By IANS,
London : The world’s oldest post office in Britain is celebrating its 300th anniversary this year.
The post office in Sanquhar opened its doors in 1712, five years after the unification of Scotland and England, the Daily Mail reported Friday.
When it first opened, postmen, referred to as “runners”, ran between officers on foot using bases or “cross posts” like the one in Sanquhar to pass on letters and parcels.
The post office has been operating continuously since 1712, eight years longer than its closest rival, in the Swedish capital Stockholm.
The third oldest, in Santiago, Chile, opened 60 years after the office in Sanquhar.
In 1738, mail began being stamped by hand at the office’s sorting office to the rear of the building. Horses were later introduced, with some posts still in existence at the back of the building.