The festive season parcel rush starts earlier every year
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The Postie Notes by Pete Malone
The wheel of time rolls relentlessly on as we plunge headlong towards the turn of the year.
All the usual autumn activities are taking place. Most of the birds have flown south for the winter taking with them the majority of the campervans and cyclists, although there are still some hardy souls venturing around the coast.
I saw one campervan this week that had travelled from the south coast of England. What drew my attention was the cat sitting on the dashboard watching the world pass by.
At first, I thought it was just a child’s toy, but it turned to stare at me with that haughty look that indicates cats were once worshipped as gods and have never quite forgotten that.
The days aren’t quite dark yet when I set out on my rounds but not far off it, which brings its own hazards. It is easy when driving in the half-light not to see stags and hinds at the side of the road. Sheep at least are mostly white and a little bit reflective, but deer blend into the gorse and grass at this time of the year.
No postie wants to have to explain to explain to the boss that the large deer shaped dent in the front of the van was definitely not his or her fault and the animal came out of nowhere, hit the van and then ran off.
An upside of this time of year is that the orange, russets and golds of the trees make for fine photography and, although there are few trees on the north coast, there are one or two spots in this area where they form a beautiful arch across the road, presenting a good picture opportunity.
This is also the season of remembrance and our routes take us past a number of war memorials with their mid-November bloom of red poppies, laid in memory of those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the wars of the last 100 years.
The Royal British Legion this year marked the centenary of its adoption of the poppy as a symbol of remembrance. Nearly 40 million are made and sold each year. The poppy appeal raises money for those who have served or are currently serving in the armed forces and have been affected physically, mentally or economically by war.
Speeding through Halloween, Guy Fawkes Day and Remembrance Sunday, the Christmas season seems to burst upon us. Festive lights have started to appear and in the first week of November I saw my first household Christmas decorations.
Posties are gearing themselves up for the seasonal parcel rush. It has started earlier this year as a lot of people seem concerned about the possibility of shortages and Christmas and Black Friday deals begin earlier and earlier. Soon sales will be so early they will be held in January!
In the next few weeks, the van which collects the post from Thurso will be joined by a companion van as the rush gets into full swing. A single van is not large enough to collect all of the post that needs to be delivered each day.
This year I have a much more sanguine view of the rush. I have a lot of accumulated holidays and have been taking a day off most weeks. This doesn’t mean I am on holiday. As a married man there is always something to be done at home or in the shop and if I can’t find anything my wife always can.
Still, at least I have a little bit more time to enjoy the autumn colours. Now: where is that camera?
Pete Malone is a postman at Bettyhill.
