Mayor of Chesterfield attends 60th anniversary celebrations for post office's milestone as major employer

The Mayor and Mayoress of Chesterfield Cllr Mick Brady and Cllr Suzie Perkins have attended the 60th anniversary celebrations for Post Office opening a key office in Chesterfield, becoming a major employer in the town.

Many staff moved from London and Harrogate as part of the Government’s post World War II plan to spread Government jobs around the country.

The council built Loundsley Green, a new council housing estate for the 1,000 employees, who chose to relocate. They also trained 650 locally recruited employees. For many years, the vast majority of people employed have been local, and many colleagues still are.

Post Office Group Chief Retail Officer, Martin Roberts and other senior Post Office leaders also attended a special celebration with the Mayor and Mayoress at Chesterfield today, with some original members of staff and current employees. There is a fascinating history display of photographs and memorabilia. One newspaper headline says: “Exodus 1963”, summarising the importance of the move.

Martin Roberts said: “The opening of our office in Chesterfield marked an important occasion in Post Office history. Post Office is proud to be one of Chesterfield’s biggest employers for the past 60 years. The people who work here provide vital support to our 11,500 Post Offices across the UK and our employees across the organisation. Chesterfield is the central hub for all financial accounting, technology and customer support.”

Mayor of Chesterfield, Cllr Mick Brady, said: “I’m delighted to be here to mark the 60th anniversary with some of the original staff, their relatives who followed in their footsteps and current staff. It is wonderful to hear their memories of those who relocated, the special bonds of friendships created and how they loved their new life in Chesterfield.

“I can fully relate to them as I was born in London. I left the capital at 18. What was meant to be a holiday to visit relatives in the north of England soon became a whole new way of life. I was so impressed by the countryside and friendliness of the people, that I never went back to live in London, and I found my way to Chesterfield.”

Comments from relocated staff included that they found the people in Chesterfield more sociable and helpful than in London. They preferred the pace of life and the countryside. They also found the travel to work easier and the cost of housing and rent cheaper.

With so many relocating to a brand-new office in a different region and with many people living close by, a special community was created with great camaraderie. There was a theatre club with staff putting on plays and pantos two or three times a year in the staff restaurant. Other clubs included first aid, books, gardening, badminton, motoring, cricket, bowls, football, dancing, and a table tennis club that is still running today.

After the war, the Government looked for departments with large blocks of employees to move. Post Office was an obvious candidate. After consultation the decision was made in 1957 to move the Finance Department to Chesterfield. Detailed planning began in 1958.

In November 1963, Chetwynd House opened for the Post Office finance and pensions teams. The building was aptly named after George Chetwynd, who at one time was a Post Office clerk-bookkeeper, who rose to become Receiver and Accountant General. In the 1840s he came up with the idea for a postal order to send money by post, without sending cash. He then devised a plan leading to The Post Office Savings Bank, which opened in 1861. Mr Chetwynd was its first controller.

Postmaster General Reginald Bevins performed the official opening on 28 November. By the end of January 1964, a thousand Post Office people and their families had relocated.

The new council housing estate was originally planned to coincide with the opening of Chetwynd House, but building work was delayed by the “Big Freeze of 1962/63 - the worst winter in two centuries. It shut down building work for three months as deep snow laid on the ground for many months. They were able to catch up with constructing Chetwynd House, but a shortage of bricklayers and plasterers delayed the housing estate.

Chetwynd House was demolished in 1997. Staff worked from temporary buildings until it was rebuilt as Future Walk in December 1999. It is now the base for finance, network support, IT helpdesk, branch support helpline and customer experience teams.

Various events have formed part of the Post Office Chesterfield 60th anniversary celebrations. There was a litter pick around Loundsley Green – the area that housed many of the first employees. Staff helped at a 1940’s market held recently in Chesterfield to be part of community events in the town. Employees have also been busy donating goods to the Pathways of Chesterfield service for the homeless. A 60th anniversary cake has been raffled towards helping those who suffered during the recent floods in Chesterfield.

A cake sale raised £900 for the Rowland Hill Fund, a charity for postal people facing life-changing health challenges or unexpected financial difficulties, and a fun charity bingo session was held earlier this week.

Jackie Whitham and Jenny Smith in Chesterfield’s Central Finance team run lunchtime ‘Knit and Natter’ wellbeing sessions. With colleagues, family and friends, countless fabric squares were created. These have been sewn together to make a fabulous Post Office Christmas tree for display at Chesterfield’s Festival of Christmas Trees.

The Central Finance team has also been huffing and puffing around their Chesterfield office as part of their 60/60 Activity Challenge. In the 60 days running up to the 60th anniversary, they have been virtually exercising their way to every Directly Managed Post Office in the UK – and covered a distance of over 5000 miles.