Villagers’ fond farewell to Dave the Post

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VILLAGERS gave their postman a great send off at the Royal Oak in Goodworth Clatford after 15 years of fantastic service to the community.

Residents packed into the pub on 23 December to show postman David Painter, or Dave the Post, as he is known, their appreciation, with special guest North West Hampshire MP Sir George Young presenting him with a leaving present collected from the community.

David had been a postman for 34 years and spent the last 15 years working in the Upper Clatford and Goodworth Clatford area.

Chairman of Goodworth Clatford Parish Council Alan Lloyd Davies said: “We have collected between Upper Clatford and Goodworth Clatford £1,109, which isn’t bad.

“There are a lot of people who are going to give him their own individual gifts, too.

“He has been a really good postman, he’s been a friend to us, and he goes out of his way to help out where he can.” Peter Burden, of St Peter’s Close, said: “He’s the only person I know who used to go out on his rounds each week with dog biscuits, which he would give to every dog he saw. And the thing is that he doesn’t own a dog himself.”

David then spoke to the residents to show his appreciation for what they had done.

“I just don’t know what to say,” he said. “At the end of the day I was only doing my job.

“When I was 60 I had the choice to leave, but as I loved the village so much I decided to stay until I was 65. The last 15 years of my job have been the best of my career so thank you very, very much.”