An adventurous Dartmoor postman will post his last letters on Thursday (July 31) after delivering to the village of Widecombe-in-the-Moor and its surrounds for more than a quarter of a century.
Mike Leaman has certainly left his stamp on the community he has served for the last 28 years. And, to show their appreciation, villagers are organising a farewell party in Church House Inn.
His community spirit is epitomised by the thousands of pounds he has raised for charity through his daredevil antics. He jumped 10,000 feet out of a plane on a parachute jump in aid of Hearing Dogs for Deaf People after being ‘press ganged’ into it by one of his customers, who was the charity’s south west co-ordinator. On another occasion, he cycled across the Himalayas on a Post Office bike to raise money for Mencap.

He is also a regular participant in competitions held at Widecombe Fair and the village Christmas Tree competition.
Mike started as a postman 47 years ago in Newton Abbot where different rounds took him around the town and to Kingskerswell, Kingsteignton, Coffinswell and Wolborough. He later went out on the truck to Totnes, covering the South Hams. Then, in 1997, he took on the Widecombe job, which takes him across the moors to Poundsgate and Pondsworthy.
‘Not much has changed,’ Mike reflected. ‘Although kids I used to see on my rounds now have their own kids.’ Mike is so well known on his rounds that he’s even been to a couple of weddings.
Being witness to life celebrations is one of the best parts of his job. On one occasion, when he was delivering a telegram from the Queen to a couple celebrating their golden wedding anniversary, he decided to have a bit of fun. I made a pouch from a red mail sack and carried the telegram on it like a cushion,’ he recalled.
Duchy farms also get royal mail from the Duke of Cornwall. At Christmas there is always a gift. ‘You’ve got something from the boss, I say as I hand it over,’ Mike quipped.
A royal once prevented him from delivering the mail. Mike was driving up the lane to Shallowford Farm when he was turned away. A helicopter was parked in the field and Prince Edward was visiting. ‘I had to come back later,’ Mike said. ‘I’m usually held up by sheep or cows, it’s not often a Royal,’ he added.
The postie’s nemesis, dogs, haven’t been such a problem. ‘I’ve only been bitten really badly once,’ Mike said. ‘It was a bloodhound.’ There are 52 dogs on his rounds, and they tend to be pleased to see him.
The weather has only got the better of Mike once, when he got snowed in at Widecombe and ended up having to stay the night in the village.
Mike plans to spend his retirement getting out on his bike more often and creating things like wooden house signs in his workshop. While he will miss being out in the elements on Dartmoor, watching the swifts and swallows and listening out for the first cuckoo of the season, he will be pleased not to have to get up on dark, cold winter mornings to trudge through wind, rain and snow.
Comments
This article has no comments yet. Be the first to leave a comment.