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hitchin post office (1962)
Hermitage Road
Photograph © Julian Osley
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Architect: John Stevens Year 1962 Archive sources British Architectural Library Photographs Collection: BM/PUBL/19A-H British Postal Museum & Archive: POST 118/CT01070 (photograph); POST Selected bibliographical references Builder 1 Jun 1962, p. 1130-1131 Daily Telegraph 12 Feb 1962 Hitchin Express 16 Feb 1962 Hughes, H.S. More than just new: Hitchin Head Post Office Post Office Magazine Mar 1962, p. 68-69 Illustrated Carpenter & Builder 28 Aug 1959, p. 7252-7254; 18 May 1962, p. 1566-1567 Industrial Architecture Apr 1962, p. 247 Official Architecture and Planning Sep(?) 1959, p. 363-364; Mar 1962, p. 121-123 Post Office Magazine Jul 1959, p. 220; Feb 1962, p. 35; Mar 1962, p. 68-69 History Opened: 12 Feb 1962 Demolished: 2014 Hitchin Head Post Office was the result of research carried out by the Joint Post Office/Ministry of Works Research & Development Group, attracting great deal of interest from the national and technical press. While providing the facilities required within a strictly functional structure, it was built with a saving about 40% over more traditional methods; the design of the building addressed the problem of how to accommodate the expansion of business and future developments, and paved the way for subsequent post office buildings designed in a strictly functional manner. |
Building description
From: The Daily Telegraph 12 February 1962
New ideas in Post Office design used in a Head Post Office at Hitchin, Herts, have cut the cost of the premises from the original estimate of £100,000 to £64,000 ... The building, in the main shopping-street, Hermitage Road, is to be opened today by Miss Pike, Assistant Postmaster-General ... The building's simple design, with external walls of the three-storey frontage in hand-made russet bricks, suits the scale of the street ... A Ministry of Works and Post Office design team headed by Mr J.O. Stevens, a Ministry superintending architect, evolved an economy layout with lower ceilings. The area is only 60 per cent. of that originally thought necessary ... In this smaller building with a one-storey sorting office at the rear, there are easily-moved partitions so that extensions, if they become necessary, can be made cheaply ... Inside the Post Office is thoroughly modern with ball-point pens on the public writing shelf and a neat plate-glass counter screen ... With self-service machines installed for postal orders, and change, as well as letter cards, stamp books and stamps, fewer customers will need to go inside the Post Office to transact their business ... These machines, mounted on polished stainless steel, will see postal orders at 2s, 2s 6d, and 5s with 200 orders in each machine and a man on duty for refills ..."
From: The Hitchin Express 16 February 1962
Two citizens of the future were the first to enter Britain's Post Office of the future ... opened ... on Monday by Miss Mervyn Pike, M.P.., Assistant Postmaster General ... As 4.30 p.m. approached, a small queue began to form outside the contemporary-looking building. Two small noses were pressed against the locked glass doors. Then, as the key was turned in walked Stephen Hing (9) ...and Helen Collins (10) ... Both were first at the counter, Stephen to buy three 6d, savings stamps, Helen four ... Formality prevented them being the first purchaser, however, for an hour earlier, [the] chairman of Hitchin Urban Council bought a £1 Premium Bond as part of the official ceremony behind closed doors ...Miss Pike, [who was feeling unwell because she had just been vaccinated], said [that] there was a tremendous problem facing the Post Office in refurbishing old buildings [and that] if we can go forward the way we have done in Hitchin we shall be doing a two-fold job by providing a good service and going ahead ourselves. Referring the various facilities in the new office Miss Pike said they [would] help to give a better understanding between our staff and the public. The new building ... would reflect the life of Hitchin for many years to come ...Great credit is due to the planning group responsible and to the building contractors, Messrs. M. and F.O. Foster, who also built the old Head Post Office in 1902 ... She said that the new Head Post Office, with sorting office and motor transport workshops had been planned to meet anticipated growth "during the foreseeable future". It had been specially designed to allow easy and cheap extension where necessary. Overall cost of the main building and workshop, which had been built in a year, was £64,000-£40,000 less than the estimated cost before planning and design economies had been introduced. Miss Pike continued: "There is no doubt that the work of this building will set the pattern of design and cost for future similar undertakings. I am sure that in this office you will find it a pleasure to do business, and that the staff will find it a congenial and attractive place in which to work. I am convinced that with this new office and the facilities it offers, we shall be able to ensure a first-class service here for many years ... Speaking of the old Post Office in Brand-Street, Cllr. Mrs. Swinburne said that she did not like to say good-bye to an old friend without a tribute; it had been a landmark and had given very good service. The town felt honoured, she said, to be the first to have the new type of office. "We in Hitchin are very attached to our old buildings, but we realise that there must be some new ones, and I hope that people will use our 20th century buildings with appreciation ... It seem that every thought has been given to both the public and the staff, and I am sure that we are going to enjoy our visits to the Post Office in the future", she concluded ... The public office now does away with the uncertainty of which part of the counter to use, because the counter staff deal with every service except parcels. Gone too is the annoyance of seeing a clerk walk away from his section suddenly; now, a red warning light signals "closing", when a member of staff is about to go off duty. Amber lights flash "Service Here" notices ... Writing shelves for the public have ball-point pens, ash-trays and concealed lighting. And there is no more need to lick a stamp or envelope, as damp sponges are liberally provided. While the glaze of publicity was centred on Hermitage-road, the old office in Brand-street quietly carried on - that is, until 6 p.m., when the doors closed on the public for the last time.
New ideas in Post Office design used in a Head Post Office at Hitchin, Herts, have cut the cost of the premises from the original estimate of £100,000 to £64,000 ... The building, in the main shopping-street, Hermitage Road, is to be opened today by Miss Pike, Assistant Postmaster-General ... The building's simple design, with external walls of the three-storey frontage in hand-made russet bricks, suits the scale of the street ... A Ministry of Works and Post Office design team headed by Mr J.O. Stevens, a Ministry superintending architect, evolved an economy layout with lower ceilings. The area is only 60 per cent. of that originally thought necessary ... In this smaller building with a one-storey sorting office at the rear, there are easily-moved partitions so that extensions, if they become necessary, can be made cheaply ... Inside the Post Office is thoroughly modern with ball-point pens on the public writing shelf and a neat plate-glass counter screen ... With self-service machines installed for postal orders, and change, as well as letter cards, stamp books and stamps, fewer customers will need to go inside the Post Office to transact their business ... These machines, mounted on polished stainless steel, will see postal orders at 2s, 2s 6d, and 5s with 200 orders in each machine and a man on duty for refills ..."
From: The Hitchin Express 16 February 1962
Two citizens of the future were the first to enter Britain's Post Office of the future ... opened ... on Monday by Miss Mervyn Pike, M.P.., Assistant Postmaster General ... As 4.30 p.m. approached, a small queue began to form outside the contemporary-looking building. Two small noses were pressed against the locked glass doors. Then, as the key was turned in walked Stephen Hing (9) ...and Helen Collins (10) ... Both were first at the counter, Stephen to buy three 6d, savings stamps, Helen four ... Formality prevented them being the first purchaser, however, for an hour earlier, [the] chairman of Hitchin Urban Council bought a £1 Premium Bond as part of the official ceremony behind closed doors ...Miss Pike, [who was feeling unwell because she had just been vaccinated], said [that] there was a tremendous problem facing the Post Office in refurbishing old buildings [and that] if we can go forward the way we have done in Hitchin we shall be doing a two-fold job by providing a good service and going ahead ourselves. Referring the various facilities in the new office Miss Pike said they [would] help to give a better understanding between our staff and the public. The new building ... would reflect the life of Hitchin for many years to come ...Great credit is due to the planning group responsible and to the building contractors, Messrs. M. and F.O. Foster, who also built the old Head Post Office in 1902 ... She said that the new Head Post Office, with sorting office and motor transport workshops had been planned to meet anticipated growth "during the foreseeable future". It had been specially designed to allow easy and cheap extension where necessary. Overall cost of the main building and workshop, which had been built in a year, was £64,000-£40,000 less than the estimated cost before planning and design economies had been introduced. Miss Pike continued: "There is no doubt that the work of this building will set the pattern of design and cost for future similar undertakings. I am sure that in this office you will find it a pleasure to do business, and that the staff will find it a congenial and attractive place in which to work. I am convinced that with this new office and the facilities it offers, we shall be able to ensure a first-class service here for many years ... Speaking of the old Post Office in Brand-Street, Cllr. Mrs. Swinburne said that she did not like to say good-bye to an old friend without a tribute; it had been a landmark and had given very good service. The town felt honoured, she said, to be the first to have the new type of office. "We in Hitchin are very attached to our old buildings, but we realise that there must be some new ones, and I hope that people will use our 20th century buildings with appreciation ... It seem that every thought has been given to both the public and the staff, and I am sure that we are going to enjoy our visits to the Post Office in the future", she concluded ... The public office now does away with the uncertainty of which part of the counter to use, because the counter staff deal with every service except parcels. Gone too is the annoyance of seeing a clerk walk away from his section suddenly; now, a red warning light signals "closing", when a member of staff is about to go off duty. Amber lights flash "Service Here" notices ... Writing shelves for the public have ball-point pens, ash-trays and concealed lighting. And there is no more need to lick a stamp or envelope, as damp sponges are liberally provided. While the glaze of publicity was centred on Hermitage-road, the old office in Brand-street quietly carried on - that is, until 6 p.m., when the doors closed on the public for the last time.
