One of the set of Royal Mail's Special Stamps featuring all six published Jane Austen novels Credit: Press Association Images
A special set of stamps have gone on sale featuring Jane Austen novels to mark the 200th anniversary of Pride & Prejudice. The Royal Mail also said that letters posted in Chawton in Hampshire, where Austen lived, and Steventon, where she was born, will have a special postmark for a week.
Andrew Hammond from Royal Mail said: "When you think of great British authors, Jane Austen inevitably comes to mind. Her novels have contributed immeasurably to British culture over the last two centuries.
"New generations continue to fall in love with her work through television and film adaptations, as well as, of course, the books themselves."
The stamps celebrate the 200th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice and go on sale from today. Credit: Press Association Images
VIDEO: The Royal Mail has had to set up a massive new sorting office in Wiltshire to cope with the pressure of millions of extra presents - being bought over the internet. Robert Murphy has the story.
Inside the new Rochester mail centre Credit: David Johns
Royal Mail's new flagship postal centre is opening in Rochester today. The £70 million plant will process all mail posted to and from Kent - replacing four existing mail centre sites in Dartford, Canterbury, Tonbridge and Maidstone.
Inside the new Rochester mail centre Credit: David Johns
It was a challenge - perhaps too puzzling for a postman to solve. A mystery letter in the mail, intended for a seaside furniture shop, but with no name or address.
Yes, the cryptic letter was addressed...
"The Shop that sells Beautiful Sequin and Laced Umbrellas and Tulip Shaped Lampshades... on the bend of a road near seating and flowers".
So did the letter reach its destination? Or was it returned to sender? Tom Savvides has been finding out.
by Sally Molloy
A gold postbox for Lily van den Broecke Credit: ITV Meridian
A postbox has been painted gold in Oxford to celebrate Lily van den Broecke’s win in the Paralympic Rowing. She triumphed in the Mixed Coxed Four final yesterday and the postbox has been painted in Divinity Road to recognise her achievement.
Lily van den Broecke (left) and Pamela Relph after their victory in the LTA4+ Mixed Coxed Four race at Eton Dorney, Berkshire. Credit: PA
Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson has praised the Royal Mail for painting post boxes gold for paralympic medallists.
Speaking before the start of the Paralympic Torch Relay from Stoke Mandeville, Dame Tanni told Meridian that many athletes are more excited by the post boxes than the prospect of winning medals.
There have been six post box thefts in Hampshire Credit: ITV Meridian
Police Officers are searching for thieves following a series of post box thefts. Last month six Royal Mail postboxes worth around two hundred pounds plus their contents were stolen from locations which include Bordon, Farnham and Duleigh Marsh.
