Justin Sainsbury, whose postal round covers Compton Chamberlayne and Barford St Martin, has been delivering smiles along with the usual letters and parcels
by Katrina Ffiske

Many of us have an idealistic vision of being a postman. We picture a van tootling round the countryside, packed full of cards and parcels, and a postman whistling happy tunes, bringing joy and cheer to each of his customers. Can this character really exist?
It seems that he does…
Residents of Compton Chamberlayne and Barford St Martin are lucky enough to have postman, Justin Sainsbury, to deliver their mail. Each and every resident I spoke to sang his praises.

A day in the life
I caught up with Justin, on his morning round, to find out about a day in the life of this popular postman. It is the height of summer and he is looking relaxed, dressed in the smart Royal Mail uniform of shorts and short-sleeved shirt. We chat leaning against a pristine clean red van. “My alarm goes off at 3.20am,” he told me. “I’m on my bicycle by 4am, at the collecting depot in Salisbury by 4.20am where I pack the van with tracked parcels. Up until 7am I deliver these, then return to the depot to collect letters. My day comes to an end at 3pm.”

Justin makes the job sound so simple, but as residents have said Justin is: “More than just a postman, for many of us he is a lifeline, checking up on us; He always has time to chat; Justin would often really brighten up my quiet day.”

The dog whisperer
Every dog seemed happy to hear Justin coming, it seems he knows all the dogs’ names and gives each one a warm pat on the head on arrival. One owner said how her lovable black lab waits every morning for Justin to arrive. She hears his van and waits for the letter to drop on the mat, the Labrador then delivers the letter by mouth to its owner.
But dogs are not always warm and welcoming. “It is a cliché but dogs really can be of the perils of the job,” said Justin. “Many of us get bitten by dogs, and once bitten it is a complicated process, involving Union Reps, and far too many forms to fill in, and of course we have to get a tetanus jab. Most postmen make it their business to get to know dogs. I have been bitten three times during my time as a postman.”
Justin really does go that extra mile, another resident said, keeping an eye on things and checking that residents are OK from day to day. A lady living on her own told how Justin once picked up her prescription for her. “I really do like to keep an eye on the elderly,” said Justin. “For some of them I can be the only friendly face that they see in the day. I do find myself changing light bulbs and on occasions buying milk and bread for customers. At one house, come December, I am taking Christmas decorations down from the loft and one month later I am there helping put them back up! It’s doing those things that make the job enjoyable.”

One resident at Barford St Martin praised Justin, telling how he checks up on residents, if he knows they may be in a vulnerable position. “I know all the residents so well,” Justin said. “If a certain person does not have any mail but I know they may be struggling, I cannot just walk past their door and not do anything. A small tap on the door to say hello to someone is a very small thing I can do. I am certainly not a hero; I know many other rural postmen get to know their customers and enjoy looking after them.”
One couple from Compton Chamberlayne told how during lockdown Justin was a lifeline to the village, arriving from the outside world, always cheerful, and always ready to chat. One gentleman spent time ordering masses of things online, Justin’s deliveries must have quadrupled as there were so many parcels to be delivered, but no-one ever heard him complain. Many said how he was a reassuring figure through those strange months.
“There were many more deliveries,” Justin confessed. “But I felt lucky that I was able to bring things to residents when most of them were stuck in their homes for 24 hours a day. The Royal Mail was one business that had to keep going, personally I would have hated to be stuck at home, so I felt the lucky one.”

Above and beyond
“Justin goes the extra mile” was a phrase I heard frequently. Most residents had an agreement as to where parcels should be left if they were out: behind a shed, next door to the recycling bin, behind the red flower pot. “I desperately try not to take parcels back to the depot,” Justin said. “It really is an hour of someone’s life wasted if they have to go and pick up a parcel, there is nowhere to park, you have to take identity, and there are limited opening hours.”
Had Justin always wanted to be a postman? In January 1998 he went straight from school in Salisbury to do a Youth Training Scheme as a postal cadet. Here he was introduced to every part of the job: early shifts, last shifts, sorting, delivering. “I loved it from the beginning,” Justin said. “I went on to be a postman for 20 years, based in Wilton, where I grew up and still live. Everything was delivered on a bicycle, then the Royal Mail system was changed. Vans were introduced and we had to drive round in pairs, streets would be split up between us, admittedly the job would be done quicker, but I missed my independence working on my own. I requested to go to a rural area and I was given Barford and Compton Chamberlayne.
“I have been doing these rounds for 10 years and I absolutely love it, driving round in beautiful countryside and delivering parcels to friendly people.”
Proof of how much Justin is respected is that on his 50th birthday, as he left his postal rounds, he found that his van was festooned with balloons, champagne and presents.
Congratulations Justin, you really are a genuine Ambassador for the Royal Mail.

Nominate your local hero
Is there someone in your town or village who makes a real difference to the lives of the people there? Someone who goes the extra mile to check on vulnerable and lonely residents, who’s always ready with a smile and a willing ear or who offers practical help without being asked? If so, we’d love to hear about them… Email the NBVM newsdesk@blackmorevale.net.