Cameron trousers

[Danny McG]

In 1941 UK post woman Jean Cameron was filmed doing her day's deliveries.
This earned her and other post women the right to wear trousers as part of her uniform - they were apparently known as "Cameron's" afterwards.

What a hard time it was for postal workers with no vans!
(I've linked from Facebook so if that doesn't work it might be on YouTube)

2.4M views · 73K reactions | Pioneering postal worker Jean Cameron is filmed at work in Scotland, 1944 | IWM UKY 812 | Pioneering postal worker Jean Cameron is filmed at work in the remote, snow-covered Glens of Angus, Scotland, 1944. In 1941, noti

Pioneering postal worker Jean Cameron is filmed at work in the remote, snow-covered Glens of Angus, Scotland, 1944. In 1941, noting the job’s...

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[Montero]

It's funny how long it took for it to be socially acceptable for women to be in trousers in Western Society, whereas it was normal dress in a number of other societies including India. In the UK there was all the society for rational dress movement. It took working in factories and the like for women to be adopting the safety of trousers - nothing to catch in the machinery.
Entirely practical, though I do know of a couple of women who hate trousers because they just don't sit comfortably. I've never actually asked them if they've had them made to measure, because as ever shop fitting is not exactly aimed at a wide range of figures.

But yeah on the vans. I remember the postie when I was a kid - no van. As a treat I was allowed to go up our street and back with him and push letters through the easier letter boxes - he'd hand me a pile. It wasn't a road that lent itself to a van as the houses were accessed by a raised terrace and there were only steps at one end, and the pavement stayed level while the road rose to meet it.

I like some of the stories about posties who know their rounds so well that they can cope with weird addresses like "Well it's just outside Mells. Start from the pub and head east over the bridge and then there is a bridletrack on your left it's the white cottage up there." I did a quick search but everything came up about what to do if your parcel is misdelivered.