IER SUMMER2023

“It’s a cliché, but no two days are ever the same for us,” says delivery manager Mervyn Ewing. “On the mainland, the mail probably makes four to five movements. But it can be up to nine for us, depending on the depot’s location, as onboarding and off-boarding involves different modes of transport. We deal with a lot of moving parts.

“So, we have to take a bespoke approach and have a range of duty start times to ensure we can be flexible. But nothing ever fazes the team –they’re massively versatile.”

Driver Neil Graham is one of around 160 colleagues based across the three sites.

“It’s not always as simple as A to B,” he insists. “If it’s too windy or too icy, it’s likely there will be transport delays, which cause us problems. Whatever happens, we all muck in to make sure it gets done.”

Life in the city

Once the logistics headache’s eased, delivering in Belfast City is an experience to savour.

“There’s a good buzz about the place,” says Neil, who’s spent 15 years delivering across the city. “There’s been a lot of renovation work and new property. It’s become more and more popular in recent years.

“There’s a lot of diversity and culture in Belfast; it’s very open now. It doesn’t matter who you are, what you do or where you go, you’re always welcomed. It’s quite a compact city, but there’s a lot to do and so much to see.” frames and delivering the correct parcels to the correct place helps to keep your concentration, which is another vital part of racing.

Titanic Belfast (below) – built just over a decade ago – has been a big part of the transformation in the docks area at Queen’s Island. Here, the Harland and Wolff twinned shipyard cranes – nicknamed Samson and Goliath – dominate the skyline, and a short distance away is the impressive Stormont parliamentary building.

On the days he’s not going full throttle on the racetrack, two-time TAS Racing British Champion Alastair Seeley’s busy delivering letters and parcels two days a week to his Carrickfergus customers.

Neil’s favourite part of Belfast is out to the east of the city, where he used to live with his dad. “It has a great community feel, and I grew up there knowing the people around you were always there for you – whatever you needed.”

The sense of community and support Neil recalls from his childhood is reflected in the culture of collaboration and comradeship that are the hallmarks of Parcelforce and Royal Mail teams across Northern Ireland.

The British Superstock Championship star rides with Synetiq BMW. While he can be found most weekends racing live on Eurosport under the nickname the ‘Wee Wizard’, he certainly doesn’t underestimate the part delivering for us plays in his success.

“People think it’s just about twisting the throttle, but there’s a lot more to it – we all train like Olympians.

“So, this is the perfect job. The walking helps maintain my fitness on the days I’m not training, but doesn’t leave me fatigued.”

Alastair says that other aspects of the job can help too. “Preparing the

“The business has been very good, and I could not have asked for more with the flexibility it gives me.”

Along with the parcels comes plenty of adulation. Alastair recalls the moment he returned to work after breaking the North West 200 record. “I got clapped into the office. I always get great support and that was a real red-carpet moment.”

The customers love to see him in our uniform too. “It’s become common knowledge that I’m a postie in Carrickfergus. People stop me on the street and love to talk about racing.

“Customers have even given me cakes on my round – but I have to remind them that I’m an athlete.”