The Post Office Thief!

The Post Office Thief!

Elizabeth’s first marriage broke up because she “Married too young.” She was sweet and innocent and he was not. She was clever a fantastic cook and had even made her own wedding dress! If I had tried that, family, friends and all the guests would have still been laughing now! Elizabeth has always been well turned out, well groomed, beautiful shinny hair, white teeth and a figure to die for. In a silly sort of way I went through a short faze when I even envied her, for she seemed SO perfect. She wasn’t perfect but close and she had a heart of gold and the best personality and sense of humour that I just loved. Tony committed adultery and broke her heart, the fool, it was his stupid loss. I really felt for her, I wasn’t even married yet, and now she was divorced, it hurt me and all her true friends to see her sad tears. How must her Parents have felt, if we her friends felt so sad, they must have been devastated. Elizabeth is a fighter, sometimes you just don’t know who the ‘fighters’ are till you see them in situations that Life throws at them. Well she pulled through and ‘got over’ Tony.

I lost touch with Elizabeth for she went to a different place of Worship to me, then when I finally got married I went to a new place of Worship and there she was still looking stunning, with her gorgeous hair, teeth figure and a child. She introduced me to her Husband Andrew. Of course I didn’t know him but I totally trusted her judgment and over the years that I got to know him I thought he was fantastic! I was so pleased for her. She deserved happiness with all the heartache she had had before and she seemed content and at peace.

Over the years that I had got to know Andrew I thought they were good together and good for each other. He was smart, into the latest gadgets and well spoken. He was the kind of person I would even have trusted to baby sit my kids ..... then one sad day at our place of Worship it was announced they were not coming back!?  What on earth could that mean? I found out he had had an affair! Poor Elizabeth! She and their Child didn’t return, and now go to another place of Worship many miles away.

When we were younger and both single we use to send each other sometimes a Birthday card as our birthdays are in the same month.  The last time I’d sent her a card was many, many years ago but I decided to send her one via another friend who would have seen her and known where she had moved to, so I chose a very special card and told her I was thinking of her and put £10 in the card. Money was tight and it was a very difficult time for me and my family but I just wanted to do this, for her. I sent it to my friend’s house, Registered Post and Signed For so it had to be signed the other end and it was tracked.

I remember a few years ago watching a programme on TV, an experiment they did, sending 5 letters ‘normal’ post and 5 Registered Signed for post, all the ‘normal’ post didn’t arrive but all the Signed For, registered post did arrive. The ‘normal’ post was stolen and never found! So whenever I sent anything in the post I always send it Signed for Registered post, for me it is worth it, peace of mind security and all that. In the same programme, crooks said (through secret filming) how they joined the post office for one reason only and was to steal! For them its like been a kid in a candy shop! I think the Post Office is greedy! They think of ways to make even more money from their customers, when a few years ago they added the oblong and if your small parcel didn’t fit into that it was more money we had to pay! Then recently they added an even bigger oblong and a parcel I post didn’t quite fit into this big oblong and it added ££££££ onto my parcel! My Daughter was with me and I said so the Sales Assistant who could hear me the other side of the counter, “I hope they go bust, for they are so greedy.”  

I text my friend to let her know that I was sending her this card and that it was by Registered Post, she sent me as text back to say she was away on holiday. I said, “Not to worry, when you return get the card from the Post Office using the orange and white slip the post person will leave through your door.” When Mia returned from her holiday she text me back to say no card had been put through her door! I thought that was rather odd! We both waited a few days still no card arrived at her door. So I rang the Main Post Office in the Town and was told that they didn’t have it, they did have it and now they didn’t know where it was!!! Now I know and the thieves know that money is not allowed to be sent by post, we the Customers are not covered sending money by ‘normal’ post or Registered\ Signed for post for you have to PAY more to send money, so now the crooks have moved up a notch if they suspect money is in a envelope they can simply take it for they can see from the coloured sticker on the front placed by the Sales Assistant in the Post Office that the Customer has not paid for the cover of money, for if the letter or parcel is paid for to say money is inside then it will be sent Special Delivery and that on its own cost a staggering £5 !!! I was informed by the man on the end of the line at the Post Office Customer Service to get a form fill it in as missing! I’d have a certain amount of days to get this done by. I told him it was money that I’d sent for a friend who had been through a rough time. He said what I already knew, that money was not covered, told him I would think of something instead that I could say was in the card. I got the form and as you have to include the weight I decided to say it was gift voucher for the value of £10 and put it in my bag and intended to photo copy it and then post it but when I found it again in my bag it was over the date that the claim should have been sent in for the claim. But it opened my eyes to the depth the crooks would go, I am sick of them and the Post Office and don’t wish either of them well!

I wanted my card and small but expensive gift to make a difference to a hurting soul but I too got ‘hurt’ in the process!

Thinking of you today Elizabeth Simons, I hope when I do meet up with you again, that you have gone back to your Maiden name, and that many years from now, I’ll tell you about the Birthday card that I sent ....      x