Villagers' praise for retiring Denbighshire postman

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http://www.eveningleader.co.uk/news/Vil ... 4728510.jp

Published Date: 25 November 2008

Denbighshire villagers have given their postman a first-class send-off on his 65th birthday.

Llew Davies retired on Wednesday after delivering his last mail in Llandyrnog, Denbighshire, and more than 50 villagers gathered at the Cocoa Rooms to hand him a cheque for £500 as well as individual gifts and cards.

"It was wonderful. It was a tremendous turnout. I was gobsmacked," said Llew who was a postman in Llandyrnog and Llangynhafal for 40 years.

"I really enjoyed my job. I suppose I was fortunate in that respect. I enjoyed going round and chatting to the people."

Llew, who once helped to nab burglars during his round, said that postmen now had less time to make more calls.

"I think the personal touch is coming to an end," he said.

Llew, of Trewen, Denbigh, was raised in Llandyrnog.

After attending the village school and Caledfryn School in Denbigh, he left at 15 to work for Eifion Hughes at Penpalmant Farm and later worked at Llangwyfan Hospital and Denbigh Infirmary, before joining the Royal Mail in 1968.

"My first delivery round was Llangynhafal, which for the greater part absorbs much of the parish of Llandyrnog," he said.

"After 19 years on the Llangynhafal round, the Llandyrnog round became vacant and for the past 21 years I have had a very enjoyable time delivering mail in this great village."

During one of his rounds about 15 years ago, Llew helped to foil raiders at a home on the outskirts of the village by blocking a lane with his van, and on another occasion his St John Ambulance first-aid training came in handy when he attended to a horse rider who had broken her collar bone in a fall at Llangwyfan.

Llew, who moved to Denbigh when he married his wife Ann in 1968, captained the village's summer league football team and is a past captain of Denbigh Golf Club.

Llew, who had the honour of being president of Llandyrnog Flower Show in August, aims to play more golf in his retirement and to tackle some overdue DIY jobs.

Peter Wilson, editor of the village newspaper Village Voice, who presented the cheque to Llew, said: "Nearly everyone has an anecdote of their own (about Llew) and what he has done is over and above his duty."

He added: "He will be a hard act to follow."