These photographs show the Express Parcel Services staff and vehicles working at Stockton train station during WW2. Courtesy of Dorothy Barclay.
Picture Stockton Archive
A Pictorial History of Stockton-on-Tees
These photographs show the Express Parcel Services staff and vehicles working at Stockton train station during WW2. Courtesy of Dorothy Barclay.
Picture Stockton Archive 
So sorry to hear of the passing of Dorothy. I can only say what I have said before, that Dorothy was a wonderful lady in every sense of the word. I mourn her passing. The thing about Dorothy was that she cared. God bless Dorothy and thank you for the privilege of knowing you.
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I knew Dorothy very well, as a child as my mam, Joan Hope, worked with her at Stockton Station. They where very good friends, she would always be popping to our house at Roseworth. She got me a christmas card in the shape of Santa for my first Christmas which went on the tree every year and still does – it will be 60 years old this year. Lovely woman.
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So sorry to hear that Eric, she was such a lovely lady. As young people we were very friendly, family wise.
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I’m sad to say Dorothy Barclay passed away in July 2011 aged 89, very frail but still sharp in mind.
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From 1/1/1969 under the 1968 Transport Act most of British Railways own parcels services were taken over by National Carriers Ltd, a newly formed company. Many of the former railway road vehicles -reliveried in NCL colours – became part of NCL. Carriage of (GPO)Post Office parcels by rail continued. BR worked closely with NCL in moving parcels, but facilities at many local stations were withdrawn. This arrangement lasted until the early 1980s. After 1981 the railways maintained their premium Red Star parcels service (introduced 1963) by express passenger train for small consignments. This did well for some years, but eventually disappeared after privatisation. The contract with the Post Office was also lost in 2003, with the disappearance of the Travelling Post Office sorting trains,though later a small amount of mail carriage did return to rail.The railway contracts for carrying newspapers had disappeared in the 1980s. The night time observer at a main line railway station in 2009 would no doubt be surprised at how quiet the night time railway has become in many places compared with former years.
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Re the LNER parcels service; Didn’t the various railway parcels services become British Railways Parcels Service following nationalisation in 1948? That was before they were hived off to become NCL in the sixties and later NFL when the railway parcels serives merged with British Road Services. I believe that BRS was the result of the merger of a number of transport companies that were part of Tillings and another conglomerate, whose name escapes me, I think it might have been B.E.T.
No doubt someone will comment on that.
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The BR parcel service seemed to disappear around the end of the 1960s when the 1968 Transport Act saw parts of the business hived off into a separate entity National Carriers. As late as 1968 a friend rode his bike to Stockton station consigned it for Liverpool, went to Liverpool Central station a day or so later, collected it and rode home to his digs.
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Can anybody tell me if the LNER Parcel Service went the same way of the Goods Service and was taken over by British Road Services?
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Eric please give my love and best wishes to Dorothy, as I have said before Dorothy is a super lady who treat me and my family well, and was always concerned about people. I know in the late fifties Mattie Bowman was station master at Stockton but the power behind the throne and running things was Dorothy, and it was her that actually gave me the job as booklad. Tell her my wife Wendy, who recently visited her as an occupational therapist, was asking about her and wishes her well and once again thank you from me.
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Yes this is the Dorothy who was Mattie Bowman’s secretary! Incidentally, Mattie also gave my late mum-in-law (Edith Robinson) a job on the railway in this area. She had previously worked at Shildon Station & was from a railway family called Kirk who had worked in the Bishop Auckland/Crook/Shildon area. Eventually she retired in 1982 from her job as signalman’s roster clerk in the area managers office at Darlington.
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Another great series of pictures, thank you Dorothy, Eric, Bob, and Gordon, please thank Dorothy for me and tell her my Fathers old Pal was Freddie Moiser the Chief Signals Inspector for LNER who I am sure would be well known to Mr Bowman and the staff of Stockton Station in their days. Those parcels vans could have taken our luggage in advance, on a number of occasions and it always arrived on time at Broadstairs Kent. Oh Happy days!
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The pictures were kindly supplied by Dorothy – she is now in a Nursing Home; but still as sharp as a pin although frail in body. Bob & Gordon – I’ll pass on your comments to her, she will be over the moon.
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Is this the Dorothy Barclay who was the secretary to Mr Mattie Bowman, who was the station master at Stockton and who gave me my first interview for a book lads job at North Shore and who later became my roster clerk at Zetland house? If so I wish you well Dorothy, it was a privilege to know you and you took care of me well, you were the kindest lady I ever met on the railway – all best wishes.
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What memories you have brought back to me Dorothy. When you worked in the Parcels Office at Stockton Station. Remember us, my sister Margaret with me having to collect either a box or a straw basket of fresh fish that had been sent for us from Grimsby. With it being fresh and sent overnight you had even brought it to our house or we collected from yours. Also I remember you living in the end house of Swale Road and your Father being the Caretaker for the Frederick Nattrass School. Remember those days Dorothy?
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The group photograph shows L-R: Joe Wiles, Miss Jean Sinton, Miss Dorothy Barclay, Miss Ada George (died 1945) and Bill Tutty. The image underneath the group shot shows L-R: Miss Dorothy Barclay, Matt Young, Miss Millie George & Joe Wiles.
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