Here's your post : it's from 1982

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.northantset.co.uk/news/Here3 ... 6103632.jp" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A parcel sent in 1982 has finally reached its destination – 28 years later.

Gill Smeathers couldn't believe it when the postman handed her a package addressed to her daughter with a postmark which read 1982.

It contained secretarial certificates issued to her daughter Tracy by Kettering Technical College while she was still living at home with her parents in Oakway, Wellingborough.

Royal Mail says it believes the parcel had only just entered the postal system.

Mrs Smeathers' daughter now lives in Canada and she said they laughed about it when she told her what had happened.

She said: "The postman said he couldn't believe it when he handed it over.

"He told me to look at the date and as soon as I saw it, I knew what it was.

"Tracy always thought I had them and I always thought she had them so we never questioned why they hadn't arrived.

"She musn't have needed them all this time."

The package, which arrived last week after 10,220 days, has a stamp mark of 12-and-a-half pence.

It also has a more recent stamp which reads Milton Keynes, United Kingdom, February 15 2010.

Mrs Smeathers said: "We had a real laugh about it.

"I was pleased to get them but very surprised after all these years.

"It does take some believing.

"I suppose we'll never know what happened to it. Perhaps it fell down the back of someone's desk."

She said she would not be sending the certificate over to Canada, adding: "I'm hanging on to these.

"They're not going any further.

"If Tracy comes home, she can get them then."

A spokesman for Royal Mail said: "There is strong evidence to suggest that this item of mail was introduced into our system only recently.

"The parcel was most likely to have been delayed before being posted.

"The 1982 postmark appears to be that of the franking machine used by the sender.

"We carry out regular checks of our premises, machinery, mail bags and post boxes to make sure items are not held up."


WHAT WAS HAPPENING WHEN PACKAGE WAS SENT

Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister

The Falklands War began on April 2

Sinn Fein won its first seats on the Northern Ireland Assembly in October

Channel 4 began broadcasting, with Countdown the first programme to be shown

Prince William was born

[Stormproof]

I think more stuff will turn up when they close buildings PO/MC/DO's

[Lounge Lizard]

Any sad old git can put an unoped old envelope into any post post box and then get the recipient to bleat to the local rag that it has taken so many years, or so many thousand days, to arrive. Pathetic.