A postmaster who used to spend her days sorting mail is now sorting through likes, shares and comments after her funny videos went viral online.
Marianne Livesey has clocked up over 100,000 views across Facebook and TikTok thanks to her light-hearted clips filmed both behind and in front of the counter.
The 45-year-old local legend has worked in the postal world for 20 years, running her own branch for the last eight.
As a self-employed postmaster, Marianne only earns money per transaction – so her social media presence has also helped her business.
“I absolutely love my job, and it’s so much of a community thing,” Marianne, from Cumbria, told Whats The Jam.
“Schools will get in touch to bring the children in.
“I teach them all about the Post Office, the history and what I do.
“I only get paid for each stamp I sell, each parcel I post.
“A customer doesn’t have to come to me – I want to make them want to come to me.
“I have people coming to me and saying, ‘Have you been dancing today, Marianne?’
“I just like to lift people’s spirits when there is so much negativity around.
“The shop is open from 9 am to 5.30 pm, but I film content at 8.10 am, and then start work, and then I get home and scroll TikTok in the evening to look at what I can film the next day.
“Most of my followers on Facebook have helped me maintain my customer base, but TikTok is all just for fun.”
Marianne’s most popular videos include funny clips about her name badges, her three-month apprenticeship as a counter assistant that kick-started her career, and a mix of dance and educational videos about Post Office life.
She said, “People come in and ask for my autograph now.
“I wanted to show that this is a happy and friendly place.”
Between community events – like a recent local fashion show – and her online fame, Marianne has become something of a celebrity in her hometown, determined to keep delivering smiles as well as mail.
Her videos come after the British postmaster scandal, where over 900 workers in the UK were wrongly accused of theft and false accounting in the post office.
Marianne added, “I have never been affected by the negative impact of the Post Office, and I want to remain positive.
“I will always remain professional, and it means so much that a customer will come to me.”
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