Religious Christmas stamps under the counter

sir – You report (December 16) that Royal Mail is facing calls to redesign its religious Christmas stamps, whose popularity has declined.

I am a practising Christian but also a keen philatelist, and I know that the Post Office offers both religious and secular stamps at Christmas. However, several of my friends, who are also Christians, were unaware of this.

The fault lies, in my opinion, with the Post Office. In my local office, I was not offered the religious stamps and so had to ask for them. I was told that I could only have 25 as they were in short supply.

If people knew that they could buy both types of stamps, I feel sure that more would opt for the religious ones. Robin Self

Framlingham, Suffolk

sir – I tried, unsuccessfully, to buy religious stamps from my two local post offices, so I had to buy them online from Royal Mail – and pay postage for the privilege. Barbara Street

Telford, Shropshire

sir – The secular stamps were released before the religious ones, and the two post offices where I inquired about religious stamps told me that they weren’t available. It was only through persistence that I finally found some. Catherine Sillars

Redhill, Surrey

sir – I was unable to purchase any of the Madonna and Child stamps from my local post office.

Now I know that they are available, I shall buy a sheet and use them throughout 2019, including on next year’s Christmas cards. Even if the price increases, these second-class stamps are still valid. Nick Strachan

Witley, Surrey