First class Newmarket postie Karl Drayton has been doing same round for 40 years

When Karl Drayton lost his job as a mechanic when the garage in Dullingham, near Newmarket, where he worked closed, his mum, then post mistress in neighbouring Stetchworth, suggested he help out with the Christmas post.

Within months that temporary job had become permanent and on Wednesday Karl celebrated being Dullingham’s postman for 40 years.

The Post Office was in Karl’s blood as his mum Eileen, who died in 2021, had run Stetchworth post office with his dad Bill for 40 years until she retired in 1991. Before that it had been run by his grandfather.

Brought up in Dullingham, Karl was in familiar territory when he first started his deliveries, but over the intervening four decades there have been changes.

“My round has changed a bit. It now includes London Road (in Newmarket) and places like the Newmarket Equine Hospital and there are a lot more houses to deliver to,” said Karl.

In the early days Karl used a bicycle for his deliveries but switched to four wheels in 1991, which helped as his round grew.

Today it numbers around 400 households.

“There are new estates and infill houses,” said Karl. “But local knowledge is a real advantage and I can find most people.

“I have got to know most of my customers over the years. Some I am delivering to I went to school with their parents.”

Now 62, Karl recently decided to work part-time.

“I have been having a bit of knee trouble so decided to pull back a bit,” he said, “but at the moment I have no plans to retire.”

Formerly of Newmarket, Karl and his wife, Lesley, a nurse who now lectures at Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, live in Kennett.

On Saturday, SuffolkNews and the Newmarket Journal caught up with Karl after he had got back from his round, when he found himself at the centre of a surprise celebration of his 40 years service organised by his fellow posties at the Newmarket delivery office, in The Avenue.

“I was well and truly stitched up,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting it and it was a bit of a surprise but they are a great bunch here. Newmarket has always been a good office with lots of good banter.”

And although he has four decades under his belt, Karl is not quite the longest serving at Newmarket.

“I have been there the second longest time,” he said.