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Kath was officially appointed on Christmas Eve in 1975
A popular East Yorkshire postmistress is today celebrating an incredible 50 years in the role. Kath Acklam has been at the helm of Ottringham Post Office since Christmas Eve in 1975.
Her husband, John, had been the village postman and he served the area, where he was born and bred, for his whole working life. Kath grew up in nearby Sunk Island and the couple married in 1968.
At the time she was officially appointed as postmistress, Kath had two young sons – Robert, who was six months old, and Richard who was four and a half. They were looked after in their home by a babysitter who still lives in the village.
Since the Covid pandemic, Robert’s wife, Sharon, has also worked in the branch, helping out at busy times. Meanwhile, Kath’s great-grandson also lends a hand around Christmas by getting the large sacks of mail, with plenty of bulky parcels, ready for the postman.
Approaching the impressive half-century milestone, Kath’s loyal customers have been congratulating her on reaching her golden anniversary as postmistress and thanking her for her contributions to the village.
Kath said: “When I took on the branch at our home, it worked out well as we had two young boys. I never imagined that I would be postmistress for 50 years, but I love the role, so I don’t want to stop.
“The customers are lovely. They are very appreciative of the service that I provide. People are very supportive and I like to go the extra mile for my customers, and so does Sharon.
“It’s a very tight-knit community where everyone knows everyone and people don’t tend to move away. I know many generations of the same family.
“It’s been very busy Christmas period as lots of people do home shopping and they like to collect their parcels, including Amazon packages from here, and there’s lots of home shopping returns too. People can also do their everyday banking here, so they don’t have to travel to the nearest bank.”
Post Office regional manager David Atkins and area manager Martin Wyer visited the branch to present Kath with a Post Office 50 Year Long Service Award. Martin said: “We visited Kath at Ottringham Post Office for an early celebration of Kath’s 50 years of service as postmistress, just ahead of her major milestone on Christmas Eve. What an achievement!
“We spoke to some customers whilst there and it was clear just how much she is loved and part of the community. We wanted to thank her in person for her amazing long and service to the community.”
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