A first-class Suffolk postman – who delivered mail to 365 addresses on his round – received a rousing send-off from dozens of grateful villagers he has served over the years following his retirement.
Steve Brown has been delivering letters and parcels to homes in Monks Eleigh, Chelsworth and Milden for more than 20 years, making him a regular welcome face in the small rural communities.
But illness has now forced him to take early retirement from his important village role.
Modest Steve, who said he knew everyone on his round by name, became a friend to his customers over the years and at the weekend there were three separate presentations - one from each village he covered - to mark the end of a postal era.
Mandy Coll, sub-postmistress at Monks Eleigh said: “Steve was not just our postman he was our friend too.
“He was always willing to help and nothing was too much trouble. He kept an eye on people and was an excellent example of a community postman.”
At the weekend, Steve was presented with cards and presents at special “goodbyes” at each of the three villages he served.
At Monks Eleigh he was handed cards and a cheque by parish council vice-chairman Patti Derry as more than 30 grateful residents looked on and cheered and there were similar “goodbye and thanks” groups at Chelsworth and Milden with gifts and cards.
Steve said: ”I have loved meeting people and I have felt really at home in my three villages.
“The weather has been a challenge sometimes and no-one likes getting soaked.
“But there have only been a dozen days in all that time that I wasn’t able to get through because of snow and the road conditions.
“I shall miss my round and the people - but I won’t miss the 7am starts although when I began the round we used to have to set out at 4.30am.”
Richard Stone, operations manager for Royal Mail said: “For over 20 years, Steve has been a real credit to Royal Mail and a loved member of his community.
“We would like to thank him for his long-standing service and commitment to always delivering a first class service.
“It has been a pleasure to work with him and the team at Hadleigh wish him all the very best on his retirement.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here