On Wed, 16 Dec 2020 08:57:58 -0800 (PST), polygonum_on_google
wrote:



Mind, I always thought they made a mistake with the letter classes. First class should have been more expensive and better service than is offered. Thus only being a tiny percentage of mail.

When the class system was introduced in the late 1960s the difference
was only 1/2p, which meant that a lot of stuff went first when it need
not have done. But currently the difference is 11p, 19p from 1
January.

(The system was set up to deal with the vast amount of mail posted
late afternoon that was expected to be delivered the next morning.
I have been trawling digitised newspapers for travelling post office
stories and find that in the 19th Century the objective was to get
letters posted in London delivered early enough the next day to give
the recipient enough time to write a reply and post it in time to be
delivered in London the next morning. Reports on accidents would
usually end 'the post arrived at xxx two hours late (or whatever).'