Sorted: The Post Office counter in Sunderland which was a 70s record breaker

The longest post office counter in the North East was due to open for business in March 1970.

The counter was 114 ft long

The new post office in the Market Square, Sunderland, might have been for counter sales only but it came with impressive statistics.

It cost £42,000 to set up and and had a 114 foot-long counter with 20 positions.

Head Postmaster, Mr JS Whitehouse, said at the time: “The counter is the longest in the North Eastern Region of the Post Office, and one of the largest in the country.

It could cater for 25,000 people a week

“At peak periods 17 of the positions will be in operation, with two more for parcels, and we are expecting 25,000 people a week to use the office.”

The post office was set to replace the counter at the Sunniside office, and it would remain in operation as a sorting depot.

Over to you for more memories

A Sunderland Echo report at the time said: “One of the advantages of the office is that people can get a bus to the town centre.”

Share your own memories of life in Sunderland in 1970s.

You can do just that by emailing [email protected]