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instructions at all time, and produce them whenever they were ordered to. Rules included specifications on appearance, dictating that messengers must keep themselves clean and their hair short, and be courteous whenever speaking to anyone. The rulebook also sought to control their behavior, forbidding messenger boys from sliding down staircase handrails; from smoking, gambling, or playing cards while in uniform; and from entering public houses except to deliver messages. From 1915 to 1921, morning exercise was added to these requirements.
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In some respects, the life of a telegram boy was not unlike that of someone in military service. They were expected to behave in a manner befitting one who wore the uniform of the Queen, and were required to complete a daily drill. Messengers, at least in London, were required to carry a blue book of
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through urban streets and who were generally not union members. The job came with inherent hazards. Boys were expected to "scorch" their bicycles in urban traffic by violating traffic laws in order to reach their destinations more quickly. At night, the boys might be required to enter the
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Throughout the 1960s and 1970s the use of telegrams had dropped significantly, with around 10 million sent annually in the mid-1960s. Consequently, the Post Office took the decision in 1977 to abolish the service. The service continued for a few years and was briefly operated by
90:
Telegram boys became popular in the United
Kingdom after the General Post Office took over control of inland telegraphs from the railways and private telegraph companies. Many of the boys employed by these services to deliver telegrams transferred to the Post Office.
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where boys aged 17 were allowed to volunteer for training, but only with the permission of their parents. However, following the success of this, motorcycles were soon introduced elsewhere in the country. The
130:
During its heyday in the 1930s, the service was delivering an average of 65 million telegrams per year; however, the service was running at a loss, estimated at £1 million annually.
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announced on 19 October 1981 that the telegram would be discontinued, and it was finally taken out of service on 30 September 1982 after 139 years in the United
Kingdom.
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The telegram as such was superseded by the
British Telecom Telemessage service, introduced in October 1982. Messages were dictated over the
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B33-1 250cc motorbikes which boys were expected to ride at an average of 15 mph. Later 125cc
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in a distinctive envelope guaranteed for next day delivery, rather than by messenger.
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413:"Information Networks and Urban Spaces: The Case of the Telegraph Messenger Boy"
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The
British Postal Museum and Archive - Telegram Messengers
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still offers a domestic telegram service via its website.
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were used. These were finally replaced with smaller
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A typical bike messenger, Birmingham, Alabama, 1914
999:List of bicycle brands and manufacturing companies
227:, deputy leader of the Communication Workers Union
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877:Bicycle transportation planning and engineering
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445:"Send a telegram directly from your computer"
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98:During the 1930s the Post Office introduced
471:A Telegram Boy. 1942 - 1945 by John Vickers
34:) Telegram messenger motorbike of the 1940s
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176:were boys under the age of 18 who carried
477:Motorbike messengers of death and fortune
1019:List of films about bicycles and cycling
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483:Site for former Telegram Messenger Boys
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153:, printed, and delivered overnight by
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420:(Web magazine article in an issue of
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185:in connection with their job duties.
138:after it split from the Post Office.
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111:was comprised almost exclusively of
58:was a young man employed to deliver
242:was a telegram boy in the mid-1960s
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1004:List of BMX bicycle manufacturers
601:History of cycling infrastructure
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19:For the messaging software, see
1024:List of doping cases in cycling
1009:List of bicycle-sharing systems
393:. Yale University press, 2004.
248:, Prime Minister of New Zealand
233:, Father of the US Nuclear Navy
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411:Downey, Greg (November 1999).
370:"The Public Telegraph Service"
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82:or other telegraph companies.
16:Person who delivers a telegram
1:
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473:WW2 People's War, BBC Online
415:. Mercurians. Archived from
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70:, they were employed by the
21:Telegram (messaging service)
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718:Sports-related cycling and
318:"On Her Majesty's Service"
40:English-speaking countries
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862:Bicycle poverty reduction
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236:Iain Pattison, writer of
193:As of October 2023,
897:Bike Week (Bicycle Week)
46:, more often known as a
932:Protected intersection
912:Cycling infrastructure
654:Bicycle-sharing system
596:History of the bicycle
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994:List of bicycle types
978:Sustainable transport
737:Cross-country cycling
720:fast-paced recreation
559:General and technical
344:"Those were the days"
316:Sherlock, Frederick.
296:Paperboy or papergirl
201:Notable telegram boys
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86:In the United Kingdom
48:telegram delivery boy
29:
391:Bicycle: The History
346:. Expressandstar.com
324:. The Church Monthly
209:, author and teacher
161:In the United States
804:Road bicycle racing
674:Cold-weather biking
649:Bicycle rental/hire
586:Bicycle performance
389:Herlihy, David V..
183:red light districts
72:General Post Office
32:General Post Office
958:Bicycle collecting
833:Health, safety and
451:. 13 October 2023.
372:. Lightstraw.co.uk
286:Outline of cycling
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102:. This started in
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44:telegram messenger
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942:Vehicular cycling
709:Vehicular cycling
644:Bicycle messenger
639:Bicycle commuting
479:, Medway Memories
424:, Vol. 12, No. 1)
266:Bicycle messenger
231:Hyman G. Rickover
215:, founder of the
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1014:List of cyclists
907:Cycling advocacy
892:Bike-to-Work Day
847:Bicycle-friendly
727:Artistic cycling
669:Challenge riding
630:Utility and slow
591:Electric bicycle
581:Bicycle geometry
576:Bicycle dynamics
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699:Utility bicycle
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917:Hand signals
694:Road cycling
606:Balance bike
448:
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428:. Retrieved
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417:the original
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374:. Retrieved
348:. Retrieved
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326:. Retrieved
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276:Child labour
239:Rab C Nesbit
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213:Ralph Reader
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149:or sent via
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973:Quadracycle
963:Cycling kit
902:Cyclability
852:Bicycle law
752:Cyclo-cross
747:Cycle sport
449:Israel Post
322:Pip's Patch
195:Israel Post
117:BSA Bantams
100:motorcycles
1063:Telegraphy
968:Pentacycle
922:Idaho stop
799:Pump track
772:Goldsprint
684:Rail trail
664:Cargo bike
632:recreation
430:2009-02-05
376:2011-10-10
350:2011-10-10
303:References
271:Cargo bike
220:Gang Shows
882:Bike rage
814:Triathlon
762:Fatbiking
539:Outlines
225:Dave Ward
189:In Israel
178:telegrams
147:telephone
74:; in the
66:. In the
60:telegrams
1057:Category
1042:Category
787:Downhill
767:Freeride
621:Unicycle
616:Tricycle
543:Bicycles
535:Glossary
259:See also
127:models.
38:In many
566:Bicycle
548:Cycling
524:Cycling
422:Antenna
328:8 March
281:Courier
121:Raleigh
64:bicycle
792:Trials
397:
987:Lists
951:Other
217:Scout
151:telex
109:fleet
104:Leeds
395:ISBN
330:2024
125:Puch
123:and
42:, a
732:BMX
113:BSA
54:or
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359:^
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50:,
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23:.
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