Generation game

Former Bolton postman Alan Morrison, is one of a long line of Morrisons who devoted their lives to working for the Post Office and Royal Mail.

Between them, Alan, his father and his grandfather have totted up an astonishing 108 years of service, and that’s not including the various members of their extended family, who also chose to work for the business.

First generation - John

‘When my grandfather, John Gawith Morrison (Jack) joined Bolton Post Office in 1921 as a postman, he quickly progressed to driving duties where he accumulated several safe driving awards,’ said Alan. ‘He was then promoted to head postman grade (PHG) and on to assistant inspector, a job he retained until his retirement in 1959, when he received the Imperial Service Medal for his 38 years of service.’

Alan’s grandfather was very proud of working for the Post Office, so much so, that he recommended it as a career to other members of his family. ‘It started to look like a Morrison family takeover,’ said Alan. ‘Following the end of WW2, his brother, Charles Malcolm Morrison (Mac), started work as a telephone kiosk/pillar box cleaner in Bolton Mail Centre. Mac’s wife Alice, also worked as a cleaner there.

‘My grandfather’s youngest sister, Irene, who was 21 years his junior, worked in the canteen at Bolton, and as she was so much younger than my grandfather, she was still working there when I started in 1978. Irene’s husband, Edward Ashcroft, also worked at Bolton Mail Centre as a postman and their daughter Joan worked in the canteen. To top it off, one of my grandad’s other sister’s husband, Harold Fishwick, was a postman in Bolton too!’

Second generation - Frank

‘When he left school in 1942, my father, Frank Morrison, was destined to join the Post Office as a “Boy Messenger”,’ said Alan. ‘But he chose to get a trade first and joined the Post Office in January 1955 as a temporary telephone kiosk cleaner with his Uncle Mac.

‘Later that year, when a postman vacancy came up, he transferred across. My father then progressed through the ranks from postman to driver, postman higher grade (PHG), assistant inspector, inspector and finally, chief inspector, before he retired in 1988 after 33 years’ service.’

Third generation – Alan

‘Like my father, I chose to get a trade before joining the Post Office,’ said Alan. ‘After leaving school in 1974 I trained as a dental technician before joining the Bolton Post Office on 23 October 1978 and leaving 37 years and four months later, in February 2016.’

Like his father and grandfather Alan progressed through the business, but when he was promoted to line manager, he switched across to the production control and planning side of the business.

‘I was the first member of the family to move out of Bolton Mail Centre,’ he said. ‘I spent 10 years at Bolton, 19 years at Liverpool, and six months at Crewe before moving to Warrington as mail centre planner in 2009 and then to the national quality team in 2011.

‘Between us as a family we can claim 108 years’ of service. If I knew the full service details of my extended family members it could quite easily rise to the high 200’s. None of my children have followed in my footsteps and joined Royal Mail however. Instead, they chose to follow their mother into the NHS. Perhaps in the future, they can tell a similar story of serving the health service.’