Apparently the snake crawled into a collection box through a hole in the bottom of it, and bit the postman on the back of the hand when he opened the box to collect the mail. He then pulled it loose and threw it into the grass, where it escaped, but not before he was able to identify it as a venomous adder.
He utilized an old-fashioned technique and sucked at the site of the bite. From reading the description in the story I would theorize that the snake either injected no venom (an occasional occurrence with snakebite) or injected so little as to have negligible effects. Suction is no longer felt to be an effective treatment for snakebite because the venom spreads so quickly in the lymph system to suction to do much good. Modern treatment discipline is to get the bitten person to the hospital as soon as possible for treatment with modern antivenins.
Adders, the only venomous snake in UK, are only mildly dangerous, in any case. Their venom is not particularly toxic, and they typically only inject a small amount per bite. In general terms only small children, and pets are in danger from the venom itself; more likely is an allergic reaction and anaphylactic shock, which can kill far more quickly than the venom itself.
Anyway, here's a pic of the postman and the mailbox in which the snake was lurking:
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