I send out a lot of mail to the United Kingdom. I always say, Swansea, Wales, UK or Essex, England, UK. I have to admit that we have people here in the USA who don't know where Wales or England is located but you've got people there in the UK, who have no idea that New Orleans, LA and Los Angeles, CA are almost 2,000 miles from each other. I know someone who thinks that I live 10 miles from San Francisco rather than 393 miles. The one thing that really gets our postal service is the British lack of putting return addresses on their mail. Here, int he USA, if you do that, you have to stand in front of the window and write in your name and address in the return section. They won't accept any letters any other way. I have to commend the US Postal Service. For a 44 cent stamp, I can mail a letter to a friend 40+ miles away in another county (after the Post Office is closed) and she will receive the letter the next morning. Annie Attached Message From: robert williams <robert.williams94@googlemail.com> To: DYFED@rootsweb.com Subject: [Dyfed] For Wales,See England. Date: Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:39:29 +0000 Greetings.It has been know for many years now,that amongst our American Friends,The United Kingdom doesn't exist.As they call it "England". Or to put it another way,The United Kingdom is in England. A funny thing happened when, Many Years ago, I was the Assistant Secretary of the "Glamorgan F,H.S;" My Job was to handle all of the "Overseas Mail". We had a letter one day that was posted in Texas U.S.A;that was addressed to us in Cardiff.And the only addition to that address was "South Wales". And Nothing else! We wondered WHY this letter had Taken over 4 weeks to arrive to us? I could then see why? For on the Front of the Envelope,somebody had added.... "Try ENGLAND!" I could then see WHERE else this Letter had travelled to,Before it arrived on Our Doorstep?. As on the Reverse side of the Envelope was "Stamped" "NEW SOUTH WALES!" So then,Our Letter had gone from Texas to New South Wales in Australia. As obviously Nobody in the U.S;Postal Service had Heard Of ....... "South Wales". So on Arrival in New South Wales,The Postal Staff put "Try England". Needless to say,It arrived! -- Graham Williams.of Canton,Cardiff. Chairman,"Canton Historical Society". Glam;FHS;#551.

Annie's comments are very pertinent. She might have added that the same stamp will also get a letter from here in South Carolina to far off Alaska or the Hawaiian islands and the mail carrier will have collected it from one's home letter box! (Give her a cheque she will also deliver the stamps). But, more to the point. I always address my letter home (London, Leics and Cards) to 'Great Britain' and I find my family and friends back home rarely understand what UK really means. In Foyle's bookshop (London) the week before last I say travel books on the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands grouped under UK. No they are not! they are not part of the UK and when 20 years ago I was in Bradford University we were in danger of having to charge their students the higher 'foreign' fees. Northern Ireland is in the UK but comprises only six counties of historic Ulster, the other two being in the Irish Republic. Monmouthshire is part of Wales but the LDS website regards it as in England. And recently, the little bit of Pembrokeshire across the bridge from Cardigan town has ceased to be 'Ceridigion' and is once again 'Sir Benfro'. I sometimes feel sorrow for overseas 'listers' trying to make sense of the historic geographical hangovers of Prydein. Courage mes enfants! To quote the Welsh Triads "The three privileged ports of the Isle of Britain: Newport in Monmouthshire, Beaumaris in Anglesea and Gwyddnaw in Cardiganshire" Now you know where my loyalties lie! Brian cardi2@aol.com wrote: > > > > > > I send out a lot of mail to the United Kingdom. I always say, Swansea, Wales, UK or Essex, England, UK. I have to admit that we have > people here in the USA who don't know where Wales or England is located but you've got people there in the UK, who have > no idea that New Orleans, LA and Los Angeles, CA are almost 2,000 miles from each other. I know someone who thinks that > I live 10 miles from San Francisco rather than 393 miles. > > The one thing that really gets our postal service is the British lack of putting return addresses on their mail. Here, int he USA, if you do > that, you have to stand in front of the window and write in your name and address in the return section. They won't accept > any letters any other way. > > I have to commend the US Postal Service. For a 44 cent stamp, I can mail a letter to a friend 40+ miles away in another county > (after the Post Office is closed) and she will receive the letter the next morning. > > Annie > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Attached Message > > > > > > > > From: > > > robert williams <robert.williams94@googlemail.com> > > > > > > > To: > > > DYFED@rootsweb.com > > > > > > > Subject: > > > [Dyfed] For Wales,See England. > > > > > > > Date: > > > Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:39:29 +0000 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > Greetings.It has been know for many years now,that amongst our American > Friends,The United Kingdom doesn't exist.As they call it "England". > Or to put it another way,The United Kingdom is in England. > A funny thing happened when, Many Years ago, I was the > Assistant Secretary of the "Glamorgan F,H.S;" > My Job was to handle all of the "Overseas Mail". > We had a letter one day that was posted in Texas U.S.A;that was addressed to > us in Cardiff.And the only addition to that address was "South Wales". And > Nothing else! > We wondered WHY this letter had Taken over 4 weeks to arrive to us? > I could then see why? > For on the Front of the Envelope,somebody had added.... > "Try ENGLAND!" > I could then see WHERE else this Letter had travelled to,Before it arrived > on Our Doorstep?. > As on the Reverse side of the Envelope was "Stamped" > "NEW SOUTH WALES!" > So then,Our Letter had gone from Texas to New South Wales in Australia. > As obviously Nobody in the U.S;Postal Service had Heard Of ....... > "South Wales". > So on Arrival in New South Wales,The Postal Staff put > "Try England". > Needless to say,It arrived! > > -- Professor Emeritus B E Davies PhD, C. Chem, FRSC 107 Teeside Drive Anderson SC 29625-6937 USA tel: (864) 646-7876 alt. email: bdavies@clemson.edu