By Pamela McGowan

Last updated 08:38, Friday, 13 June 2008

For the people he delivers mail to every day, Jim Warwick is more than just a postman, he is a friend.

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Jim Warwick

The popular postie will hang up his mailbag after his round today, having served the Brampton area for almost 30 years.

In that time he has worked on every round and even had a two-year stint as a manager.

But Mr Warwick, who celebrates his 65th birthday on Monday, said being the boss wasn’t really for him.

He decided to pack it all in to get back out into the fresh air and local community, taking on the Castle Carrock round.

For more than 10 years now he has served this area, which also includes the villages of Talkin, Farlam and Greenwell, and become a fixture in each of the village communities.

He says he probably knows every person by name and will miss his regular chats.

“A few people have said that I’m not just a postman, I’m a friend – which is nice,” said Mr Warwick.

“I’ve done every round going in the Brampton area over the past 29-and-a-half years and I’ve enjoyed it all, but I think this round is the best,” he said.

“I used to do it back in 1979 then eventually came back to it. For me the best thing about being a postman is being outside. I love the area up in the fells and around Talkin Tarn.

“We all have different views but I think Castle Carrock is the best round of the lot. I think there’ll be a queue for it now that I’m retiring.”

Over the years Mr Warwick, who lives in Brampton with wife Shirley, has seen many changes in the Royal Mail.

He said that one of the most significant has been the arrival of the internet, which has seen a huge shift towards email – but also a massive rise in products being delivered by post.

“We thought that email might reduce the amount of post we were delivering and in a way it has, but things like ebay, internet shopping and television shopping channels have really taken off,” he said.

“So, although there might not be as many letters and business mail, there is much more package mail to deliver.”

Mr Warwick, who was a founder member of Brampton Cottage Hospital’s League of Friends in 1977, is looking forward to his newfound freedom but is still deciding what to do with all his free time.

Most of all he wants to spend time with Shirley, catering manager at Hallbankgate School, and son Nicky, an ambulance technician and a founder member of the Brampton First Responders.

But he says adjusting to a normal life will take some getting used to.

He said: “I’ve been getting up at 4am for years, so being able to have a lie-in will take a bit of getting used to!”