Looking back at stamp prices

IT’S a disgrace during the financial climate we find ourselves in that Royal Mail are allowed to put up the cost of stamps. I see it as a deception for a privatisation sell out.

Being a person of a certain age and looking back, 60p used to be 12 shillings, so two 60p stamps would be four shillings (20p to the younger generation) more than a pound, which is a huge amount to pay for stamps.

A second class stamp would have been the equivalent to one week’s rent for my father’s home in the 50s.

So next Christmas we will not be sending cards – Royal Mail has lost out.

I would rather hand deliver a card and use fuel than give my cash to Royal Mail.

Stiff upper lip sadly lacking

From: Brian Sheridan, Redmires Road, Sheffield.

DAI Woosnam’s letter (Yorkshire Post, March 30) emboldens me to comment on the national response to the tragedy and near-tragedy of Gary Speed and Fabrice Muamba.

I am sure it helps families to know how their loved-ones were held in such high esteem. However, it now seems that we can’t wait to throw hearts and flowers at every sad event.

I have no idea when that most appealing manifestation of British stoicism, the stiff upper-lip, was born but it surely died with Diana, Princess of Wales, washed away by arch-thespian Tony Blair’s crocodile tears: despite the efforts of our level-headed Queen to keep things in perspective.

Many thanks

From: The Yorkshire Museum of Farming Team, Yorkshire Museum of Farming, Murton Lane, Murton, York.

WE would like to thank all those who provided us with support letters for our funding bid for new play equipment at the end of last year. We are pleased to announce that the bid was successful and the new play facilities have now been installed. We hope you enjoy them. Further details will appear on our website and in our news page shortly.

Thanks again for your support.