Monday 20 May 2013

The attack on snail mail

 

Recently there have been all sorts of suggestions and plans for the future of the Royal Mail - most of them detrimental to the users of the service and those who value traditions like red pillar boxes and postmen on bikes. 

Our postman retired at the end of last year and his route has not been replaced. Don't misunderstand me,  we do still get a delivery but it is never the same postman twice and it can be any time between 10.30 a.m. and 4 p.m. as opposed to the old time of 11.30 to 12.30.  That is because our route is now done by people on overtime. There are various problems that this causes us. 

Firstly, small parcels, which are carried by the regular postman, may not always be small enough to fit through the letter box. Our old postie knew where to leave them. The irregular guys don't know offhand and some, it seems, are incapable of reading the note on the front door which tells people where to leave parcels. (Presumably requiring postmen and postwomen to be literate contravenes some Equality legislation).

Secondly, post which needs signing for is now returned to the post distribution office and has to be collected from there. One has to allow up to 70 hours before collecting it.  Presumably the postman must take it home with him for a couple of nights.  I just hope he sleeps with it by his bed; I'd hate to lose one of our parcels because of a burglary at a postman's house.   (I won't tell you what happened previously but suffice it to say we got it delivered to us and the signature may not have exactly matched mine! Our postman trusted us not to drop him in it if anything went wrong and because we knew him we trusted the postman not to pinch our mail.) 

Thirdly our address is 1a but as you walk long the road our house precedes the house numbered 1. This is unusual and therefore there is a certain brain-type that seems incapable of finding us. The Royal Mail (presumably as part of its Equal Opprotunities Policy) has employed a number of this brain-type. 

Fourthly, there is a 1a in the next road. It would appear it is easier for the brain-type mentioned above to post our letters at that house (ignoring the postcode and the road name) than to find our house. An alternative is to post the letters at number 1 on the basis that presumably they know where 1a is. 


However, all these can be considered minor irritations compared to the greater issues like the closure of post offices and the reduction in mail services generally, combined with increases in the cost of sending snail mail. There have been two increases since I started postcrossing last year.

Over the years the Post Office has seen many major reductions. In my grandmother's day, in urban areas, she could post a letter in the morning, get a reply in the afternoon and have her further response delivered by the evening delivery. Nowadays what is called First Class mail would take at least three days to accomplish that. Second class mail could take up to a couple of weeks.   I have a letter written by my great grandfather in Birkenhead (admittedly on the major rail network at the time) in the morning and delivered to Shipton-under-Wychwood (as rural as it's name implies) over 140 miles away later that day.

In my youth there was Sunday postal delivery and a Sunday collection from pillar boxes. We had two deliveries a day and things posted in the morning often arrived by 'the second delivery' as we called it. Nowadays there is one postal delivery a day and none on a Sunday. The time of postal deliveries can offcially vary from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.. The parcel office from which parcels that could not be delivered - for want of a signature, etc - is only open until lunchtime. There is no collection from pillar boxes between Saturday lunch time and Monday morning. 

It seems that the US mail is under equal attack and the following infographic comes from NumberSleuth.org

Life without the United States Postal Service
Source: NumberSleuth

Thursday 16 May 2013

549 – More letterboxes

Card no 549 – Siggi 
More letterboxes 
Country Card Sent From: Germany 
Place that Card Sender Lives: Veitshochhiem 
Date Received: 8th May 2013 
Distance Travelled: 607 miles 
Time Taken: 2 days 

548 – A Letterbox

Card no 548 – Siggi 
Mail for You 
Country Card Sent From: Germany 
Place that Card Sender Lives: Veitshochhiem 
Date Received: 8th May 2013 
Distance Travelled: 607 miles 
Time Taken: 2 days 

547 – A Bear Postman

Card no 547 – Mish 
A Bear Postman 
Country Card Sent From: Belarus 
Place that Card Sender Lives: Minsk 
Date Received: 8th May 2013 
Distance Travelled: 1,154 miles 
 Time Taken: 6 days 


Mish said that she hoped this bear-postman would be my talisman for receiving loads of cool stuff. Well, he certainly has done, as I mentioned earlier, I have had an enormous number of cards this last week.

These flower stamps brightened the back of the card. 




546 - Historic Centre of Sighișoara, Romania

Card no 546 – Andrås 
Historic Centre of Sighișoara 
Country Card Sent From: Romania 
Place that Card Sender Lives: Targu Mures 
Date Received: 8th May 2013 
Distance Travelled: 1,308 miles 
Time Taken: 6 days 


Sighișoara is a fine example of a small, fortified medieval town. I didn't need to do any research on this card because Andrås told me about this part of the World Heritage Site - "Sighișoara is located in the middle of the Transylvanian plateau. You can see here the clock tower, the castle, some very old houses - all are situated in the medieval citadel, which is the only inhabited medieval castle in the whole of Eastern Europe. Built by German Saxons today it is a very famous Romanian tourist attraction."

Cards no 542- 545 and 553

Cards no 542- 545 and 553 - Martine 
Country Card Sent From: France 
Place that Card Sender Lives: Corsica 
Date Received: 10th May 2013 
Distance Travelled: 942 miles 
 Time Taken: 7 days 

542 – The Recipe for Bouillabaisse


543 – Rodin, the light of the Ancient


 In 2013, the famous museum in Arles will host an exhibition "Rodin, the light of the Ancient" that will explore cross inspirations, the links forged through the centuries. Rodin wanted to anchor his practice of sculpture in ancient Greek art. His art echoes the plastic perfection and expressive forms; the Greek ideal.

544 – Nice


A map of the coastal area ‘The Bay of Angels’ is a Mediterranean stretching from Nice, with the Promenade des Anglais and the wharf United States, to Cap d'Antibes.

545 – Côte d’Azur 2014 Calendar



553 – The Ferry Boat at Marseilles


The Ferry-boat: So cherished by the Provençal writer and film director, Marcel Pagnol, leaves from the quay in front of the City Hall to make several daily crossings of the Vieux-Port. The crossings began in June 1880, thus opening the famous passage from the City Hall to the Place aux Huiles, a square located on the opposite side of the port.

These cards all came in the same envelope and these were the stamps used by my good friend Martine. 



541 – Scandola Nature Reserve

Card no 541 – Martine 
Scandola Reserve 
Country Card Sent From: France 
Place that Card Sender Lives: Corsica 
Date Received: 10th May 2013 
Distance Travelled: 942 miles 
Time Taken: 12 days 


The Scandola Nature Reserve (19.19 km²: 9.19 km² land; 10 km² marine), established in December, 1975, is located on the French island of Corsica. The park and reserve has been recognized by the United Nations as a Natural World Heritage Site, and was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1983. The Scandola Reserve is situated on the central western coast of Corsica between Punta Muchillina and Punta Nera and includes Cape Girolata and Cape Porto. In 1930, a law was passed prohibiting destruction or modification within Corsica Regional Park. Scandola Nature Reserve is strictly protected in order to return the area to its natural state.

Pilgrims descended from the austere and wild Aubrac plateau towards the Lot valley and a major stop: Conques. In their thousands, they flocked to the Via Podiensis in search of their inner self.  At the end of the trail, the superb mediaeval village of Conques and its abbey-church with its splendid tympanum, which remains one of the most important centres of art and spirituality in the western world.

Twenty Eight cards





Since I last posted on this blog I have received an incredible 28 postcards.  How am I going to bring it up-to-date without missing out on sleep for the next few years?  The simple answer is I don’t know.  But I shall try…

Tuesday 7 May 2013

540 - Chicago

Card no 540 – Karen 
The Chicago Skyline 
Country Card Sent From: Canada 
Place that Card Sender Lives: Winnipeg 
Date Received: 7th May 2013 
Distance Travelled: 3,741 miles 
Time Taken: 9 days 


The Chicago skyline showing the Hancock Building and the lake shore. 

Some pretty, delicate flower stamps.  They are Magnolias - Eskimo and Yellow Bird.


and a black cat...

This is one of five 'Adopt a pet' stamps (2 dogs, 2 cats, a parrot).  Did you notice the little mouse on the bird table?

539 Audrey Hepburn

Card no 539 – Sini 
Audrey Hepburn 
Country Card Sent From: Finland 
Place that Card Sender Lives: Lahti 
Date Received: 7th May 2013 
Distance Travelled: 1,191 miles 
Time Taken: 5 days 


Audrey Hepburn is my favourite actress of all time! She is also a favourite with Sini who, like me, finds her attractive not just because of her looks but also because of her social conscience.  




538 - A map of Finland

Card no 538 - Raisa-Hannele 
A map of Finland 
Country Card Sent From: Finland 
Place that Card Sender Lives: Espoo 
Date Received: 7th May 2013 
Distance Travelled: 1,145 miles 
Time Taken: 20 days 
 Postcrossing id - FI-1734324


Raisa-Hannele told me that there's much to see in Finland -
"Turku is our oldest town;
Helsinki is our capital;
Porvoo is historically important - wooden houses;
Savonlinna has the well-known opera festival;
Sodankyla has an international film festival."

This blackberry stamp is lovely…


537 – Trust a cat

Card no 537 - Danielle
 To perch on a narrow rung! 
Country Card Sent From: USA 
Place that Card Sender Lives: Omaha, Nebraska 
Date Received: 4th May 2013 
Distance Travelled: 4,122 miles 
Time Taken: 8 days 


 What a great pattern the cat's coat has...


536 – A medieval walled village

Card no 536 - Maylis et Jean-Pierre 
The village of Vence, France
Country Card Sent From: France 
Place that Card Sender Lives: Nice 
Date Received: 4th May 2013 
Distance Travelled: 805 miles 
Time Taken: 4 days 
Postcrossing id – FR-282890  


The medieval walled village of Vence is set in the hills of the Alpes Maritimes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in south-eastern France between Nice and Antibes. Vence is famous for its spring water, which can be collected from numerous fountains in the town.

The stamps shows the church at Aulnay, a busy little town famous for this 12th Century church on the pilgrimage route to the shrine of St James of Compostela. There is a delightful market in the town square on Sunday and Thursday mornings.

In medieval times, the Via Turonensis (Way of Tours) was the most westerly of the four traditional pilgrim routes. It was a fairly movable feast, with several strands running roughly parallel in a southerly direction. It catered for pilgrims from the Low Countries, Paris and Britain, and converged with two of the others at Saint-Palais in the Pyrénées, before crossing into Spain for the final push to Compostella. 

535 – Wonderful you

Card no 535 - Darlene Rose 
An art card 
Country Card Sent From: USA 
Place that Card Sender Lives: Burlingame, California 
Date Received: 4th May 2013 
Distance Travelled: 5,209 miles 
Time Taken: 3 days 
Postcrossing id – US - 2206621  



534 – Post for you!

Card no 534 - Sabine 
A letterbox 
Country Card Sent From: Germany 
Place that Card Sender Lives: Mannheim 
Date Received: 4th May 2013 
Distance Travelled: 554 miles 
Time Taken: 2 days 
Postcrossing id – DE-2143270 


The stamp celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Fehmarn Sound Bridge con-necting the German island of Fehmarn in the Baltic Sea with the German mainland near Großenbrode. The 3,159 ft long crossing including the 787 ft long network arch bridge carries road and rail over the 1,422 yard wide Fehmarn Sound.

Construction began in 1958 and the bridge was opened on April 30, 1963. The main span is 75 ft above the sea, which allows shipping to pass through. The bridge is constructed of steel and is 69 ft wide; 20 ft are used by Deutsche Bahn for a single rail track, part of the Lübeck–Puttgarden railway, the rest for a pedestrian walkway and two-lane roadway.

Sunday 5 May 2013

533 – Tongariro National Park

Card no 533 - GB 
North Island, New Zealand 
Country Card Sent From: New Zealand 
Place that Card Sender Lives: Napier 
Date Received: 3rd May 2013 
Distance Travelled: 11,493 miles 
Time Taken: 6 days 


A World Heritage Site to add to my collection. Many thanks, GB.

In 1993 Tongariro became the first property to be inscribed on the World Heritage List under the revised criteria describing cultural landscapes. The mountains at the heart of the park have cultural and religious significance for the Maori people and symbolize the spiritual links between this community and its environment. The park has active and extinct volcanoes, a diverse range of ecosystems and some spectacular landscapes.

Tongariro lies at the south-western terminus of a Pacific chain of volcanoes aligned along a major tectonic plate boundary. The park's volcanoes, which are outstanding scenic features of the island, contain a complete range of volcanic features. The related ecological succession of plant communities is of special scientific interest. The site is directly associated with the living traditions, beliefs and artistic works of the Maori people, which are of outstanding universal significance.

532 – Aoraki Mt Cook

Card no 532 - GB 
The Southern Alps, New Zealand 
Country Card Sent From: New Zealand 
Place that Card Sender Lives: Napier 
Date Received: 3rd May 2013 
Distance Travelled: 11,493 miles 
Time Taken: 6 days 


Is this not a brilliant photo? I love it.


 And what a super stamp.


It is part of this set - 

531 – A peaceful harbour

Card no 531 - Ciro 
Near Naples 
Country Card Sent From: Italy 
Place that Card Sender Lives: Naples 
Date Received: 3rd May 2013 
Distance Travelled: 1,172 miles 
Time Taken: 7 days 
 Postcrossing id – IT-224268 




530 – Little Women

Card no 530 – Sini 
A Puffin Book 
Country Card Sent From: Barcelona, Spain /Morocco 
Place that Card Sender Lives: Tetouan, Morocco 
Date Received: 3rd May 2013 
Distance Travelled: 862 miles 
 Time Taken: 5 days 


A favourite book of my Mum and Jo as well as Sini.


529 – A map of Australia

Card no 529 – Martine 
A map of Australia 
Country Card Sent From: France 
Place that Card Sender Lives: Piedigriggio, Corsica 
Date Received: 2nd May 2013 
Distance Travelled: 942 miles 
Time Taken: 4 days 


As I have mentioned before, I like these maps with little pictures of special things that relate to particular places.
 
Another attractive stamp - 


528 – The Traditional costume of Häme, Finland

Card no 528 - Sini
 A Martta Wendelin picture 
Country Card Sent From: Finland 
Place that Card Sender Lives: Lahti 
Date Received: 30th April 2013 
Distance Travelled: 1,191 miles 
Time Taken: 5 days 


It was obviously my week for traditional costume cards!  Sini tells me that when she was young the range of cards was limited compared to nowadays but she recalls getting a number of Martta Wendelin cards for her birthdays and name days. This girl is wearing the traditional costume of the Province of Häme.

Martta Maria Wendel ( November 23, 1893 , Kymi - March 1, 1986 , Tuusula ) was a Finnish painter. He graduated from high school in 1910 in Kotka Finnish secondary school and then studied at the Helsingin yliopiston piirustussali (Helsinki University of the drawing room). Wendel is known especially for cards and magazine cover images and as a draftsman and illustrator of fairy-tale books.

Wendelin drew about 650 Christmas cards between the years 1931 - 1963 and created almost 30 Christmas characters . He used Finnish national costumes and was instrumental in the transformation of the image of what is the "traditional Finnish Christmas."

I like the unusual shapes of these Finnish stamps.