Alex Ramsay was a postman for 17 years including a seven-year stint in Knockentiber.
An East Ayrshire village produced a first-class finish for their postman on his retirement.
Alex Ramsay, who was a postman for 17 years, served the village of Knockentiber for seven years and during that time became a key part of the tight-knit community.
He retired just days before his 66th birthday and the villagers put a stamp on it by giving him a brilliant send-off.
Not only did they turn out in numbers to wish him well, they presented him with a range of gifts which included a bottle of Isle of Harris gin, a cake in the shape of a parcel, a knitted postman doll and around £600 all donated by well-wishers in the village.
Lynn Roy, one of the villagers who organised the ‘lift’ for Alex, presented him with his gifts and said: “When the village heard you were retiring we immediately wanted to mark the occasion.
“You’ve been part of the village for many years now and always go the extra mile. Many people have their own stories about how you’ve served them and helped them over the years.
He will use his cash gift to buy photography equipment.
A gobsmacked Alex said: “I had no idea this was coming; absolutely speechless, it’s quite amazing. I don’t feel I deserve all this, I’m just doing my job delivering letters. It’s overwhelming they’ve done this for me and it means a lot.
“I’ve been working all the way throughout the pandemic delivering the post. I think since the pandemic started maybe people appreciate that the key workers are still working and giving them a service, especially if they’re stuck in isolation.
“Knockentiber’s a great wee village, it’s a lovely community. The way they’ve worked to tidy the place up and campaigned against litter, you can see the village is spotless now and it’s got a real community spirit, the people are great.”