belt to another sorting area. C/U of the pigeon holes featuring place names including Windsor, Taunton, Plymouth and Bath. Another C/U shows a pigeon hole with the label "No. 4 Rd. Devon". String is tied around the letters. Sacks of mail are tied and labels are attached. A special metal seal is attached with pliers. Mail bags are loaded on to trolleys and are then loaded on to a Royal Mail train. Shots of the train surrounded by steam as it leaves the station.

Inside, men are engaged in the final sort of the mail. Letters are put into individually numbered pigeon holes. The mail bags are unloaded at Plymouth station. C/U of a pocket watch being opened. Sacks are loaded into a post office van. Shots of the van driving to Ivybridge Post Office. The postman sorts his letters into his "rounds". He ties bundles up with string and places them into his mail bag. The postman gets on his bike and we see him riding around village streets. He cycles into the drive of a country cottage. A woman leans out of a window and he hands her a letter. We see the postman cycling down country lanes. C/U of him ringing his bicycle bell. Two children on a farm run to meet the postman. John's postcard has arrived and the two friends read it. The postman wipes his brow with a handkerchief. Good rural scenes.