I FEEL for the frustrated gentleman expressing his annoyance at the counter service he received during a visit to the post office (Letters, October 9).

On the rare occasion I purchase a stamp there, I am also questioned about my phone/insurance/banking habits – you name it, they sell it.

So fed up was I with the automated questions, I pointed out I was there to buy one stamp, nothing but a stamp, and would not discuss other matters.

My response must have touched a raw nerve. Whatever you do, never ask the post office for stamps, special edition stamps that is – the post office sells almost everything but these stamps. You can only get them online, I was told. Last year, on requesting Christmas stamps I encountered similar problems.

Please can we return to the old days at the post office when I was able to purchase all special edition stamps to ‘decorate’ my correspondence with arty, interesting stamps, similar to the awesome ones dropping through my letter box from abroad every now and again.

After all, we have such talented home-grown designers who create them.

Barbara Hudson, Badger Hill, York.