40 not out

It was the year Margaret Thatcher came to power and Arsenal beat Manchester United in the FA Cup Final but, for Martyn Wragg, 1979 holds a special place for another reason.

When he joined Royal Mail as a 19-year-old postman at Rickmansworth Delivery Office, he used to be a football referee.

‘I’d go out, do my deliveries, then afterwards go and referee,’ he said. ‘I had that routine for more than 10 years.'

Martyn’s lengthy career has given him a unique perspective on the evolution of the business across four decades.

‘When I started, things moved slowly,’ he added. ‘Now everything operates at a faster pace and is always changing.’

Martyn now works at Home Counties North Mail Centre, and has observed a lot of evolution in the traffic passing through.

‘The mailbag has changed significantly,’ he said. ‘Back in the day, you never used to see that many parcels – the amounts were very small in comparison to what you see now. But we’re in a competitive marketplace, with lots of other courier companies in operation these days.

‘I feel optimistic about the greater focus on parcels as the letter traffic has dropped. We have got to look at the bigger picture.’

Martyn believes we have to keep focused on our people-first approach, and appreciates the continued camaraderie he experiences in the business.

‘I’ve enjoyed my time here,’ he said. I’ve had some good laughs with my colleagues. Meeting people is the best part of the job. You’re the first point of contact between the customer and the business. You're the brand.'