'What's going on with the Royal Mail?' - Your letters and four Pictures from the Past

What’s going on with my post?

I received 10 items of post on Wednesday October 7 then nothing until Tuesday 12th when I received 16 items of mail. What is going on?

I was waiting for important documents from a solicitor. My brother who lives in Brewood received his copy of the correspondence on October 7. Both items were sent first class on the 6th.

The delay has caused serious problems and I will undoubtedly have pay for additional work as duplicates have had to be sent by email. I have attempted to contact the delivery office by telephone but nobody bothers to answer it.

My normal efficient postman was not on the round last week and I put all the blame for this situation on various levels of management within the Company.

The efficiency of Royal Mail seems to get worse and worse despite massive price rises. Surely somebody within Government or the regulatory bodies should be doing something positive.

Mike Plimmer, Fordhouses

Protect our UK wild animals

Countryside policy protecting wildlife is evolving faster in Scotland and Wales than England where the self-appointed guardians of the environment fail to read modern research: (Lord Burns Report 2000 on brown hares).

Scotland's Parliament has passed laws to protect mountain hares from the shooters who consider them to be a pest effecting the grouse moors. Senedd Cymru is proposing a closed season, like game, from March until October allowing these above ground living creatures to breed and rear their young without being shot.

Perhaps it is time for the 'old school' English shooting fraternity to follow the evidence-based lead of the Scottish and Welsh politicians. With declining populations of these native creatures, is it now time to protect these animals rather than treat them as 'game before breakfast' and a 'pest by lunchtime' to justify their recreational slaughter ?.

Roger Norton, Monkmoor

Social contract blown apart

Andy Radford makes a very good point about the demonstrations against illegal migrants.

The social contract between government and citizens has always been that we behave ourselves and pay taxes and the government in return looks after our welfare and defence.

During the last 50 years this social contract has not just been broken, it has been blown apart by mass uncontrolled immigration, organised by criminal gangs, into UK.

Chris Smith, Horsehay

Life as confusing as it ever was

As the Colonel Bogey Shorts Season comes close to ending, Uncle Norbert and I look on the bright side, Aunt Dolly's Winter Wonderland Cake will soon be available to fortify the over forties.

As we walk we reflect on how, in just over a year of leading the Green Party, wacko Zacko Polanski has got voters so confused no one has any idea what the Greens actually stand for anymore. He has made a much better job of it than his political opponents.

Andy O'Burnt-Ham has really started to lose the plot by wanting to snuggle back up to the EU. Standby for Brexit take 2 and the EU demanding loads of cash.

And as the UK Flood Task Force starts yet more talking and no doing let's hope no one on the Task Force answers to the name of Noah. Stop talking and get dredging and slowing the water down at its source and its mid point before it impacts inhabited areas.

Peter Steggles, Rushbury

Drop action and teach instead

I am writing to you as the uncle of a student at university in the Midlands. The University and College Union, is asking staff to get involved with a 'Workplace Day of Action' for Palestine on November 26.

No one with a conscience likes to see suffering anywhere in the world. I certainly don't. However, suffering is universal and not confined, as these supposedly educated lecturers appear to think it is, to one small, solitary entity in the Middle East.

I would like to ask the Union where their "Days of Action" have been over the years for the Christians of Nigeria, Uyghurs in China, Rohingya of Myanmar, the repressed female population over the age of 11 in Afghanistan, jailed and murdered protesters in Iran and the millions starving in Yemen and Sudan? That's over 35 million people across the world.

My sister pays substantial fees for education and lodgings for my nephew at university. More importantly, how can students be expected to behave with bipartisan morality as adults, if this form of denominational action against one small country is coming from their lecturers, who should know better, but plainly don't appear to?

My nephew wants lectures, not lost days for one single cause only.

Name, address supplied

Is real love still to be found?

I'm nearing 40. Single dad. I walk my kids to school, go to work, pay my bills. Raised in Shrewsbury — the cobbles, the Severn, the Quarry on a Sunday. I know people here. They know me. But I feel like I'm standing in a room full of people who can't see me.

I'm not writing to complain. I'm writing because I want to know if love is still real — not the version on a screen, the real one. Someone who knows what it costs to get up at six and still show up. If you're reading this and you know what I mean, please write your thoughts to me through this column.

Name, address supplied