Illustration by John Sadler www.johnsadlerillustration.com 

• THOSE older ones among us will be familiar with an old ad slogan: Post Early for Christmas.

It dates from a bygone age when our postal service was run by a creaking socialistic, nationalised, company called the Royal Mail.

It may be one of those “golden age” tricks of memory but I’m pretty sure that at one time in my youth I had a Christmas card actually delivered by a postman on Christmas Day!

Thank heavens we have progressed to a privatised service which this week (almost a month late) delivered a card posted on December 20 in a neighbouring London borough!

Perhaps this is a fulfilment of the yearning expressed by Wizzard in their 1973 chart hit I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day?

Whatever – I feel that old slogan should be revived: Post Early for Christmas. And issue it now – in time for 2022! Or is that a bit ambitious?

‘PENNY BLACK’, NW6