Twenty-nine years ago when Campbell Wiseman sorted, bagged and prepared his first post for collection at RAF Wyton, he did so from what was no more than a wooden shed.

Seventeen station commanders and a move to more modern premises later, the much-loved postmaster has handed over the last post – his final ever – as he has retired.

With his retirement came the news that the sub post office he opened in Cornwall Road was to close and postal services moved to the Mace shop, also on the camp.

Mr Wiseman, who lives with his wife, Lorraine, in Hartford, provided station personnel and their families with what was considered by those he served as the very best post office service along with goods such as newspapers, milk and cards.

The premises were a far cry from the old shed he first occupied.

“The shed was an old clothing store and I remember using its concrete counter to sort the mail on,” he said.

“Although I’m not sure what happened to the counter, I do know the wall mounted post box was presented to the RAF Museum at Hendon.

“That indicates just how old the place was.”

After the new sub-post office opened, the postmaster was identified with the premises so much that it became known as Campbell’s.

After a presentation by Wing Commander Ola Fashade, Commanding Officer at RAF Wyton, watched by more than 100 well-wishers, he was ceremoniously driven off camp on a make-shift chariot - a chair on top of a tractor-towed trailer.

Wg Cdr Fashade said: “In 1985, when Campbell arrived at Wyton, Sister Sledge was number one in the charts, the first mobile phone call was about to be made and Wayne Rooney and Christiano Ronaldo weren’t even born.

“It is to Campbell’s enormous credit that he has provided the station with an outstanding postal service over the past 29 years.”

Mr Wiseman, who plans to spend his retirement gardening, doing DIY and playing bowls, after a well-deserved holiday, said: “It’s the people I will miss the most. Some people have served multiple tours of duty at Wyton while I’ve been here, and it’s always nice to bump into them again.

“There is a Squadron Leader who has just been posted in, who I have known since she was five - her mother has been a regular customer!”