07 January 2016
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Alan Johnson MP
Labour MP Alan Johnson has written about his past as a postman and recently presented a BBC documentary on Britain’s postal service. We asked Alan about his links with the Post Office and his thoughts on British stamps
Labour MP Alan Johnson has written extensively about his past as a postman and recently presented a BBC documentary charting the history of Britain’s postal service. We asked Alan about his links with the Post Office and his thoughts on British stamps
How did your involvement in the Post Office affect your life and outlook?
The Post Office affected my life by offering me gainful employment, although I have to say it was the huge amount of overtime I performed that helped me raise a family rather than the basic wage. In terms of outlook, I was proud to work in such a historic and respected public service, and understood a great deal more about the interaction between the public and the state through my work with the Post Office.
Having visited the British Postal Museum & Archive on several occasions, what aspects of the forthcoming Postal Museum are you most looking forward to?
This is an easy one. I’m looking forward to going on the underground railway once more, once it’s been redeveloped for its new role as part of The Postal Museum.
What do you think of Royal Mail’s more recent stamp issues, such as the Star Wars stamps?
I don’t collect stamps and don’t remember any particular sets, but I was always a supporter of what used to be the Royal Mail Philatelic Bureau, and the issue of stamps in Britain has probably been more imaginative, colourful and interesting than in any other country in the world. Star Wars is no exception.
Read the full interview with Alan Johnson in the January 2016 issue of Stamp & Coin Mart.