Post Haste

 I really must get a move on with my Christmas preparations

I did buy some Christmas stamps this week - it being an 'odd numbered' year, they have a Nativity theme [next year will be a secular one- but you can ask for the previous year's ones if you want Jesus on your stamps!]

They are designed by Argentinian artist Jorge Cocco, who describes his style as 'sacro-cubism', blending post-cubist art with sacred events.

I'm not altogether sure I like having the barcode on the side, but this new technology will apparently help the Royal Mail to "count, sort and route the post more efficiently". I looked at my sheet, and yes, the codes appear different - each stamp is unique. I read a few articles online [memo to self; don't read densely printed stuff when tired] and wondered why "the dominatrix will improve our customer services" - then realised it said "The datamatrix"   It is not technically a barcode [bars], nor yet a QR code [Quick Response, black squares on a white square ground] These codes have been trialled since March, in the business sector, but it is the first time they have been on stamps for the general public. There is some concern that people may misunderstand and trim them off [well, yes, I get that - if you buy stamps on a sheet they have codes, but not if you buy them in a book, implying the codes are not 'necessary', and there is a wiggly line dividing the design in two]

 I quite like the actual pictures - in "subtle tones of red and blue" according to RM. Good to see Mary escaping her usual blue outfit. And I like the 2nd class Large Letter [with "Jesus, Joseph, Mary, and the Wee Donkey" - specially for those of us who are fans of Line of Duty]

Bizarrely, on the two airmail stamps, the Queens Head faces right. She usually faces left. I cannot find out why they did this.

Saturday 18th December is last date for posting 2nd Class, Tuesday 21st for 1st Class. [thats in the UK - I don't know about elsewhere in the world]