Postman Neil Burton celebrates 50 years on the job with his colleagues
A DEDICATED Stourport postman has celebrated an incredible milestone after clocking up 50 years of delivering in all weathers and avoiding angry dogs.
A first class stamp cost as little as five pence in old money back in 1968 when Neil Burton starting delivering in Kidderminster in 1968 as a 19-year-old.
But while the times have changed and postage costs increased significantly with them, the grandfather-of-two’s enthusiasm for the job remains the same.
His colleagues at Stourport Sorting Office held a party to mark his golden anniversary on Monday (June 4) and Mr Burton revealed he has no intention of retiring any time soon.
After leaving school, the 69-year-old had four jobs on farms in Worcestershire before trying his luck with Royal Mail.
His initial rounds were in Kidderminster before he started delivering letters, parcels and bills to Black Country residents and business in Dudley, Kingswinford and Brierley Hill.
Mr Burton then transferred to Stourport where he has been for the last 25 years serving the nearby Astley village come rain or shine.
He said: “The party was fantastic and I am really grateful to all my colleagues who made it special – the cake was extremely nice.
“I never thought I’d be still doing this job after 50 years. I applied for the job and thought ‘I’ll see how this goes’.
“But I got it and days became weeks, weeks became months and then years and here I am. I’ve never thought of doing anything else and I’ve really enjoyed it – even in the winter months.
“I’m going to continue doing it until the legs tell me I can’t. I turn 70 next month but I still love getting out and about and it keeps me fit and active.
“The job has changed a lot since I started. I used to start my rounds at 4.30am but now I start at 6.30am so I get more of a lie-in these days!
“What I really love about the job is meeting so many different people and hopefully putting a smile on their faces every morning.”
And what about the dogs he encounters on his daily rounds, so often the scourge of postmen and women despite being ‘man’s best friend’?
Mr Burton said: “Fortunately I haven’t been bitten by one in all these years. I’ve come close several times but I’ve been very lucky – so far!”