When Milford chums Bernard Beavan and Robert Best decided to ditch their previous jobs and jump ship to the Post Office, little did they think that four decades later they’d still be delivering mail in precisely the same areas.
“We both started on exactly the same day, just 15 minutes apart, and 40 years on, we’re still at it, “laughs Bernard in that jovial manner that so many Pembrokeshire people have grown to love and admire.
“ Our original idea was that the Post Office would be a temporary job until we found something else, but it wasn’t to be.”
Bernard, who hails from Hakin, and Robert, whose father, Charlie, ran a popular butcher’s shop in Milford town centre, began their careers in 1982 in the main sorting office in Milford Haven.
Every morning at 5.30am, they would meet the train as it entered Milford station and then transport the bursting mail bags to the sorting office where each individual item had to be sorted by hand.
“Today, of course, things are much different as everything is electronically sorted, but back then, all the mail came in loose and had to be sorted into its respective district,” explains Bernard.
The Milford Haven patch extended from Herbrandston and around the rear of the former Amoco refinery before moving on to Llanstadwell, Steynton, Waterstone,Burton and Rosemarket.
“One of the great perks of the job is being outside in the fresh air and having the opportunity to meet so many people in the community,” said Bernard.
“And for some of the people who live here, particularly the older residents, the postman may be the only person they’ll see all day. And of course this was what was happening during Covid when people couldn’t go out anywhere to meet their friends and family.”
The covid pandemic also saw a tremendous upsurge in parcel deliveries for the postal workers.
“Every day was like Christmas as people were buying more and more things online, but this is actually the case all year round.
“People are sending fewer letters these days, but parcels and packages have gone absolutely mental, particularly at this time of the year. We’re sometimes overwhelmed by the amount we have to deliver.”
The Haverfordwest sorting office’s delivery area is one of the largest in the country extending from St David’s right up to the north Preselis; Bernard’s patch covers Rosemarket, Burton, Barn Lake and their surrounding areas as well as the garages and trading estates around Neyland, while Robert covers Waterston and the Llanstadwell areas.
“The Royal Mail used to be a service but now that it’s gone private, it’s a business. And this means that the pressures are being ramped up all the time. But we’re sticking to a 7.3am start and a 3pm finish, and we're drawing the line at working on Sundays.
“But at the end of the day, being a postman for all these years is something me and Bestie are proud of."
And the chances are, they'll be doing the rounds for a few more years to come. Happy Christmas both!
