How early should we post for Christmas given inconsistent Royal Mail deliveries? - Yorkshire Post Letters

For many years Royal Mail have used the slogan ‘Post Early for Christmas’ in their Christmas campaign. In the light of the length of time that letters are currently taking to be delivered I wonder how early we should post our Christmas cards this year - perhaps the weekend when the clocks go back in October could be earmarked for this.

Like many households I seem to be receiving just two letter deliveries a week now, on random days and irrespective of whether the letters are first or second class.

This is proving so disappointing especially with regard to birthdays and other celebrations. On Mother's Day one of my cards (with a first class stamp) took a week to travel from Newcastle to Clitheroe and was eventually delivered on the Thursday after Mother's Day.

On a recent birthday two or three cards arrived before the date, but more came after and some still haven't arrived. I had no mail at all on the actual date as it clearly wasn’t ‘a designated delivery day’ for my street. How far in advance should we be posting birthday cards now as a week before with a first class stamp doesn't seem to work? We need to be told.

As a former Counter Clerk and then Sub Postmistress for nearly 25 years I felt proud to endorse the service given by Post Office Ltd and the Royal Mail - but sadly not any more.