Meet Britain’s oldest post mistress…
At 93, Kay White has been making sure everything is signed, sealed and delivered for nearly 80 years!
I’ll always remember the day I got my first job in the post office, despite the fact that it was nearly eight decades ago. I’d just left school at 14 years old and, in 1941, World War II was well underway.
During the conflict, community spirit was more important than ever, especially in Calverley, on the outskirts of Wolverhampton, where I lived, and I longed to help out in whatever way I could. And for me, the best place to start was the post office – the heart of our small society. And I wanted to be part of it.
‘Are you looking for staff, sir?’ I asked the post office owner, Ernest Jones. ‘ Yes, it would be great to have an extra pair of hands around here,’ he smiled. ‘Can you start tomorrow?’ Back in those days, I didn’t have to worry about a CV or an interview!
I skipped back to my family’s farm. I was delighted to have landed such a prestigious job – and my siblings Margaret, then 17, Reg, 19, and Roy, 18, were so proud of me too.
The next day, I put on my best clothes: a grey cardigan and a white frilly blouse with a full-length skirt. I wanted to look the part and make a good impression.
I began by sending off parcels and keeping the small shop neat and tidy by organising the cards and sweeping the floor.
Every day was different. One day I’d find myself comforting a distressed wife who was sending a letter to her soldier husband, the next I wouldn’t have time to chat as I’d be rushed off my feet.
The customers turned into
friends and soon, I knew them all on a first-name basis. ‘Is that a first-class stamp for you today, Mary?’ I’d ask. ‘ Yes please, it’s urgent,’ she’d reply.
I worked at the post office six days a week and on my day off, I worked at our local Sunday school.
‘I couldn’t imagine spending my life anywhere else,’ I explained to Ernest when he asked what my plans for the future were.
In my 20s, I was busier than ever as I juggled my time between the post office, volunteering for the parish council and the school. I was also the founder of the local Women’s Institute.
‘ When are you going to settle down with a nice man?’ asked my sister Margaret, then 30. ‘I haven’t got the time for a husband,’ I replied.
Some would say I was a workaholic as I put all my time and energy into the post office. Marriage and children didn’t appeal to me, as it simply wouldn’t fit into my busy schedule. Especially when Ernest sadly passed away in 1960, and I had to run the shop alone.
And my responsibilities only grew when I discovered he’d left me the post office and the house above it in his will. I couldn’t believe it – even though we’d worked together for 19 years, I didn’t expect to inherit anything.
I moved in and became the sub-postmistress at 33. ‘Don’t worry,
Mr Jones, it’s in good hands,’ I said, making myself a cup of tea in my new home.
I think he left it to me because he knew I’d look after his pride and joy for as long as I live.
And that’s exactly what I intend to do.
In 1992, I took on my niece, Ann Madeley, to help me and we’ve been working together ever since.
As the decades passed, people are shocked and pleasantly surprised to see I’m still behind the till. The shop isn’t much different to when I first started – apart from our electric till.
The customers are the same too. I’ve witnessed little boys turn into men and little girls start families of their own.
In a way, the community is my family – I’ve not married nor had children. In 2010, I celebrated 68 years working in the post office.
The regulars couldn’t believe I was still working at 83 – and neither could I. ‘I’m going to write to Buckingham Palace about you,’ said one of my regulars, who wanted to tell the Royal Family about all the work I’d done for the community. But unbeknownst to him, someone already had. One of my customers thought my hard work and dedication should be recognised, but I had to keep it a secret. I was awarded an MBE in the New Year’s Honours for my services as a post mistress and 38 years spent on the parish council.
It was one of the most memorable and rewarding moments of my life.
When the Queen stopped in front of me, she commented on how long I’d been working for the post office. ‘ Yes Ma’am, I’m still working like you,’ I replied, finally coming faceto-face with the woman I’d seen many, many times on the stamps I sold!
It’s now been 79 years but it doesn’t feel that long. The post office has kept me young. Ann, now 74, is amazed that I’m able to use a computer, even though I could throw it out of the window at times!
I’ll work for as long as I can, because I enjoy the hustle and bustle and if I close up, the village won’t have a post office. I’d hate it if people had to travel miles away to post parcels and pay their bills.
Some think I am crazy for working in my 90s, but I’m determined to keep delivering!
‘Marriage and children wouldn’t fit into my schedule’