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The Royal Mail has slashed its personnel budget and department in recent times. The HR spend has been cut from £173m at the start of 2003 to £116m in 2005, while the number of people in people management has fallen from 3,700 to 2,400.
This is all very well, but it might regret this as it starts the search for a new postie whose job description includes 'a man or woman who is interested in keeping fit, has a head for heights and can get on well with seagulls'.
Yes, you've guessed it; the postman who collects the thousands of postcards left in the box at the top of Blackpool Tower has resigned. After an impressive 37 years, Jim Blackwell has decided he no longer wants to climb the 432 steps while fending off squadrons of dive-bombing seagulls.
The next incumbent will indeed need to be interested in fitness - it is estimated that Blackwell climbed 9,206,684 steps in his illuminating Blackpool career.
What will happen if someone isn't recruited quickly? Surely an overloaded post box at the top of the tower is a recipe for disaster. With the HR cuts this could be a real dilemma. It's time for a bit of partnership with the local businesses, who could greatly aid the Royal Mail with sales of 'Recruit Me Quick' hats.
