EARLY in December I went into Launceston Town Post Office to buy Christmas stamps for my Christmas cards. I was disappointed in this year's design, a difficult to decipher pantomime theme, and only bought a few of the special stamps.
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On December 16 I was astonished to read in a press item that stamps with the Madonna and Child were also available. As a Christian, stamps with a Christian theme are my strong preference for my cards at Christmas.
I went back to the post office and asked if the Madonna theme stamps had been available here and was told they were. When I asked why I had not been offered them the counter clerk said that he sold the pantomime ones first then moved on to the others.
I strongly object that the counter clerk decided which stamps I should use instead of informing me that there was a choice and giving me the choice. The press item I read suggested that people deliberately had to ask for the Christian theme stamps, if they happen to know that they existed. They were not being offered automatically. I hope that in future the Post Office does not phase out Christian Nativity stamps because there was 'no demand' for them.
Boyton.