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Postal and Courier Services

Nobody could deny that they like receiving letters and postcards from friends and family or even the odd parcel!! The Post Office is the place to go to send many items of mail, although there are a number of options if you wish to send an item via a courier service. A 1st class letter to anywhere within the UK costs 27p for up to 60g, via Royal Mail at the Post Office. To Europe a charge of 37p is made for the first 20g, more than enough to cover the cost of any postcard. Postage stamps are available at the Post Office where they can also weigh larger items of mail. You can also buy stamps at newsagents, most corner shops and supermarkets. If you simply want to post a postcard and have got a stamp on it already you can use a post box. These are easily identifiable by their bright red colour and collection is usually on the same day. 1st class items within the UK are usually delivered by the next day, but you can guarantee this by paying extra at the Post Office and sending the item as Recorded or Registered. This also is recommended for more valuable items of mail as the item is tracked through its journey and someone needs to sign for receipt of the item at the point of delivery. There are now various national and international courier firms operating within the UK, and they can guarantee delivery of an item within strict time limits. It has to be said though that the majority of the mail that they handle comes from businesses and so they are perhaps not relevant to you. If you do need to send a parcel, Parcel Force is a good service to use for the UK and abroad and you can access this service at the Post Office. So as you can see you there are many options for staying in touch with loved ones whilst you are away from home, no matter how far away this may be, and your family and friends could appear to be a lot closer than you might think!