I have been looking closely at my post , both at home and work over recent months.

At home I can count on one joint of one finger how many personal letters from a friend or relative have arrived. It’s an endless deluge of unsolicited items or bank letters in spite of being on paperless statements. In fact quite often at home I only open the post once or twice a week anyway. At work, very few new instructions arrive by post – anything urgent is emailed or faxed (that’s right – FAXED).

As for cheques, they are fewer so we no longer bank on a daily basis.

Therefore what is the point of a daily delivery? Surely it would cut costs to have deliveries 3 or 4 days a week or even give people the option of collect from a nominated point just like internet deliveries. Perhaps they could pay a fee to Royal Mail for the convenience and in return obtain a discount on items they sell (that was a radical idea by the way).

I think the problem is that the Royal Mail remains a sacred cow and the communist / militant union leaders of the UCW are the proverbial donkeys leading lions who could do well out of share ownership of a modern business with one of the best brands in the country. I can just see it – workers rubbing their hands at the thought of free shares, what a great way to keep warm on the picket line as winter looms.