Post in Disarray?

What the heel has been happening to our postal service recently? It's a service we're supposed to be able to rely on to deliver our mail quickly and accurately but at the moment that just isn't true.

Last Friday a fortnightly magazine I subscribe do was delivered over a week late. At the time I thought it was a bit too long since the previous edition but I put it from my mind until the next edition turned up pretty much on time yesterday. On Monday, I got home from work to find a letter to a previous owner of the house on the mat. Nothing odd in that, apart from L swearing blind that she'd been down to check if there was any post at about midday. The post normally arrives between 8 and half past.

Then yesterday I got home at about 6.00p.m. and the postman was only just delivering the post along our terrace! I got in to find the magazine and five other letters. Two of them were 'Guaranteed Prize Notification' letters from some company that sells healthcare plans or something. I get them periodically and I don't bother opening them anymore but I can't remember having ever received two on the same day before. There was also a gas bill dated early last week, an annual statement for L's ISA (I got mine, from the same building society, a couple of weeks ago because it's still being sent to Stevenage), and a letter from me from the National Blood Service.

I give blood near work and I haven't been able to go for the last couple of dates they suggested so it was no surprise to see another invitation to donate. What was a surprise, though, was that the date they suggested was the 30th April. Since these invitations usually arrive at least a week before the date they suggest, it means that this one had been in the post for around three weeks. Granted, it had to be redirected from Finchley, but I don't think that should any more than a day or two to the length of time it's in the system. Three weeks is just disgraceful.

I haven't heard a word about any problems, either locally or nationally, but something is clearly wrong and a solution needs to be found. Have any of you been having trouble with your mail?