Hexham postman was first class

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HE’S regarded as ‘old school’, the type of postie every community wants.

But after 31 years on the beat in Hexham, Brian Addison hung up his mail bag for good last weekend.

Renowned for making life easy for ‘his’ people on the street, he was as likely to collect post from them, if he was passing the homes of the intended recipients further round his patch, as he was to stop and chat to those who might regard his visits as something of a lifeline

“When I started, the post office was regarded as a service, not a business,” he said.

“I’ve always thought in the back of my mind that for some old lady I might be the only person she sees that day, so if I can have a couple of minutes having a bit chat with her I will.


“Some people, particularly elderly people, wait for me.”

Brian walks between 10 and 12 miles a day, delivering mail to around 500 properties that could be anything from a simple letter to a parcel as big as a flat-screen TV.

Indeed, it could be a television. “People don’t realise we deliver anything and everything today, not just letters,” he said.

He’s gets to know his customers well, so much so he often gets attached to them. “You go through everything with them,” he said. “Births, deaths, marriages and even the death of their animals.

“You are delivering the cards and the letters of condolence, and with the latter you get to know the warning signs.


“You can see all the cards addressed to only one of them and you think ‘oh, this doesn’t look good’. I’m always hoping it’s a birthday, but you soon get to know - people share their news with you.”

Getting to know their animals could be a trial - he remembers all the dogs that have bitten him. One dog alone has bitten four postman in Hexham, the frustration being that because they are on private property, the owners are untouchable.

“On one occasion, a young lad opened the door and asked me for some elastic bands,” he said. “Their dog jumped out and bit my hand.

“His mother locked the dog inside while she bandaged my hand, but it escaped and ran round the outside of the house and bit me on the leg.”

He also remembers the bitterly cold mornings when he used to open up the now long-gone mail depot on Battle Hill, at 4.45am. Just getting the frozen padlock off the gate was a challenge.


His days have started at 6am in recent years, but that didn’t make much difference this past winter.

“If I’d had any doubts about retiring then this winter made my mind up!” he said.