Jean Bean, née Bleach, retired after 30 years working for the Post
Office on Friday June 20, married her fiancé Charlie and had her retirement party the following day, then celebrated her 60th birthday on the Sunday.

At her combined retirement party andwedding reception, Jean was presented with Champagne, chocolates, golf equipment, restaurant vouchers and flowers – as well as a cake with a picture of a post van on it.

She said: "They couldn't get me a wedding cake because they didn't know I was getting married.

"It was a surprise wedding only a few of our close friends and family knew about it.

"I think a few people suspected but when we turned up to the party in our wedding outfits they realised."

The Steyning couple spent their honeymoon in mid-Wales and plan to have a second, extended honeymoon in Italy, later in the year.

Jean told the Herald her retirement had yet to sink in, and she felt like she would eventually have to go to work.

But it hadn't stopped her planning how she was going to fill her newly-acquired free time.

"I think we're going to play a lot of golf, go walking and have a few holidays away," she said.

"We want to hire a caravanette and drive around the coast of England, Scotland and Wales for three to four months, or however long it takes really."

Jean said the only sad thing she could remember in her time as a post woman was when the Steyning office was moved to Henfield.

"I've seen a lot of funny things over the years. People used to jump out of the bath quickly and stand behind glass doors not realising you can see them.

"I remember one year when it snowed really badly and I had to go up Mouse Lane, Steyning, to do a delivery. A little old lady came to the door and said 'I can't drive down the lane, it's impossible'. So I said 'Is there anything I can get for you?' thinking things like bread and milk. She asked for a bottle of scotch.

"I even got trapped by a flock of geese once. I had to shout for the farmer to come and rescue me."

In her 30 years delivering post Jean has moved from the bicycle to the van but the people around her have always been what she enjoyed most.

"I'm really going to miss all the friends I've made on my postal round and all my colleagues," she said.

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