Alan Cleaver
@postalpathsguy.bsky.social
Author of books on UK footpaths. My book, Postal Paths, is due out April 2025 detailing the route used by rural postmen and women in the 19th and 20th Centuries. I live in Cumbria, UK. Follow me if you love walking footpaths. https://linktr.ee/postalpaths
Pinned
Alan Cleaver
@postalpathsguy.bsky.social
· Nov 12
I spend my days walking old postal paths in Britain that were once walked by rural postmen and women. In the evening, I handwrite letters.
Tonight (Monday October 27th 2025) at 10pm on BBC2. The brilliant Leonard and Hungry Paul from @ronanhession.bsky.social
October 27, 2025 at 9:28 AM
Tonight (Monday October 27th 2025) at 10pm on BBC2. The brilliant Leonard and Hungry Paul from @ronanhession.bsky.social
I am going to take a break from social media for a while. I'll pop back with any important news (or pictures of really cute kittens), but in the meantime, thanks for your continued support and stay well - Alan.
October 2, 2025 at 7:40 AM
I am going to take a break from social media for a while. I'll pop back with any important news (or pictures of really cute kittens), but in the meantime, thanks for your continued support and stay well - Alan.
"These servants of the State are frequently unreliable, capricious in their duties and liable to prolonged absenteeism," - March 1953 and boss David Gamman testifies to MPs about the Post Office's laziest employees: Cats
share.google/f6XlKH3ZjfQK...
share.google/f6XlKH3ZjfQK...
Chief Mouser: The Post Office Cats - The Postal Museum
Post Office Cats actually got paid to do their jobs. Find out what that work en-tailed here.
share.google
September 3, 2025 at 5:04 PM
"These servants of the State are frequently unreliable, capricious in their duties and liable to prolonged absenteeism," - March 1953 and boss David Gamman testifies to MPs about the Post Office's laziest employees: Cats
share.google/f6XlKH3ZjfQK...
share.google/f6XlKH3ZjfQK...
Reposted by Alan Cleaver
Also, good to see an article about @postalpathsguy.bsky.social’s excellent book The Postal Paths in the same issue
September 2, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Also, good to see an article about @postalpathsguy.bsky.social’s excellent book The Postal Paths in the same issue
A belated tip of the pen to World Letter Writing Day... a bit of fun from an illustrated letter to my nephew Henry.
September 1, 2025 at 9:56 PM
A belated tip of the pen to World Letter Writing Day... a bit of fun from an illustrated letter to my nephew Henry.
Reposted by Alan Cleaver
In case of a letter writing emergency, break open beautiful correspondence from Member No. 999… (lovely post always comes to the rescue and saves the day!) ☺️🚨✉️ @postalpathsguy.bsky.social
August 27, 2025 at 9:11 AM
In case of a letter writing emergency, break open beautiful correspondence from Member No. 999… (lovely post always comes to the rescue and saves the day!) ☺️🚨✉️ @postalpathsguy.bsky.social
Rare editions of books by Peter Rabbit author Beatrix Potter are coming up.for auction including this almanac featuring Postman Peter Rabbit...
issuu.com/jammdesign/d...
issuu.com/jammdesign/d...
August 26, 2025 at 9:22 PM
Rare editions of books by Peter Rabbit author Beatrix Potter are coming up.for auction including this almanac featuring Postman Peter Rabbit...
issuu.com/jammdesign/d...
issuu.com/jammdesign/d...
My thanks to Dr Baldwin for sending me this archive picture of postman Sam Parker outside his postman's hut in Churchill and Blakedown, Worcestershire. Sam rested here and also repaired boots at the hut as a way to earn extra money. #UKHistory
August 24, 2025 at 11:55 AM
My thanks to Dr Baldwin for sending me this archive picture of postman Sam Parker outside his postman's hut in Churchill and Blakedown, Worcestershire. Sam rested here and also repaired boots at the hut as a way to earn extra money. #UKHistory
Bookshop owners tell me they always know if an author or any of his relatives have been into the bookshop. I wonder if this Jersey bookshop realises my brother is on holiday there this week?!
August 22, 2025 at 10:50 AM
Bookshop owners tell me they always know if an author or any of his relatives have been into the bookshop. I wonder if this Jersey bookshop realises my brother is on holiday there this week?!
A day of adventure with friend @Niallsspence starting with an encounter with giant rhubarb 😱
August 21, 2025 at 4:22 PM
A day of adventure with friend @Niallsspence starting with an encounter with giant rhubarb 😱
My three-year-old nephew is obsessed with Postman Bear written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler so I had to decorate his birthday envelope appropriately (I just hope the letter from Axel's lawyers gets lost in the post!)
August 19, 2025 at 4:59 PM
My three-year-old nephew is obsessed with Postman Bear written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler so I had to decorate his birthday envelope appropriately (I just hope the letter from Axel's lawyers gets lost in the post!)
Here's a good idea: Let the public hitch a ride with the rural postman, easing congestion, providing better rural public transport and just making life nicer. But sadly the Postbus was ended on this day in 2017 😢 #OTD
www.postalmuseum.org/blog/the-sto...
www.postalmuseum.org/blog/the-sto...
August 19, 2025 at 7:31 AM
Here's a good idea: Let the public hitch a ride with the rural postman, easing congestion, providing better rural public transport and just making life nicer. But sadly the Postbus was ended on this day in 2017 😢 #OTD
www.postalmuseum.org/blog/the-sto...
www.postalmuseum.org/blog/the-sto...
This will sell out in a few hours (despite the fact I'm in it!) A sumptuous Christmasy evening of readings, music, recipes, and more . A Cumbrian Christmas Cracker - Wednesday, December 3rd, at Keswick Theatre, #Cumbria. Don't delay - book it now.
www.theatrebythelake.com/event/cumbri...
www.theatrebythelake.com/event/cumbri...
August 17, 2025 at 8:32 PM
This will sell out in a few hours (despite the fact I'm in it!) A sumptuous Christmasy evening of readings, music, recipes, and more . A Cumbrian Christmas Cracker - Wednesday, December 3rd, at Keswick Theatre, #Cumbria. Don't delay - book it now.
www.theatrebythelake.com/event/cumbri...
www.theatrebythelake.com/event/cumbri...
A trip to Yorkshire this weekend gave me the chance to explore the postal path walked by Mary Blackman from Dalton village. The path goes through a wood and stream which is just gorgeous. I'll tweet the full 4-mile path when I've finished the research. Watch this space!
August 17, 2025 at 4:21 PM
A trip to Yorkshire this weekend gave me the chance to explore the postal path walked by Mary Blackman from Dalton village. The path goes through a wood and stream which is just gorgeous. I'll tweet the full 4-mile path when I've finished the research. Watch this space!
Something different for #postboxsaturday .. I like to decorate my letters with stamps. Ones from the Channel Islands are not legal tender from England but even so they have some gorgeous stamps to buy such as this series on Alderney postboxes. www.guernseystamps.com/Alderney-Pos...
August 16, 2025 at 8:46 AM
Something different for #postboxsaturday .. I like to decorate my letters with stamps. Ones from the Channel Islands are not legal tender from England but even so they have some gorgeous stamps to buy such as this series on Alderney postboxes. www.guernseystamps.com/Alderney-Pos...
Coffee, scone and The Keswick Reminder at Threlkeld cafe. All is right with the world ❤️
August 15, 2025 at 9:43 AM
Coffee, scone and The Keswick Reminder at Threlkeld cafe. All is right with the world ❤️
A sad farewell today to fellow journalist Tracy, taken too young. Her funeral was at Loweswater in Cumbria - a valley she loved. It was also loved by writer Joyce Grenfell, who regularly stayed there. This is from one of Joyce's poems...
August 14, 2025 at 2:09 PM
A sad farewell today to fellow journalist Tracy, taken too young. Her funeral was at Loweswater in Cumbria - a valley she loved. It was also loved by writer Joyce Grenfell, who regularly stayed there. This is from one of Joyce's poems...
Thankyou @suesconsideredt.bsky.social ..
A #blogpost with two #BookRecommendations #BookReview
suestrifles.wordpress.com/2025/08/14/t... postalpathsguy.bsky.social #booksky #WritingCommunity #BookChatWeekly #Cumbria
suestrifles.wordpress.com/2025/08/14/t... postalpathsguy.bsky.social #booksky #WritingCommunity #BookChatWeekly #Cumbria
Two nonfiction books with Cumbrian connections
This post consists of reviews of two books I have read recently – The Postal Paths by Alan Cleaver and The Fresh and the Salt by Ann Lingard. There are also links to my reviews of other books by th…
suestrifles.wordpress.com
August 14, 2025 at 10:07 AM
Thankyou @suesconsideredt.bsky.social ..
One of my current research projects is finding the old postal paths walked by postmen and women around Forest-in-Teesdale (County Durham). This is the old post office pictured in 1906 with the Redfearn family standing outside...
August 14, 2025 at 8:28 AM
One of my current research projects is finding the old postal paths walked by postmen and women around Forest-in-Teesdale (County Durham). This is the old post office pictured in 1906 with the Redfearn family standing outside...
I picked up three copies of this beautiful booklet by Polly Atkin @pollyrowena.bsky.social while visiting @samreadbookseller.bsky.social in Grasmere yesterday. The perfect gift for friends far away.
Ten Poems from the Lake District share.google/nc6f2Ozxjtup...
Ten Poems from the Lake District share.google/nc6f2Ozxjtup...
August 13, 2025 at 8:34 AM
I picked up three copies of this beautiful booklet by Polly Atkin @pollyrowena.bsky.social while visiting @samreadbookseller.bsky.social in Grasmere yesterday. The perfect gift for friends far away.
Ten Poems from the Lake District share.google/nc6f2Ozxjtup...
Ten Poems from the Lake District share.google/nc6f2Ozxjtup...