In this age of advanced communication its amazing really how much we rely on Royal Mail as one of our primary communication tools. Yes I have Internet access, multiple email accounts, a home telephone, a work telephone and a mobile phone but still I often communicate by post, always using the Royal Mail. Why? Because its an easy to use reliable service which charges little considering what you get for your money.

My postman is a cheery chappie, always ready with a smile as he hands me my post through the car window. Yes I said the car window, he arrives at roughly the time I leave for work and often "posts" my mail through my car window as I pull off my driveway. Its quite a well paid job he does, but the hours are pretty lousy and he's out in all weathers lugging around a heavy bag with nothing but a bicycle for transport. He often makes a second delivery too, but this is no longer a guaranteed service.

If you want to collect your post then you need to rent a PO Box. PO Boxes are located in the area of your local sorting office where you go to collect parcels. When you rent one you are charged £42 for six months of £52 for one year, easy to see which is the best option there. You then are given a key and can pop in and collect your mail whenever the sorting office is open. PO boxes are often used by businesses to separate particular items of mail.

~~~ Sending Mail ~~~
There are a multitude of different options for sending your mail. The most heavily used options are simple 1st and 2nd class post. Now first class post is a marvel to me, if you are sending a letter or card just stick a 27p stamp on it and if its properly addressed (that is includes house name or number and the postcode – the rest doesn't really matter!) it will be delivered to the addressee the very next day. Now 27p for next day delivery on a letter seems very reasonable for me, the cost for this service does increase with the weight of the "package" though so you should weigh bulky items (like passport renewals) to see how much postage to put on them. Second class post is also pretty damned good, you only need to pay 19p (this price was actually reduced last year) to get two day delivery on a letter. You can even claim compensation of up to £27 for a lost or damaged item of ordinary mail providing you got a certificate of posting from the post office.

If you are sending a valuable or precious item then you should use Special Delivery, which gives you a guaranteed delivery before noon the next day (or your money back) and insurance against loss or damage. Special Delivery costs range from £3.50 to £19.15, the applicable charges depend on the weight of the package and the level of insurance required. Special Delivery items can be insured from a value of £250 to £2500. Again you can check online the status of your deliveries.

~~~ Correct Addressing ~~~
As I've already mentioned its important to address your mail correctly, otherwise delivery will take longer than expected. For speedy delivery all that is actually required is the correct postcode and the house number/name. The postcode is read by automatic sorting machines which directs the mail to the correct local office and then the correct postman, he then sorts the deliveries by name number (I'm not 100% sure but I believe this is how its done). If you don't have the correct postcode, you can look it up online or by phoning the number printed inside a book of stamps (local call charges apply). If you do have the correct postcode remember to write it clearly and without any punctuation, punctuation marks can be read as an extra character by the electronic sorting machines which will mean the mail needs manual sorting. If you don't have an address, your mail may still get there. Letters addressed to Santa, North Pole are delivered to a special Royal Mail service that sends out automated responses.

~~~ The Bottom Line ~~~
I think the Royal Mail offer an excellent service for a minimal cost. I regularly receive deliveries, six days a week come rain, hail or snow. I find that letters I send are delivered promptly and the service seems unbeatable to me. They may call themselves Consignia now but I will always think of them simply as "The Post Office". Some people complain of lost items, but these are in reality few and are usually caused by theft or vandalism. I certainly have never had an item genuinely "lost in the post" (although people swear they have sent things – they lie!) as the Post Office can trace if any items have gone missing in the time frame/area. I've certainly had plenty of undelivered email, and as for the telephone – you can't get through if I'm surfing the net. For me good communication is the Royal Mail. Oh and how else can you send a birthday card to your Granny?