h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I have signed up to the Postcrossing project. Which means I'll be sending more individual letters than usual. However, they will be going to al sorts of different places, and so that means that I pretty much need to buy a stamp each time.

Not too bad, since I can either get them off our secretary at w**k, or get them from the Post Office - I'm in town most Saturdays.

One of the nice things about getting post from abroad is the fact that not only do you get the nice postcard, but that you also get a nice foreign stamp.

Unless, that is, you are getting post from Germay.

Last week I bought, over the counter, a single €1 stamp and a 70ct stap. (USA and Austria). I had to go to a different counter than the one which became free when I reached the head of the queue,because the one I arrived at cold only sell stamps which are printed out there and then - and the woman said they would be too big and obscure the address.

Yesterday I went to buy a €1 stamp and a 70ct stamp (Singapore and Wales) and... "we don't sell single stamps. You have to have the big printed sticker" which the guy proceeded to stick over half the address.

Apparently you can only buy stamps (proper ones) in books of 10. Or, you can get a stamp from the machine outside the post office.

But I don't necessarily want 10 stamps. Especially since they sell them in arse about denominations so it's hard to combine them and not go over what you need.

The stamp machines don't give change - so if you buy a 70ct stamp with €1 - you get 30ct in stamps as change. Which is good for nothing.

When I mentioned this it was - "well, you have to make sure you do have the right change" - very sniffily as though,of course, all good Germans always have the correct change for everything.

So, I mentioned, what if I'm unsure about the cost of my stamp? ... I have to go to the counter and get the oversized sticker...



it wouldn't be so bad if it hadn't been for this.

A letter inside Europe used to cost 55ct. Germany was the same as Spain or UK or wherever. 55ct.

So before Christmas I bought a book of 10 55ct stamps. Only to hear, from our Secretary at w**k, that after Christmas, with NO fanfare or advertising, the price of stamps to Europe - but not Germany - had gone up to 70ct. I very rarely, if at all, write within Germay. So now I have 7 55ct stamps I can't use.

Bloody arrogant b*****ds.

I really hope their business goes tits up!

I never knew that I can't recall if I've sent mail to the UK since then , but I wouldn't have known I had to pay more You mean I bought the ten 55 cent stamps in vain, it should have been 70 cents ? And I didn't know about the other problems you mentioned, either

Here you can get and E (for Europe) stamp which covers letters and cards, which you cannot get in books at the supermarket anymore, like you can with ordinaly 1st and 2nd class stamps and if your mail is going outside Europe it varies country to country and by weight. All this old guff means that I've got to queue at the Post office to get a stamp whether it's going to Europe or Worldwide, our post office usually has a queue out of the door on any day of the week

You have my sympathy Sho

B'Elana, I'm going to write to Die Post and find out what the f**k they are up to

I was all set to introduce them to Postcrossing, since it is in their interest, but to be quite honest, I think I'll save all my cards and post them in Holland!!

I love the UK stamps, they have either 1st or 2nd on them - which means when they change the price, you can still use your old ones, and they never have to worry about the size of their print run. And as Reefgirl says, they have E for Europe. It makes everything much easier.

Of course, the counter clerk I got was probably grumpy at having to work on a Saturday...

I NEVER go to the post office on thursday as it's pension day, and it full of old people bashing my ankles with a shopping trolley and glaring at me because I'm in front of them and all I want is a stamp

when you get down to it ... Post Offices are horrible places!

Little sub post offices are nice where the post mistress knows you by name and asks after the kids and so on but main one's too impersonal, mind you saying that I was in ours so ofter leading up to christmas, one of the women used to ask me how I was and where was this lot of parcel's going this time

for you.

Can you buy 7 x 15c stamps to make up the shortfall?

Email me your Gruesomes names & address & I'll send them a postcard, got some nice fruity onesand I'll pop some pretty stamps on too.

Smile?

Your Gruesomes and mine could swap cards if you're willing too