Praise for ‘first class’ postie as he retires after 47 years:
What residents think of their postie as he retires after 47 years:
APOPULAR postman has retired after 47 years of service. Stephen Jewell, from Valley, is so popular with customers that a Go Fund Me page was set up during the pandemic as a way to thank him for all the extra parcels he was delivering.
He says he fell into the job “by chance” in 1973 when he bumped into the postmaster in the pub.
He was looking for a job that would allow him to fulfil his commitments to Holyhead Town Football Club, but most of the work available involved weekend shifts.
So when he got an offer to work as a postman, Steve says he jumped at the opportunity and has “not looked back since”.
Stephen has been married to Wendy for 42 years. They have two children – Jonathan, 37, and Toya, 31 – and three grandchildren – Max, Jake and Archie.
Having worked in Valley for nearly five decades, the 66-yearold is a popular character in the area, as seen by the number of cards and gifts he has received since his last shift on Friday.
Residents also set up a Go Fund Me page for Stephen during the first lockdown after seeing how hard he had been working.
“Working during the pandemic has been hectic because there’s so many packages to deliver. It’s been like Christmas every day.
“With the reception I got on my last day, I was quite overwhelmed, to be honest.
“I’ve received over a hundred cards and gifts. Some of the residents also set up a Go Fund Me page for me during the first lockdown that raised £1,000, which was unbelievable.”
One of the main benefits of working as a postman, Stephen says, is that it helped him keep fit.
“The job has always helped me keep fit. When I was younger, it allowed me to play my football, but I would also cycle from house to house during my shifts.
“I would do around 12 miles a day – I can’t imagine how much that is in steps,” he said.
Though the fresh air and the cycling were positives of the role for Stephen, the biggest reason why he stayed in the job for so long was because of its social side.
“The main thing I enjoyed about the job was the people. I’ve seen people grow up, I’ve been to weddings and funerals.
It’s been a big part of my life that I might not have had without it,” Stephen said.
Inevitably, there have been some changes over the years.
“The main difference from when I started is the technology,” he said. “I deliver to the same places pretty much, but now there’s track and trace and signed-for deliveries and stuff like that.
“Before the days of the internet, I’d just knock on a door with a parcel and that would be it. During those days, I’d pass on information in the village – people would come to me for the news, in a way.
“If someone was ill or had passed away, I’d be the one that would pass on the message. People would ask me on my shifts ‘any news today, Steve?’”
He has many fond memories from over the years, but one shift stands out in particular for him.
“One time, back in the ’70s, I delivered a pig in the back of a van to Valley market,” he said.
“I arrived at this smallholding and the people there were upset because the person who was going to deliver their pig to the market had not turned up.
“They were distraught because the pig would have been worth a decent amount of money to them, so I took it there myself.
“I got it to the market on time and it fetched a good price as well.
“It was definitely one of my stranger deliveries.”
And finally, Steve added: “I just want to thank everyone in Valley for their kindness over the years and over the past few days in particular.
“I’ve made some friends for life in this job and for that I’m very grateful.”