Meet Alan, the water postman of Poole Harbour

Former water postman Alan Marsh was surprised to spot himself in Friday’s Echo in a story about the launch of British Pathé’s film archive online .

The 66-year-old was filmed on his rounds in 1964 for a newsreel which was shown in cinemas around the country.

The footage, which has been in storage all this time, is among 90,000 archive films that have just been made available to the public.

Watch the video of Alan as a teenage postman - click the link above

It jogged a few memories for the former postie, including how the filming almost ended in disaster.

“The cameraman nearly fell overboard,” said Alan.

“He was sitting at the front of the boat. As I pulled out of Newman’s Yard I went forward a bit fast, I think.

“His feet went up about a foot and of course he had this big camera. I went full astern and fortunately he came forward again.

“I wished I’d had a camera for the look on his face – it was as white as snow.”

A water postman for three years after taking on the job aged 18, Alan delivered milk, bread and stamps to the islanders along with their mail, as well as bringing the news from the mainland.

His job even involved pulling people from the mud who’d been caught out by the tide, and posing for photos with visitors.

While he loved the job, he said it could be “quite hairy” during rough weather – but not as hairy as his brief brush with fame.

The reluctant star recalled being recognised at a showing of the film at the ABC cinema in Westover Road, Bournemouth. He said: “When I got up to move a lady spotted me and said ‘There he is’ and about 10 people turned round. I got out of there – I was quite a good runner in those days and I ran like the devil to the bus station and got on a bus back to Poole.”

Alan was a postie in Poole until 1969 before becoming a youth worker.

He spent 20 years in Liverpool before returning to Poole in 1993.