The reason the Whitnash post is slow - it’s coming from Hampshire

It suggests that Farnborough, a small town best known for its air show, may well have some of the hardest working postmen and women in the UK.

Explaining new delivery methods in the letter, John Verrall, Farnborough area delivery sector manager, wrote: “I am making some changes to the way my team in Farnborough deliver to your address. I want to explain why these changes are necessary and how they will affect you.”

For Whitnash town councillor Adrian Barton, the letter solved a mystery. He said: “I was excited when I received a letter from the Royal Mail entitled Important Information, because my postman had been looking very tired lately and wasn’t delivering my mail until 4pm.”

Because emails are replacing traditional post, Royal Mail has announced a new system, phased in from April 30, in which letters and parcel deliveries run for longer each day, with some households and businesses receiving their post at different times.

But why Farnborough? It takes an estimated 1 hour 49 minutes to travel the 102 miles to Whitnash, with some of the journey on the notorious M25 London orbital.

It seems the team are incredibly hardworking. Eathorpe resident Sue Burt received the same letter, but according to a letter sent to the Courier office, which arrived commendably early, Leamington post is delivered by Leamington postmen.

Saving fuel and shoe leather, perhaps some form of postal localism is the answer. Cllr Barton took a less charitable view.

He added: “With first class stamps now 60p and my postman having to walk from Farnborough to hand deliver Royal Mail junk mail, is it time for a change of leadership?”

A Royal Mail spokesman said: “We have delivered more than seven million letters to customers as we introduce changes across the UK. We apologise that as a result of human error, a small number of customers in our Leamington delivery area received a letter explaining similar changes in a different area.”