Postcode party
This year marks the 60th anniversary of the introduction of the postcode and, to celebrate, the Address Management Unit (AMU) as custodians of the Postcode Address File, will be managing various campaigns to mark the occasion.
On 28July 1959, Ernest Marples, the Postmaster General, announced that Norwich had been selected to trial a six-character alpha-numeric code to assist in the routing of mail, similar to the one that’s still in use today. In October of the same year, the successful trial prompted the rollout of postcodes across the UK, which was completed in 1974.
Play the video above to watch the story of the postcode.
Nicky Went, communications and marketing product manager, said: ‘The longevity of the postcode is quite amazing considering how the digital world has advanced over the past 30 years.
‘All that clever techie stuff hasn’t changed the structure, it’s still alpha-numeric with not a string of code (although barcodes can contain postcodes) to be seen. The postcode has not only enhanced and revolutionised the way that mail is moved around, it’s also used in all sorts of digital applications such as, helping organisations book appointments, allowing us to do our online shopping, and guiding us to new destinations. It even enables us to confirm who we say we are.
‘The postcode is clearly a really versatile tool and it makes you wonder if anyone 60 years ago realised just how powerful and valuable it would become, not only for Royal Mail, but for businesses and consumers across the UK and overseas.’AMU director, Steve Rooney, said: ‘The invention of the postcode revolutionised the way post is sorted and delivered. Since then, it has completely changed the way companies do business.’
