Long awaited official rebate arrived today. A random security check caused the long wait, they said. I reckon, it was a matter of solvency, dispensing repayments in monthly rationed amounts.
What makes a cavalier happy? There's no second class or surface mail letters into Europe. Every envelope must bear a 50p stamp. Each 50p stamp shows a self-satisfied cavalier.
My U.S. surface mail packages, that had to be off by 6th October, "they'll take about six weeks" arrived at destination in under four weeks. One gift has already been opened.
Cards to the U.S. can go surface mail at about 8p cheaper than airmail, they'll arrive on time for Christmas, just so long as they were posted by the 26th October. My card is going tomorrow, the 11th November. 
On present postal timing, the card should get there at least by Christmas week or sooner!
chrisistoofat
.. yet if one posts a card from southern Europe back to the UK while on holiday one is almost certainly guaranteed to beat it back home, even when it goes airmail !
On the other hand, a few years ago we received a Christmas card from Hong Kong that had been postmarked with a date and time only 36 HOURS before we received it ! Even allowing for an 8hr (?) time difference, getting delivery within 48 hours during the Christmas rush I thought was pretty impressive.
CITF