1958-1971 The Time of Day in the Main Office.
The commemorative handstamp postmarks allowed for a time to be shown. All mail requesting registration needed to be dealt with in the mobile office at Ground as a registration service using the commemorative postmarks was not provided in the main office. The main purpose of the mobile office was to provide a registration service.
Generally, the space for the time in the handstamp was left blank but there were two exceptions. Ordinary non-registered mail posted in the mobile office Mondays to Fridays was normally brought to the main office for postmarking where a time was always shown in the handstamp. The main office did not stay open on Saturday afternoons and on weekdays it closed late afternoons, therefore, ordinary mail posted in the mobile office on Saturdays and during the week after the last collection of mail for the main office had gone, was then postmarked in the mobile office. The times used were 12.45.PM 2.15.PM 3.-PM 4.30.PM 5.-PM 6.45.PM 7.-PM and 7.15.PM
Postmarked in the main office 12.45.PM, Thursday, 5th July 1962. That year the handstamp showing the stop after the post code was used in the main office.
Postmarked in the main office 12.45.PM, Friday, 28th June 1963 and Monday, 22nd June 1964. The handstamp used in the main office in 1963 showed the stop and in 1964 that without the stop was used.
Postmarked in the main office 3.-PM, Monday, 8th July 1963. That year the handstamp showing the stop after the post code was used in the main office.
Heavy rain completely washed out play on the last Saturday of The Championships causing the last four finals to be delayed until the following Monday 8th July.
Postmarked in the main office 3.-PM, Wednesday, 22nd June 1960. That year the handstamp showing the stop after the post code was used in the main office.
Postmarked in the main office 5.-PM, Friday, 28th June 1960. That year the handstamp showing the stop after the post code was used in the main office.
Postmarked in the main office 7.15.PM, Wednesday, 27th June 1958. That year the handstamp showing the stop after the post code was used in the main office. 7.15.PM was the last time in the day used in the main post office before it closed for the day.
The new smaller handstamp introduced in 1965 continued to show the same times as used in in 1958 to 1964. Each handstamp could now be identified by the space between the words ALL ENGLAND, one larger than the other.
Postmarked in the main office 12.45.PM, Saturday, 3rd July 1971, the last day of The Championships. In 1971 the handstamp that had the larger gap between the words ALL ENGLAND was used in the main office.
It appears that in 1971 this cover was stamped for registration and sent in by post to the Wimbledon office requesting that it be dealt with in the mobile office at the Ground. It was not registered, probably because it was received on the last day of The Championships and too late to be sent to the mobile office for registration. It was therefore handstamped in the main office.
Postmarked in the main office 2.15.PM, Friday, 3rd July 1970. That year the handstamp with the larger gap between the words ALL ENGLAND was used in the main office.
Postmarked in the main office 3.-PM, Monday, 28th June 1965. That year the handstamp that had the larger gap between the words ALL ENGLAND was used in the main office.
Postmarked in the main office 4.30.PM, Friday, 3rd July 1970. In 1970 the handstamp with the larger gap between the words ALL ENGLAND was used in the main office.
Postmarked in the main office 5.-PM, Thursday, 24th June 1965. In 1965 the handstamp that had the larger gap between the words ALL ENGLAND was used in the main office.
Postmarked in the main office 6.45.PM, Monday, 22nd June 1970. In 1970 the handstamp that had the larger gap between the words ALL ENGLAND was used in the main office.
Postmarked in the main office 7.-PM, Tuesday, 22nd June 1965. In 1965 the handstamp that had the larger gap between the words ALL ENGLAND was used in the main office.
1963 With and Without Time in the Main Office
A copy of an ordinary unregistered letter with two different postmarks both dated Tuesday, 2nd July 1963. Both postmarks are without the stop after the post code S.W.19 which was the handstamp used in the main office in 1963.
It would appear that this cover was received in the main office with a request that one stamp be cancelled with the ordinary handstamp used in the main office showing a time and other stamp cancelled with a handstamp with space for showing a time left blank. Normally all postmarks applied in the main office showed a time. This is the only known example with a postmark applied in the main office that does not show a time which must have been done as a favour. Both postmarks do not have the stop after the post code S.W.19 which was the handstamp used in the main office in 1963.
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