Goodbye, PO Box 37

For the last many years, my company's had a PO Box number and dedicated postcode to separate personal from business mail, and avoid the need for customers or correspondents to write out a 56 character address. The basic service, including delivery to a street address, originally cost £100 for 12 months, but this has been creeping up - £104, £106, £108, £112.30, £115.70, £120.30, £125.70, £125.75. The odd amounts indicate that there must have been some science applied to the increases.

However, the latest billet doux from Royal Mail increases the charge for the next 12 months to a nice round £200. At that rate I can afford to discontinue the service, reprint business cards, notify the few correspondents that used the PO Box, and still be £150 per year better off. And that's probably what Royal Mail wanted me to do. Goodbye, PO Box 37.