Mailing early also gives your postie a fighting chance to deliver the huge surge in Christmas post on time.

BBC: Royal Mail's Price Finder website hits glitch

Mistakes do happen, but for one postie, stashing and burning the mail was the answer to meeting the demands of his round.

BBC: NEWS | UK | Snail mail failure's worst cases

As the most visible face of the mail service, the postie has become a target for much of the public's resentment over late birthday cards, missing wedding invites and overdue credit card statements.

BBC: Are we falling out of love with the postie?

The disruption has caused a backlog of mail estimated to be between four (says Royal Mail) and 20 million (says union) pieces, and it's the latest fracture in the bond between postie and public.

BBC: Are we falling out of love with the postie?

You're an old postie.

BBC: Rocky times