The Royal Mail pillar boxes in my patch of south London have shown very little knowledge, over at least the last two years, of which day they were next going to be emptied. The brass plate that's meant to say typically rarely gets changed, and even the changes often seem unlikely to be correct.

I'm wondering if this is a very local phenomenon, or not. I'd be particularly interested in observations from other urban areas.

th

tiny hadron <tinyhadron@gmail.com> wrote:
> The Royal Mail pillar boxes in my patch of south London have shown very
> little knowledge, over at least the last two years, of which day they
> were next going to be emptied. The brass plate that's meant to say
> typically rarely gets changed, and even the changes often seem unlikely to be correct.
>
> I'm wondering if this is a very local phenomenon, or not. I'd be
> particularly interested in observations from other urban areas.
>
> th
>

Now look…. Royal Mail have installed thousands of pillar boxes around the
country - do you expect them to be responsible for emptying them and
indicating at what times this may happen???

--
Toodle Pip, Mike McMillan

On 10/11/2022 17:49, tiny hadron wrote:
> The Royal Mail pillar boxes in my patch of south London have shown very little knowledge, over at least the last two years, of which day they were next going to be emptied. The brass plate that's meant to say typically rarely gets changed, and even the changes often seem unlikely to be correct.
>
> I'm wondering if this is a very local phenomenon, or not. I'd be particularly interested in observations from other urban areas.
>
> th

That happened years, possibly decades, ago in Birmingham. They have been
updating the box labels correctly for perhaps 5 years or so. I rarely go
near a pillar box and my sense of time is more or less restricted to
before, during or after covid so I really can't be too sure. Unless
things have changed sine I last posted a letter about 2 months ago.

--
Ric

On Thu, 10 Nov 2022 21:49:51 +0000, Joe Kerr <joe_kerr@cheerful.com>
wrote:

>On 10/11/2022 17:49, tiny hadron wrote:
>> The Royal Mail pillar boxes in my patch of south London have shown very little knowledge, over at least the last two years, of which day they were next going to be emptied. The brass plate that's meant to say typically rarely gets changed, and even the changes often seem unlikely to be correct.
>>
>> I'm wondering if this is a very local phenomenon, or not. I'd be particularly interested in observations from other urban areas.
>>
>> th
>
>That happened years, possibly decades, ago in Birmingham. They have been
>updating the box labels correctly for perhaps 5 years or so. I rarely go
>near a pillar box and my sense of time is more or less restricted to
>before, during or after covid so I really can't be too sure. Unless
>things have changed sine I last posted a letter about 2 months ago.

I'm not terribly close to a Royal Mail pillarbox just now so I can't
add much to the observations except to mention that we had several
days of postal strikes up in t'North and I can see that having an
effect on the neat ordering of metal label plates.

Nick

On 11.11.22 00:00, Nick Odell wrote:
> On Thu, 10 Nov 2022 21:49:51 +0000, Joe Kerr <joe_kerr@cheerful.com>
> wrote:
>
>> On 10/11/2022 17:49, tiny hadron wrote:
>>> The Royal Mail pillar boxes in my patch of south London have shown very little knowledge, over at least the last two years, of which day they were next going to be emptied. The brass plate that's meant to say typically rarely gets changed, and even the changes often seem unlikely to be correct.
>>>
>>> I'm wondering if this is a very local phenomenon, or not. I'd be particularly interested in observations from other urban areas.
>>>
>>> th
>>
>> That happened years, possibly decades, ago in Birmingham. They have been
>> updating the box labels correctly for perhaps 5 years or so. I rarely go
>> near a pillar box and my sense of time is more or less restricted to
>> before, during or after covid so I really can't be too sure. Unless
>> things have changed sine I last posted a letter about 2 months ago.
>
> I'm not terribly close to a Royal Mail pillarbox just now so I can't
> add much to the observations except to mention that we had several
> days of postal strikes up in t'North and I can see that having an
> effect on the neat ordering of metal label plates.
>
> Nick

Certainly timed collections ended some years ago and at best it refers
to the day when it will next be emptied - and with strikes that seems to
be potentially wrong. One of our local boxes has been adorned by an
ever changing knitted topper. Someone must spend many hours preparing
these.

--
Kosmo Richard W
www.travelswmw.whitnet.uk
https://tinyurl.com/KRWpics

On Fri, 11 Nov 2022 09:44:26 +0000, krw <krw@whitnet.uk> a gribouillé dans
la poussière...

>On 11.11.22 00:00, Nick Odell wrote:
>> On Thu, 10 Nov 2022 21:49:51 +0000, Joe Kerr <joe_kerr@cheerful.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> On 10/11/2022 17:49, tiny hadron wrote:
>>>> The Royal Mail pillar boxes in my patch of south London have shown very little knowledge, over at least the last two years, of which day they were next going to be emptied. The brass plate that's meant to say typically rarely gets changed, and even the changes often seem unlikely to be correct.
>>>>
>>>> I'm wondering if this is a very local phenomenon, or not. I'd be particularly interested in observations from other urban areas.
>>>>
>>>> th
>>>
>>> That happened years, possibly decades, ago in Birmingham. They have been
>>> updating the box labels correctly for perhaps 5 years or so. I rarely go
>>> near a pillar box and my sense of time is more or less restricted to
>>> before, during or after covid so I really can't be too sure. Unless
>>> things have changed sine I last posted a letter about 2 months ago.
>>
>> I'm not terribly close to a Royal Mail pillarbox just now so I can't
>> add much to the observations except to mention that we had several
>> days of postal strikes up in t'North and I can see that having an
>> effect on the neat ordering of metal label plates.
>>
>> Nick
>
>Certainly timed collections ended some years ago and at best it refers
>to the day when it will next be emptied - and with strikes that seems to
>be potentially wrong. One of our local boxes has been adorned by an
>ever changing knitted topper. Someone must spend many hours preparing
>these.

The closest postbox to my home is set in a brick pillar on the SE corner of
the road I live on.
--
Penny
Annoyed by The Archers since 1959

On Fri, 11 Nov 2022 09:44:26 +0000, krw <krw@whitnet.uk> a gribouillé dans
la poussière...

>On 11.11.22 00:00, Nick Odell wrote:
>> On Thu, 10 Nov 2022 21:49:51 +0000, Joe Kerr <joe_kerr@cheerful.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> On 10/11/2022 17:49, tiny hadron wrote:
>>>> The Royal Mail pillar boxes in my patch of south London have shown very little knowledge, over at least the last two years, of which day they were next going to be emptied. The brass plate that's meant to say typically rarely gets changed, and even the changes often seem unlikely to be correct.
>>>>
>>>> I'm wondering if this is a very local phenomenon, or not. I'd be particularly interested in observations from other urban areas.
>>>>
>>>> th
>>>
>>> That happened years, possibly decades, ago in Birmingham. They have been
>>> updating the box labels correctly for perhaps 5 years or so. I rarely go
>>> near a pillar box and my sense of time is more or less restricted to
>>> before, during or after covid so I really can't be too sure. Unless
>>> things have changed sine I last posted a letter about 2 months ago.
>>
>> I'm not terribly close to a Royal Mail pillarbox just now so I can't
>> add much to the observations except to mention that we had several
>> days of postal strikes up in t'North and I can see that having an
>> effect on the neat ordering of metal label plates.
>>
>> Nick
>
>Certainly timed collections ended some years ago and at best it refers
>to the day when it will next be emptied - and with strikes that seems to
>be potentially wrong. One of our local boxes has been adorned by an
>ever changing knitted topper. Someone must spend many hours preparing
>these.

The closest postbox to my home is set in a brick pillar on the SE corner of
the road I live on. It's surprising it has survived so long, as the angle
between the single-track lane and my single-track road makes it difficult
to turn into my road from the uphill side - but some delivery drivers (who
may have believed the map) have missed the uphill entrance to the other end
of my road and clouted the brick pillar several times.

The info on the box suggests its last collection is around 5pm and you
might do better going into town and using the box at the Post Office. I
think it may be emptied at other times too, but I'm not sure the removable
plate gets changed at all. I should probably pay more attention but I
rarely use it, or walk past.

Apologies if you get a copy of the beginning of this post as well.Hazard of
using Ctrl+v repeatedly, I keep using unknown keyboard shortcuts by mistake
:(
--
Penny
Annoyed by The Archers since 1959

On 10/11/2022 21:49, Joe Kerr wrote:
> On 10/11/2022 17:49, tiny hadron wrote:
>> The Royal Mail pillar boxes in my patch of south London have shown
>> very little knowledge, over at least the last two years, of which day
>> they were next going to be emptied.  The brass plate that's meant to
>> say typically rarely gets changed, and even the changes often seem
>> unlikely to be correct.
>>
>> I'm wondering if this is a very local phenomenon, or not.  I'd be
>> particularly interested in observations from other urban areas.
>>
>> th
>
> That happened years, possibly decades, ago in Birmingham. They have been
> updating the box labels correctly for perhaps 5 years or so. I rarely go
> near a pillar box and my sense of time is more or less restricted to
> before, during or after covid so I really can't be too sure. Unless
> things have changed sine I last posted a letter about 2 months ago.
>
Q: What is the biggest communications advance in Ireland since Independence?
A: Painting the red pillar boxes and telephone kiosks green.
--
Flop

On Fri, 11 Nov 2022 10:22:52 +0000, Penny <spam@labyrinth.freeuk.com> a
gribouillé dans la poussière...

>The info on the box suggests its last collection is around 5pm and you
>might do better going into town and using the box at the Post Office. I
>think it may be emptied at other times too, but I'm not sure the removable
>plate gets changed at all. I should probably pay more attention but I
>rarely use it, or walk past.

Shows how unobservant I am, just wandered down to the post box and took a
photo of the plate, came back and compared it with Street view from 2009.
If it ever had a removable bit to show it had been emptied and when, it was
before summer 2009.

The info says its latest collection during the week is 9am Monday to Friday
(7am on Saturday) - I know that is tosh, as I had to wait for the postie to
finish emptying soon after midday on Wednesday, when I drove out to pick up
my prescription.

It also lists a nearby box with later collection time, which might save two
minutes off a trip to the main PO.
--
Penny
Annoyed by The Archers since 1959

On 11/11/2022 00:00, Nick Odell wrote:
> On Thu, 10 Nov 2022 21:49:51 +0000, Joe Kerr <joe_kerr@cheerful.com>
> wrote:
>
>> On 10/11/2022 17:49, tiny hadron wrote:
>>> The Royal Mail pillar boxes in my patch of south London have shown very little knowledge, over at least the last two years, of which day they were next going to be emptied. The brass plate that's meant to say typically rarely gets changed, and even the changes often seem unlikely to be correct.
>>>
>>> I'm wondering if this is a very local phenomenon, or not. I'd be particularly interested in observations from other urban areas.
>>>
>>> th
>>
>> That happened years, possibly decades, ago in Birmingham. They have been
>> updating the box labels correctly for perhaps 5 years or so. I rarely go
>> near a pillar box and my sense of time is more or less restricted to
>> before, during or after covid so I really can't be too sure. Unless
>> things have changed sine I last posted a letter about 2 months ago.
>
> I'm not terribly close to a Royal Mail pillarbox just now so I can't
> add much to the observations except to mention that we had several
> days of postal strikes up in t'North and I can see that having an
> effect on the neat ordering of metal label plates.
>

Well, you were certainly close to a Royal Mail pillar box not so long
ago, I have the proof! For which thank you very much, and apologies in
advance for the electronic version you will perforce be getting from me
as I still haven't drawn it yet...

Meanwhile, in old south London, the day labels in the local box were
seriously incomplete, so Tuesday had to last till Friday, whereas in the
seaside suburb of Edinburgh, our box labels get changed properly, though
heaven knows when they actually get emptied. The notice says 9am but
I've seen them doing it much later than that. The nearest one to me got
damaged in the summer - am not sure whether it was a random hit or
deliberate vandalism, but its face got badly bashed. About a month later
it had been freshly spruced up with new day labels and everything, so
something is working well.

--
Kate B

On 11-Nov-22 10:22, Penny wrote:
> The info on the box suggests its last collection is around 5pm and you
> might do better going into town and using the box at the Post Office. I
> think it may be emptied at other times too, but I'm not sure the removable
> plate gets changed at all. I should probably pay more attention but I
> rarely use it, or walk past.

If we need to post anything which is urgent, I go to the sorting office
about 3 miles away and put it in the pillar box there.
That's about the only way I can be confident it will be collected that
day - and the last collection there is around 19:30.

--
Sam Plusnet

On Friday, 11 November 2022 at 19:35:46 UTC, Sam Plusnet wrote:
> On 11-Nov-22 10:22, Penny wrote:
> > The info on the box suggests its last collection is around 5pm and you
> > might do better going into town and using the box at the Post Office. I
> > think it may be emptied at other times too, but I'm not sure the removable
> > plate gets changed at all. I should probably pay more attention but I
> > rarely use it, or walk past.
> If we need to post anything which is urgent, I go to the sorting office
> about 3 miles away and put it in the pillar box there.
> That's about the only way I can be confident it will be collected that
> day - and the last collection there is around 19:30.

Oh, you managed to get a post out yesterday evening. I'm not sure when it
went away for me, but the Plusnet server (Giganews?) has been demanding
authentication (again) since later last night for me :(

I did pop out and buy a new keyboard (which is far too noisy and springy,
after using Ray's ancient Dell version for years), so at least I have a working
spacebar now, but still no joy from Plusnet.
Someone did report the problem yesterday but Bob the Gaffer say he didn't have
time to deal with it this weekend :(
_ Penny in limbo

On Sat, 12 Nov 2022 15:01:38 -0800 (PST), Penny <2pence@gmail.com>
wrote:

>On Friday, 11 November 2022 at 19:35:46 UTC, Sam Plusnet wrote:
>> On 11-Nov-22 10:22, Penny wrote:
>> > The info on the box suggests its last collection is around 5pm and you
>> > might do better going into town and using the box at the Post Office. I
>> > think it may be emptied at other times too, but I'm not sure the removable
>> > plate gets changed at all. I should probably pay more attention but I
>> > rarely use it, or walk past.
>> If we need to post anything which is urgent, I go to the sorting office
>> about 3 miles away and put it in the pillar box there.
>> That's about the only way I can be confident it will be collected that
>> day - and the last collection there is around 19:30.
>
>Oh, you managed to get a post out yesterday evening. I'm not sure when it
>went away for me, but the Plusnet server (Giganews?) has been demanding
>authentication (again) since later last night for me :(
>
>I did pop out and buy a new keyboard (which is far too noisy and springy,
>after using Ray's ancient Dell version for years), so at least I have a working
>spacebar now, but still no joy from Plusnet.
>Someone did report the problem yesterday but Bob the Gaffer say he didn't have
>time to deal with it this weekend :(
>_
>Penny in limbo

I've been using Eternal September even when I had access to the
Plusnet/Giganews services so perhaps you might give them a try? Access
is free but Ray Banana always appreciates donations.

Nick

On Sat, 12 Nov 2022 15:01:38 -0800 (PST), Penny <2pence@gmail.com>
wrote:

>On Friday, 11 November 2022 at 19:35:46 UTC, Sam Plusnet wrote:
>> On 11-Nov-22 10:22, Penny wrote:
>> > The info on the box suggests its last collection is around 5pm and you
>> > might do better going into town and using the box at the Post Office. I
>> > think it may be emptied at other times too, but I'm not sure the removable
>> > plate gets changed at all. I should probably pay more attention but I
>> > rarely use it, or walk past.
>> If we need to post anything which is urgent, I go to the sorting office
>> about 3 miles away and put it in the pillar box there.
>> That's about the only way I can be confident it will be collected that
>> day - and the last collection there is around 19:30.
>
>Oh, you managed to get a post out yesterday evening. I'm not sure when it
>went away for me, but the Plusnet server (Giganews?) has been demanding
>authentication (again) since later last night for me :(
>
>I did pop out and buy a new keyboard (which is far too noisy and springy,
>after using Ray's ancient Dell version for years), so at least I have a working
>spacebar now, but still no joy from Plusnet.
>Someone did report the problem yesterday but Bob the Gaffer say he didn't have
>time to deal with it this weekend :(
>_
>Penny in limbo

Now that you have a new keyboard you have nothing to lose by trying my
drastic clean-up method for non-functioning keyboards.

Take the keyboard completely to pieces.
Soak the pieces in warm water with washing-up liquid and gently tease
away any crud with a soft tooth brush.
Rinse all the parts in clean tap water.
Allow to dry thoroughly: a couple of days in a warm airing cupboard
should do it.
Reassemble and test.

It works for me about nine times out of ten: the tenth time is the
reason I say make sure you have another working keyboard handy.

Nick

On 12-Nov-22 23:01, Penny wrote:
> On Friday, 11 November 2022 at 19:35:46 UTC, Sam Plusnet wrote:
>> On 11-Nov-22 10:22, Penny wrote:
>>> The info on the box suggests its last collection is around 5pm and you
>>> might do better going into town and using the box at the Post Office. I
>>> think it may be emptied at other times too, but I'm not sure the removable
>>> plate gets changed at all. I should probably pay more attention but I
>>> rarely use it, or walk past.
>> If we need to post anything which is urgent, I go to the sorting office
>> about 3 miles away and put it in the pillar box there.
>> That's about the only way I can be confident it will be collected that
>> day - and the last collection there is around 19:30.
>
> Oh, you managed to get a post out yesterday evening. I'm not sure when it
> went away for me, but the Plusnet server (Giganews?) has been demanding
> authentication (again) since later last night for me :(

I've more or less given up on Plusnet's usenet swerver. I have access
to another (Newshosting) & stick with that.
>
> I did pop out and buy a new keyboard (which is far too noisy and springy,
> after using Ray's ancient Dell version for years), so at least I have a working
> spacebar now, but still no joy from Plusnet.
> Someone did report the problem yesterday but Bob the Gaffer say he didn't have
> time to deal with it this weekend :(
> _
> Penny in limbo

Choice of a Keyboard is a very personal thing. I can't decide if all
these typos[1] are All My Own Work - or if this Logitech keyboard can
share some of the blame.

[1] There were lots & lots, but I carefully hunted them down and put
them back into the bottle for later re-use.

--
Sam Plusnet

On Sun, 13 Nov 2022 15:07:51 +0000, Nick Odell <nickodell49@yahoo.ca> a
gribouillé dans la poussière...

>On Sat, 12 Nov 2022 15:01:38 -0800 (PST), Penny
>wrote:

>>I did pop out and buy a new keyboard (which is far too noisy and springy,
>>after using Ray's ancient Dell version for years), so at least I have a working
>>spacebar now, but still no joy from Plusnet.
>>Someone did report the problem yesterday but Bob the Gaffer say he didn't have
>>time to deal with it this weekend :(
>>_
>>Penny in limbo

Plusnet revived the connection at some point this afternoon - hurrah!

>Now that you have a new keyboard you have nothing to lose by trying my
>drastic clean-up method for non-functioning keyboards.
>
>Take the keyboard completely to pieces.
>Soak the pieces in warm water with washing-up liquid and gently tease
>away any crud with a soft tooth brush.
>Rinse all the parts in clean tap water.
>Allow to dry thoroughly: a couple of days in a warm airing cupboard
>should do it.
>Reassemble and test.
>
>It works for me about nine times out of ten: the tenth time is the
>reason I say make sure you have another working keyboard handy.

I'll give it a go, if I remember, this £10-from-eTsco is particularly
annoying and the gleaming white letters are confusing me a bit, as I'd got
so used to the barely visible ones on the old one.

I have a few around which probably need that treatment. I haven't stripped
down a keyboard in years. Last time was the School's office machine which
I'd taken home for the holidays. D#2 managed to spill a strawberry
milkshake on it which was fairly disastrous, being thick, and sticky, and
potentially smelly. I was interested to find a clear plastic sheet under
the keys which protected much of the inner workings - the circuitry was
printed on the back of it IIRC. It was around the same time I discovered I
could mend printed circuits with either a pencil, or a fancy metallic
fiber-tipped pen.

At least keyboards are still held together with actual screws, not flimsy
plastic clips.
--
Penny
Annoyed by The Archers since 1959