A hard act to follow

Darlington postie, Dave Glasper, has made his last delivery to Bolam in County Durham after nearly 20 years of delivering to the small community.

Customers in Bolam said that Dave – who had been a postman since leaving the army in 1976 – always had a smile on his face, ‘even in the face of the infamous Bolam fog.’

Dave didn’t just receive a big 'thank you' from his loyal customers, but also a village collection and individual presents from families who will never forget him.

Bolam customer, Trish Pemberton, told the Northern Echo that Dave had been ‘the most amazing postman,’ and would be a ‘hard act to follow.’

Another customer added: ‘He’s been a smashing postman, always cheerful. Everyone in the village has nice things to say about him.’

A few other villages on Dave’s rural postal round also expressed gratitude to Dave’s amazing service, including Redworth and Newton. Dave ended his last shift with hundreds of cards – all addressed to him.

‘I was overwhelmed by the generosity of the people on my round,’ said Dave. ‘It was a bit emotional and I couldn’t really believe it. I was lucky enough to get to know them all in the village.

‘Everyone was so nice. During the first lockdown, I offered to help out by buying goods for people at the shop. Many residents are old, so it was difficult for them to get food.

‘There were times when I broke down and residents had to come and get me going again. There was also a time when I got stuck in the snow but, as the saying goes, the post must get through. I’d like to thank the people of Bolam for all their support through the years.’

Dave said he now intends to spend his retirement gardening and touring in his new caravan.

Operations graduate, Jack Dryden, said: ‘Dave was a model postman, spending 44 years in Darlington, and never having a complaint registered against him in that time. He will be greatly missed by everyone in Darlington Delivery Office, and we all hope that he keeps in touch.’