The grand old Duke of…

Congratulations to Davie Lawson for his colossal 48 years with Royal Mail

Congratulations to all our incredible long servers, including Cambuslang postie, Davie Lawson, who hung up his mail bag for the last time in December after almost five decades.

Much-loved, Davie Lawson, affectionately known by his colleagues as ‘Duke,’ has called time on his 48 years’ service out of Glasgow South East Delivery Office, to enjoy a well-earned retirement.

Davie dutifully followed in the footsteps of his dad, Hector, by becoming a postman, swapping one van for another when he gave up his job as a van boy to join the business as a teenager.

‘Known to many families for his friendly wave and cheerful demeanour, the announcement of his retirement, posted on social media by colleague, Kenny Reeves, attracted hundreds of messages from grateful customers from Eastfield to Blantyre and along the rural routes to East Kilbride, many of whom considered Davie as not only their postman, but also their friend.

Davie said he had known some of them since school. ‘I just like meeting all my customers,’ he told the Daily Record. ‘It’s the best part of the job. That is what I will miss most – my customers and my colleagues.

‘There are a lot of new starts, but I have known some of my colleagues for many years. We always had a laugh and a carry on.’

Up until the moment he handed over the keys to the van, he had been driving for the past 35 years, Davie had always refused to divulge to colleagues why he’s always been known as Duke. He swore he’d keep it a closely guarded secret until the day he retired, when colleagues gathered for his presentation and the long-awaited revelation behind his nickname.

‘It all started when I joined when I was 18,’ said Davie. ‘Back then, Royal Mail didn’t supply you with footwear, so I came in with boots on. They weren’t really cowboy boots. Or at least I didn’t think so. My boss at the time nicknamed me Duke, because of John Wayne, and it stuck.

‘They’ve all been trying to find out for years why they call me Duke, and I just kept saying: “I’ll tell you when I retire.”’

Davie now plans to spend more time with his wife Agnes, his four grandchildren and his dog, Milo.

Among those to give Duke a warm send-off were customers in Loanend, who decorated their doors with balloons and banners, showered him with cards and gifts, and posted the below good wishes on Facebook.

‘David has been our postman for 17 years and what a wonderful man – always helpful and couldn’t do enough to help you. I hope he has a long and happy retirement.’
‘Good luck. Long life and happiness in your retirement. Well done, Mr Postie.’
‘Happy retirement, Davie. Such a genuinely nice guy. Loanend Cottages will miss you.’
‘Happy Retirement, Davie! Our Loanend postman! Been a pleasure lovely man. We’ve shared many a story and you’ve listened to my woes on several occasions. You’ve even had a bacon sandwich on your rounds. We will miss you!’

Delivery line manager, Scot Cameron, said: ‘Davie was a well-liked and respected postman. His customers made a great fuss of him with gifts and cards all through his last week.

‘One group of cottages even said that had it not been for Covid-19, they would have had a full spread laid out for him. They still made an effort and took lots of photos of him.

‘Davie said he’s now planning on taking up golf to keep himself active in his retirement. His colleagues Kenny Reeves and Allan Murphy will miss him especially.’

Congratulations to all our colleagues, celebrating 50 and 40 years’ service in January.

50 years