If you're a Lewisham parent, wondering what's happening to your appeal regarding secondary school places, I can tell you.

(Ok, I know none of you are, but just imagine…)

The Royal Mail has taken about two weeks to deliver a packet of appeals from the Town Hall in Catford to the chair of the appeals panel, about a mile away.

How do I know? I was behind him in the queue at the delivery office as he was making his complaint.

I was there to pick up a recorded post item, but if I had wanted to make a similar point, I'd have been mentioning the birthday present that was posted – in a Post Office, from the custom 'stamp' – first class on 21st April in Nottingham which wasn't delivered here until 5th of May.