During the mid 70's recession unemployment was high, having been laid off from a job I worked as a postman for about 6 months. Furlough's were a term used in the PO at that time for a set number of days off each year allowed outside holidays or sickness, with no explanation required. My old man spent most of his working life at the PO.
Funnily enough, when I read Alan Johnson's second book, much of it covered his time in Slough as a postman, and many of the names he quoted, fellow workers or union people were either neighbours or parents of school friends and it took me by surprise a little, I hadn't realised he'd spent that long In Slough or that we had so many mutual acquaintances .
I emailed him to compliment him on the book and he graciously replied sharing a few more anecdotes.
A lovely man and one of my favourite MP's. It's a shame he cut his political career short, had the potential to be a great leader.