The Lord Mayor of York, Coun Peter Vaughan, climbed into the saddle to get first-hand experience of delivering this year's record Christmas post.
POSTMAN PETER: The Lord Mayor of York, Coun Peter Vaughan tries out a postman's cycle for the first time since 1961 on a visit to the Royal Mail sorting office in Leeman Road, York Picture by Garry Atkinson
An estimated 18 million cards, letters and packages are being delivered in the YO postcode area this Christmas and Coun Vaughan visited the Royal Mail sorting office in Leeman Road, York, to see how Royal Mail staff were coping.
It was the first time he has been involved in delivering the post since 1961 when, as a student in Oldham, Coun Vaughan did a spell as a relief postman.
He said: "It certainly brought back memories of my time as a postman, although things have changed and the bikes have got a lot more gears.
"I saw an amazing number of letters and parcels being sorted, but staff at the Royal Mail seemed to be doing an excellent job dealing with them."
It has become a tradition for the Lord Mayor of York to visit the Royal Mail every Christmas.
Coun Vaughan was given a tour of the sorting office by area manager Ian Wilson.
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