Tough call for posties ... but Christmas cards still get through

LAST time for second class post is Tuesday, so get your cards sent. The annual problem, of course, is whether you can find the old diary in which you keep your list of addresses and remember if anyone has moved.

These days, postal services increasingly use technology to sort mail but local knowledge still helps in finding recipients of badly addressed cards and letters.

Many years ago, former Town footballer Steve Kindon sent a card to a mutual friend and, addressed it: “Wimps, Egg Box Towers, near Gert’s the Florist, Honley.” Needless to say, it arrived.

Your postie is a walking encyclopaedia of residential knowledge.

In Ireland, a chap in Belfast wrote to a friend in Buncrana, Donegal, across the border, and didn’t have a clue as to where he lived. He wrote on the envelope: “Your man Henderson, that boy with the glasses who is doing a PhD up here at Queen’s in Belfast. Buncrana, County Donegal, Ireland.”

Buncrana has a population of 7,000 but the letter was delivered.

Another was sent to: “Mr and Mrs T Burlingham, A road somewhere near the golf course in Thetford, Norfolk. Trevor is a photographer (weddings). This might help.” It did help and Trevor got his card. And this year a couple were amazed to receive their seasonal greeting with an envelope upon which was written: “Mr and Mrs A Wren, Somewhere near the sea in Suffolk. Good luck with this postie.” It got there.

So merry Christmas to all our hard working posties – but try and help them by getting the address right.