Counties and post codes

[Coldicote]

I read that for mailing purposes, counties will cease to be shown as part of a person's address. Many people are proud of their 'home county' and identify with it, and will not be happy that it becomes identified as just a post code. Naming counties also encourages one to take an interest in geography. Is it a good idea or a bad one?

[boxtops]

I endorse what Buenchico says - when postcodes were first introduced, I remember having to instruct the secretaries where I worked that the town and postcode is all that is required, no county necessary - I still never put the county when mailing items.

However, the return address concept is interesting - I too put 16/N23 6PT (fictional) on packages, but our PO still writes "try Roberts Road" on the back.

BTW - I was told yesterday that if you don't put a return address on mail, the Royal Mail now DON'T open undeliverable letters (due ? to potential bomb risks or just the time it takes to process) - they just throw them in the bin if they cant deliver them. Does anyone know if this is actually true now?

[TheOtherHalf]

I think the county is very important. East Yorkshire changed to Humberside for a year or two and we had to fight to get it changed back. Sounds much better

[jno]

East Yorkshire sounds like s subsection; Humberside sounds much sturdier and more romantic to me.

[mightyWBA]

How about the East Riding of Yorkshire? Sounds more romantic :-)

[jno]

yes, that's a bit better, isn't it? Like the East Riders of Rohan.

[boxtops]

Anyone know the answer about my "return address" question? ^^^^

[THECORBYLOON]

From the Royal Mail site

"If at first we don't succeed we'll try and try again

We make every effort to make sure your mail arrives safely, so we'll keep it for three weeks (one week if you sent it by Recorded Signed For™). After that, we'll return it to you if you put your address on the outside, and we'll attach a sticker explaining why we couldn't deliver it.

If you haven't put your address on the outside, we'll send mail to the National Returned Letter Centre (or to Portsmouth for Special Delivery mail and packets, and to Belfast for letters). They'll open the mail and return it to you if your name and address is inside. If it's a newspaper, magazine or advertising, however, we'll dispose of it.

The last resort

If there is no return address available and the contents meet our storage criteria we may hold the items for three months pending claims via customer services.""

[Coldicote]

There's a lot of sense in views expressed here, but personally I like to know what part of the country I am communicating with. Perhaps there's a map somewhere with postcodes shown like counties.