Sub-postmaster Bob Gillespie presents a spoof Sun front page to Broughton’s village postman Geoff Collis at his retirement party on Saturday
A FORMER postman has been given a belated farewell party.
Family, friends and villagers paid tribute to Broughton’s ex-postie, Geoff Collis’s work in the community during a farewell presentation on Saturday evening. Geoff, who was 62 on Monday, retired in the autumn but villagers were unable to give him a send-off then because he was undergoing a hip replacement.
Village sub-postmaster Bob Gillespie said: “Geoff was an old fashioned postman who liked doing his delivery rounds on his bike and was disappointed when he had to deliver in a van.
“He enjoyed meeting villagers and would go the extra 10 miles as a postman. He would check up on the elderly when he was going his round. I know that he used to tap on the window of one old lady in the village to make sure she was OK.”
Mr Gillespie added that Geoff did a lot for the village behind the scenes and was a very quiet and modest man.
Saturday’s party took place at Broughton FC’s club house.
During the party Bob presented Geoff with farewell gifts on behalf of villagers. These included a spoof Sun newspaper front page story with the headline ‘Geoff Enjoy Your Retirement – Collis finally gets to sit back and enjoy retired life’.
He was also given a special cake decorated with a post-box, a post-bike and letters, baked by villager, Louise Elsey. Geoff, who is married with two sons and a daughter, said : “It is such a lovely cake that I don’t want to cut it.”
Commenting on the changes to the Royal Mail which he has witnessed, Geoff said: “They got rid of my bike just over a year ago and gave me a delivery van which I didn’t like. I could see more from my bike and I met more people. I am going to miss the people but not that van.”
Geoff said he had enjoyd his part and thanked everyone involved.