West End Post Office

Also known as The Jolly Tucker

Also known as The Jolly Weaver

Situation
On the north side of West End, Witney, between Broad Hill and Narrow Hill.

History
The Post Office here was formerly the site of the 'Jolly Tucker' (some sources say the 'Jolly Weaver') alehouse that is said to have been a favourite haunt of the local tuckers and one of the places that the Witney Tuckers' Feast was held. Until the 19th century tuckers were the gangs of men employed by master weavers to carry out the finishing processes involved in making blankets. Even after blankets began to be made in mills and factories, the workers in the finishing departments were still known as 'tuckers' and the tradition of having a Tuckers' Feast every Shrove Tuesday persisted in Witney until the late 1960s at the firm of Charles Early and Marriott Ltd. The Feast was originally the time when the weavers had to settle up and pay the tuckers for their work; it was held at various places in the town over the years.

Clare Sumner