The walk of a guilty man

I can't help but feel that the following story (see below), which appeared in Saturday's Echo, is not evidence of bravery, as the writer suggests, but more a case of a guilty conscience in need of healing.

If Post Office Chief Steve Geraty is so keen to "walk the walk" why didn't he do so in Llantrisant?

Mr Geraty says he was here last year - well did anyone see him? Why did he not have the courtesy to pop in and say hello to Colin, our Sub Postmaster, when he was in town?

As Colin says, if he visited our Swan Street branch he could have avoided making the ludicrous, shamefully uneducated assertion that the hilltop town of Llantrisant is "hilly in parts".

Here's the story anyway....

YOU can’t accuse him of not walking the walk.

A Post Office chief leading the cull of 30 branches in South Wales stunned councillors in a village fighting the closure of its branch by agreeing to walk with them to the nearest alternative.

Wales manager Steve Geraty put his feet in the line of fire by joining councillors and Christine Chapman AM on the half-hour walk from Penrhiwceiber post office to the neighbouring branch in Perthcelyn.

Councillor Chris Binding said: “It’s good of him to come and see for himself.

“I have to say, I didn’t expect him to turn up. They did come and I hope it has given them an idea of how difficult it is to walk as it is a very steep hill.

“It took us about an hour to walk there and back.”

Councillors feel doubly cheated as the branch was not in the original list of 31 branches named as facing closure last year.

When it was announced that Splott Road, Cardiff, and High Street, Barry, were being reprieved, the Cynon Valley branch was put up for closure in its place.

Another nearby branch at Glyn Gwyn Street, Miskin, was in the first round and closes next week.

Coun Binding said that although the Miskin branch had been surrendered without a fight, few residents in Perthcelyn owned cars and felt aggrieved.

Although it is only 1km to the branch in Penrhiwceiber, the route is on a steep hill and the road is not direct.

Christine Chapman AM said: “Young and old people alike will be challenged by the steepness of the route and also the time it will take as there’s no bus service.”

Mr Geraty declined to comment on his walk.

A Post Office spokesman said: “As part of the public consultation process we are happy to meet with elected representatives, wherever that may be, and listen to their concerns.

“With regard to Perthcelyn, those concerns have been acknowledged and will form part of our considerations after the public consultation ends.”