Phil Joint ex Delivery Area Manager, Bath
More sad news we are afraid – his wife Ruth has advised us that Phil died on 3 December aged 83 years.
The funeral was held on 20th December 2023
A celebration of Philips life was held at the Turnberries Community Centre, Bath Road, Thornbury.
Brian Heywood, ex Delivery Director RM Midlands
We have been advised by his daughter Bethan that Brian died on 26 November aged 75 years. Brian died in Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, following complications from a brain injury caused by a fall.
Funeral arrangements are as follows:
A funeral service was held on 19th December at All Saints Church, Rempstone LE12 6RQ The congregation joined celebrating and honouring the life of this most remarkable man – trusted friend, respected colleague, beloved brother, father, granddad and husband to his late wife Joy. He will be remembered as one of life’s true gentlemen.
In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the British Heart Foundation in Brian’s memory.
https://www.justgiving.com/page/brian-heywood
Joe Harris, ex Blackpool and Group Secretary, NW
Very sad news that Joe Harris passed away on Friday 29 September aged 85 years after a long battle with cancer. The funeral was held at Carleton Crematorium, Stocks Lane, POULTON-LE-FYLDE at 12:30 on Thursday 19th October.
Joan Polglass Wife of John Polglass
Sadly Joan passed away last Thursday 23rd November at age 87 years. There was a sudden step change in her condition but she died peacefully in her sleep. The funeral was attended by three Fellowship members – Steve Hannon, Derek Reeves and Jim Anderson with his wife Joyce on Thursday 14th December at 12 noon at the Woodvale Crematorium, Brighton. We paid our respects to Joan who had been a wonderful support to John throughout his career and a great memory to the Fellowship SE Group and the HQ Fellowship annual diners.
Alan Brown, ex Headquarters Director and previously Director LPR
Sadly, Alan Brown has died on Sunday 24th September aged of 94 years
His contemporaries and many of the next generation of managers would have known Alan as an inspiring leader and a charismatic figure both in London and Headquarters. He exuded such confidence and authority in all his dealings that many would have revered him. In London he served both as the District Manager (at SEDO and Mount Pleasant) and then at the highest level in Regional HQ before he moved into the national HQ. Everywhere he gained the respect of all, including the Unions, through his flair for solving or by-passing problems, whilst remaining on good terms with all.
I met him as early as 1957 when he was a travelling officer in North Wales, and I was merely a Xmas casual. Later I tended to move into the posts he moved on from. However, I knew him primarily as a friend from the 1970s on – the go-betweens which produced such a close relationship were the Nobles (Ken and Daphne). As a sixsome we tried out the more exotic eating spots in south London, from Mongolian to Persian. So, it almost seemed a natural extension to club together to buy a modest place in the south of France.
We made our final choice over a morning brandy in a Relais Routier. We formalised the arrangements as you might have expected of 3 Post Office Managers, but this stood us in good stead during the 13 years we owned it. Then once Alan and Honor had retired, we began a series of 3 week Car tours – quite adventurous ones twice reaching as far as the Russian border. We started with a tour to Czechoslovakia and Hungary. Later we went to the Baltic States, and especially to Italy (the whole length and breadth) plus shorter winter breaks.
Over this 25-year period Honor was always our efficient Treasurer balancing all the petrol coupon and currency complications. I remember particularly our first trip to Tuscany, such a desperately hot one, that we had to take shelter every afternoon in the shade of a different restaurant. Our wives disgraced us by bathing in the town’s memorial fountain, and Alan was both mortified and infuriated by being denied access to the church in Assisi because his shorts were deemed indecently short. In the evenings we ate under the stars and put the world to rights – pity no one was listening. And Alan was not afraid to tell stories against himself, such as his grounding of two tanks in the quagmires of northern Germany.
Anyway, such incidents cemented a great friendship which survived into and throughout Alan and Honor’s lengthy retirement, although Alan didn’t quite achieve his objective of matching the length of his working service in retirement. He retained his interests in current affairs and rugby though he was frustrated that the English team never quite lived up to its promise, and he met regularly with a trio of west London Post Office friends.
Although not a member of the Fellowship, Alan will have been known by many during their careers. Alan had also been a regular attender at the London lunches over the years. We are most grateful to Bryan Roberts for producing this tribute with some help from Drew Robertson
Mike Healings, ex Planning & Services Manager RM Swansea
The funeral for Mike Healings will be held at 11a.m. on Friday 29 September at the Church of Our Lady, The Star of the Sea, which is at 22 Devon Place, Mumbles, Swansea SA3 4DR. The Group Secretary The Group Secretary Pete Walters plans to attend and assume some of our S Wales colleagues will, too. There will be a wake at Oyster House, Mumbles SA3 4DN afterwards from Noon. It may be helpful if those planning to attend would let me know as an aid to the family with organising their arrangements.
Ken Hathaway – ex District Head Postmaster, Leicester
Sadly Ken away peacefully on 17th May 2023, aged 91. Ken had been in a care home for the last two years. Husband of Patricia, father of the late Michael and of Steven and Tracey, loving Grandad to Carly, Bradley, Alexander, Alice and Elliot. Sadly missed by all. Funeral to be held at Trent Valley Crematorium, Aston on Trent 5th June 11.30 am – No Flowers.
Don Burnside, ex Counter District Manager, Aldershot
It is with heavy hearts that we jointly compose this obituary for Don. He surely was an icon within our Fellowship. He and Nella being present at everyfunction available to them and proving superb mixers and conversationalist at every gathering.
Don, with his ever-friendly chuckle, and Nella telling us the story of their latest walking holiday in some exotic land. Interesting, warm, friendly, and generally funny! It is difficult to see Don as a 90-year-old GPO Veteran. But having joined in 1946 as a Boy Messenger he sure fits the title.
Yes, a Boy Messenger in Richmond in 1946 must have been challenging in the immediate post-war years. It is the way that many of the GPO’s senior managers and Head Postmasters joined. Onwards to Postman, then Postman Higher Grade until 1967 when he became an APC 2 through the internal selection process. Now well versed in the front line work he joined the auditors to verify practices and mail circulations. Then in 1973 he was promoted to Band10 and moved into GPO Headquarters in St Martins le Grand starting many years of working there. By 1979 he was a Band 8 Senior Manager and still in HQ. He remained there until 1986 when he moved to Aldershot to be the first Counters District Manager in what was to be the separated Counters business – Post Office Counters Limited.
Don arrived in Aldershot in February 1986 six months ahead of the establishment of his headquarters in which time he had to select and organise his new team and take over control of the Aldershot area counter services by 26 August 1986. His challenges included asking for a temporary office within the Aldershot Head Office prior to taking over the Head Postmasters suite when his District went live. And to be done with zero budget to do all the organising, all the selections and necessary staff movements as people choose between Counters and Mails. Of course, the sitting Head Postmaster and his two deputies were ready to help and even fund some of Don’s needs. Luckily, we had a spare office that was being fitted with air conditioning to hold some computers. So, Don not only had a nice office, but the only one on the site that was air conditioned!
As Don got on with his allocated tasks and selections, he soon became an integral member of the Aldershot Senior team. Not working for us, but most certainly socialising and sharing some of his challenges with us. He would join us in our visits to our favoured La Fontaine pub, a short stroll from the office. We certainly enjoyed his company and welcomed his sharing of problems and his views on our own issues. One of the most memorable days for me was handing over to Don the significant collection of door and safe keys for all our sub–Post Offices. He was as delighted to receive them as I was to be rid of them. He certainly had his team selected, trained, and briefed well in time for the launch of the nation’s first Counter’s District Management Team in August 1966. The qualities in Don were certainly well tested and his determination, perseverance, skill and personality saw him through.
When Don joined The Royal Mail Fellowship it was as a committed and helpful soul. From his Headquarters days he had knowledge of the history of the Association of Head Postmasters being reformed as The Fellowship and losing its staff association rights.
He and Nella appeared at every gathering that was organised and that they could attend. This included local Group Meetings, the Annual week at Eaves Hall and the National AGM and Dinner. They were ever the very best of company, with great senses of humour and interesting tales of their remarkable travels. A couple who could be relied upon to mix freely and make a point of welcoming any new arrivals. He soon found himself a member of the Executive Committee, recognising his commitment and energy to making the Fellowship a success. It was not long before he volunteered to assume the position of Secretary and Treasurer which were combined in those days.
For many years Don certainly proved to be a pillar of the Fellowship, in the days when the Fellowship was booming. An exceptional Secretary/Treasurer, always solid and reliable, sometimes obstinate, occasionally pragmatic, especially when sparring with Newsletter Editor Les Dean, but they always remained good friends, and in fact they complemented each other very well during their many years together on the EC. Don was an essential aide to successive Presidents, masterminding and making easy the transitional handover. It was a great pleasure to appoint them both to be Honorary Vice Presidents of the Fellowship at our AGM in 2014 at Garstang. Don will be sadly missed by all and certainly leaves a significant hole in our Fellowship community. Our thoughts are with Nella and their sons at this saddest of times.
We are grateful to Doug Swanson and Len Clifford for this fulsome tribute.
Richard Adams ex Director of Strategy Development
Obituary Richards Adams 1945 – 2023
“A GREAT PUFFER HAS REACHED THE END OF THE LINE”
Richard was born in Plymouth on the 22nd June 1945 and died peacefully in his sleep in Ibiza on 15th April 2023.
He was educated at Cotham Grammar School in Bristol and Exeter University where he read Sociology.
In September 1966 he joined the South West Region of the General Post Office in Bristol as an Assistant Postal Controller, Class II. In February 1972 he was promoted to Assistant Postal Controller, Class I, Band 8 and later became one of the first Regional Marketing Managers. From 1978-82 Richard served as one of two Directors of Studies at Coton House in Rugby and thereafter became Head Postmaster of Northampton from 1982-85.
In 1985 he become Assistant Director of Corporate Planning at Post Office Headquarters and was then promoted to Group Planning Director in 1992. In the latter post his particular skills and background matched precisely what was required in various key roles culminating with his appointment as Secretary of the Post Office Corporation in 1997.
Richard won many plaudits from those for whom he worked and for whom he produced information and analysis, both inside and outside what was then ‘the Post Office Corporation’. Ron Dearing, then Chairman, commented how fortunate he was “to have a man of Richard’s ability in the role of Corporate Planning Director”.
This praise arose from Richard’s insistence on a rigorous examination of everything his department published alongside his demand for simple English. These disciplines were put to good use in producing the Corporation’s evidence to the House of Lords committee on the draft EU legislation on the liberalisation of Postal Markets. The evidence had to be extensive and comprehensive and their Lordships recorded their plaudits for his single page distillation of the key issues.
Whilst in Corporate Planning, Richard was called upon to give evidence at the Royal Courts of Justice in the Strand in a civil case involving personnel issues. In his summing up, the presiding High Court Judge made separate mention of the clarity of Richard’s evidence.
Government officials at both the DTI and Treasury regarded the series of Corporate Plans for which Richard was responsible as exemplary. Richard’s work in Corporate Planning involved him in many special projects and working closely with external advisors to the Board, notably the investment firms Schroders and Warburg Dillon Read (now part of UBS), and the City solicitors Slaughter and May and Clifford Chance. He won their respect for the work he did on the projects and on the Corporate Plan.
After retiring from the Post Office in 1999 Richard was involved in many Post Office consultancy projects in Estonia, Bulgaria, Slovenia and North Macedonia plus more far-flung destinations including Tanzania and the British Virgin Islands.
In his professional life, Richard was a man of good judgement, sharp intellect and wry humour. He had a methodical, painstaking approach, shrewdness, sense of proportion, ability to reach decisions without delay and a good instinct for when and to whom to delegate. You could rely upon his contributions to discussions to be carefully considered. Morale in the teams he headed was always high.
In his private life, Richard married Elizabeth in October 1971 and they celebrated their Golden Wedding Anniversary in October 2021. They have two sons and two grandsons, all of whom enjoyed their regular family get-togethers. Richard travelled widely with Elizabeth and their sons Charles and Jonathan, concentrating particularly on the wine producing areas of France! He loved wine, particularly claret, and approached the subject with his usual thoroughness. This was something from which colleagues benefited greatly. On one notable occasion he was hosting a recognition dinner for his Corporate Planning team at Frederick’s, a splendid restaurant in Islington. Richard took some time studying the extensive wine list and beckoned the wine waiter. French sommeliers can be haughty, imperious and condescending. This one was at the top of his game. Richard chose a particular year of a particular chateau (Calon Ségur); the sommelier suggested another year as being the ‘correct’ choice. Richard demurred. The waiter offered Richard a sample of both vintages to prove his professional point. During this exchange, Richard’s team were trying to make themselves as small as possible; ideally, dormouse size. The competing vintages were brought. Richard took his time and, after some thought, said: “No, mine is the ‘correct’ choice”. The French word ‘froideur’ captured the atmosphere perfectly. Typically, Richard showed great moral courage in the face of that most daunting of adversaries!
Richard’s interests were many and varied with politics featuring heavily in sociable discussions over a beer. He particularly enjoyed staying up into the small hours watching General Election results unfold on television until the outcome became evident. He imparted a love of the railways to his sons who followed in his trainspotter’s footsteps. Their passion is for more contemporary diesel locomotives rather than the magnificent steam beasts favoured by Richard. He increased the shareholder value of several publishing houses with his voracious appetite for steam railway magazines.
He was a keen collector, being a regular and early visitor to car boot sales and antique fairs. Due to his knowledge and negotiating skill, he often returned with silver items at a reasonable price. He was particularly keen on pre-electric silver plate, known as Old Sheffield Plate, silver plate manufactured before 1850. He owned a large collection of Old Sheffield Plate and became a notable expert thereon. Given half a chance he would eulogise both on the technique and the items for which it was used. After a glass or two he would contemplate writing a monograph on the subject.
Richard was an assiduous and popular attendee of and contributor at several Post Office retirement groups. Socially and professionally he was a sound friend, someone it was good not only to have your back but with whom you could have disagreements on endless issues without ever falling out.
On more than one occasion, when a colleague was at an extremely difficult stage of life, Richard showed sensitivity and understanding by taking the trouble to write a well-considered letter full of comfort, good sense and suggested practical courses of remedial action.
He leaves a gap in all our lives and will be sorely missed.
In the preparation of this obituary, we are most grateful to David Burn, Tom Clay and Elizabeth, Charles and Jonathan Adams.
Douglas Craik Ex Counters District Manager, Glasgow
We report the sad passing of Douglas at the age of 74 on 14th February. The funeral service took place on 23rd March at Mortlake Crematorium. Further details later.