Tributes paid to popular Waterlooville postman who went the extra mile
MISSED Arthur Hind
HE WAS a popular postman who residents trusted. Harking back to the days when everyone knew their local roundsman, Arthur Hind would pop into neighbours’ houses while they were on holiday to check things were OK.
Now tributes have been paid to Mr Hind, who has died at the age of 63.
Mr Hind, of Jubilee Road, Waterlooville, was taken ill with leukaemia last November and had been receiving treatment at Queen Alexandra Hospital for the last three months.
He married his long-term partner Jan in a bedside ceremony in December.
Paying tribute to his brother, Bob, a columnist for The News who contributes to our Remember When pages, said Arthur was a pillar of the community.
He said: ‘His customers trusted him so much that when they went on holiday some gave him their house keys and each evening while they were away Arthur would go around and turn the lights on to deter burglars.
‘In the morning, on his round, he would turn them off again.
‘As you can imagine, his house was like an off licence at Christmas with all his gifts.’
Mr Hind was born at St Mary’s Hospital, Milton, in 1948 and his parents moved to the Leigh Park estate in 1949 when much of it was still fields and it was known as Stockheath.
Attending Riders Lane, Barncroft, Broomfield and Oak Park schools, he left education and joined the Co-op in Park Parade as a trainee butcher, working his way up to manager.
His hobby in the 1960s was cricket and 10-pin bowling at the Ambassador in Somborne Drive, gaining many trophies. One was for 10 consecutive strikes. An accident with a bandsaw saw him having to give up on the 10-pin and try his hand at bowling.
He was soon a stalwart of the local bowling scene and bowled for Waterlooville, Denmead, Havant and latterly, the Water Company in Bedhampton.
When he was at Waterlooville he became the social secretary and each year arranged a charity bowls tournament.
Over the years more than £5,000 was raised for local charities, including the Rowans Hospice in Purbrook.
Mr Hind also adored cricket.
Bob said: ‘He would often travel around the country when a teenager to watch Hampshire play. He was a traditionalist and hated the “pyjama game” of today. Always a whites and red ball man.’
Later in life Mr Hind became a postman, based in Waterlooville. He became depot manager at Bognor Regis until he retired last March. Bob added: ‘There was nothing they could do for him in the end and his family managed to get him home where he wanted to be last Friday evening.’
He passed away at 6am on the following day.
His funeral will be on Tuesday, February 21, at 1pm at St Thomas’s Church, Bedhampton and afterwards, interment at Warblington.
· Born: May 8, 1948 Died: February 4, 2012
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Portsmouth
Friday 25 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 13 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 13 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 24 mph
Wind direction: East
Comments
There are 1 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
Greenerboy
Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 08:41 AMSadly The Royal Mail don't see the value of Mr Hind type posties and are stretching our postmen to the limit. My postie is of a similar ilk to Mr Hind and I gladly give him a xmas box to show my gratitude. My sympathy goes out to Mr Hind's family and hope they take comfort in the endearment that followed him.
Page 1 of 1
Your view
Please sign in to be able to comment on this story.