Postman refuses to deliver in cobbled street
A POSTMAN is refusing to walk less than 20 yards along a cobbled street because it could be "dangerous".
But when his colleagues fill in for him, they happily walk along Bilton Terrace in Bideford, the town's last cobbled road, said resident Sally Bellamy.
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Sally Bellamy
Mrs Bellamy, 53, said she and her neighbours had suffered from an erratic postal delivery service for three years.
She described the situation as ridiculous and said although she suffered from arthritis in her ankles and other joints, she had no problem crossing the cobbles.
She said that, for health and safety reasons, her regular postman would only drop her mail off with a neighbour at the end of terrace — where he has to negotiate only a few cobbles.
But when he has a day off, other postmen will deliver straight to her door.
Mrs Bellamy wants some consistency in Royal Mail's service.
She said: "I've been told it's my path that's dangerous, but the slates have been there for 280 years without a problem.
"Courier parcels get delivered and fruit and veg gets delivered.
"They don't have problems — I don't believe my postman is endangering his life."
But Michael Dalton, from Royal Mail, said the company was making deliveries to the terrace, except when it was considered unsafe.
He said: "The road is in a poor state of repair and when wet or icy it can become dangerous.
"There are occasions when we have not been able to make deliveries and alternative arrangements have been made.
"We are in contact with residents and continue to seek a solution with them."
But Mrs Bellamy, whose family, ironically, ran the post office in Clovelly when she was a child, disputes that deliveries stop only when it's raining or icy.
She said she has gone through many dry weather periods without receiving any mail.
She said: "We're in a conservation area here and we're not allowed to take the cobbled slates up.
"Tarmac would make the terrace smoother, but it looks beautiful here.
"I don't think it is dangerous."
21 Comments
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by asif, wales
Thursday, February 18 2010, 3:06PM
“sorry but i am with the posty on this, the path looks a hazard to me, why break your ankle for a letter? its uneven and has plant life growing on it..how would she feel if he fell & bumped his head on the wall...sort the path out & its all ok. health and safety is your responsability aswell. contrary to what the lady says i think someone has slipped on this path previously hense the caution.”
by ummm, Local
Saturday, February 06 2010, 3:11PM
“What is it all coming to, perhaps they need to give these dear posties walking lessons as well as the reading lessons they need”
by shaun & stacy, bideford
Friday, February 05 2010, 7:43PM
“good on you postie - i too have slipped on these cobbles - over the years im sure they have moved. i know common sense must prevail in these strange circumstances but im in total agreement with you. maybe its a round for a younger postie as if you are the one i am thinking of you must be near the retirement age. anyway stand your ground postie if you can stay on your feet!!!”
by Paul, Croyde
Friday, February 05 2010, 5:51PM
“Sam from Braunton - don't understand why Mrs Bellamy would need to check her legal position unless she owns the road? If it's a public highway then the only people the postie could sue would be the council and even then he'd only stand a chance if he could prove that they hadn't maintained the street properly. At the end of the day a cobbled street is a cobbled street and we all know they are uneven and do get slippery, the postie knows this too and should just take the same care anyone else would when walking on it.”
by sam, braunton
Friday, February 05 2010, 5:35PM
“whilst it is easy to ridicule the postie perhaps it would be an idea if the lady in question took appropriate legal advice re her position if the postie or others were to slip and fall on the cobbles. she may be surprised at her findings...! I am no lawyer but i would love to know what the real legal position is! Whilst I also feel that they should present no problem we do live in litigation mad times!! From the picture the cobbles do look uneven, slimy, and on a slope so may well be a danger.Re the larina's comment about the cobbles being there for many years , I'm afraid that holds no water as councils are checking and removing old gravestones that they consider dangerous although old!!”
by brian, bideford
Friday, February 05 2010, 3:35PM
“good god .Royal mail sack this postie . my postman said to me that this if you dnt deliver the mail its called WILFUL DELAY OF MAIL which i recon is a sackkable affence. ive seen this postman walking around god its like watching paint dry ,slow and gormless . redeliver the mail and sack the pansy”
by lee, north devon
Friday, February 05 2010, 12:42PM
“give the posty the clovelly round so he can get some practise in!”
by devonbayupnorth, thenorth
Friday, February 05 2010, 11:00AM
“He should be sacked, there is a recession on give somone else his job! any excuse to strike with these postal people!!!”
by Fred Oliver Adrian Damien, Down End
Friday, February 05 2010, 9:58AM
“I'm so glad email & internet was invented. This story only aids the fuel for the fire with forthcoming postal strikes.”
by Pete, Pilton
Friday, February 05 2010, 8:09AM
“The mind boggles.
Strangely I have been walking for 65 years, over all surfaces and can not remember falling on cobbles, Concrete, Tarmac,
Snow and ice yes.but not cobbles
Perhaps the poor dear is tired and emotional, after a night on the Lager.
Give the job to someone who can do it. Elf and Safety maness.”