YOU published my request for details of a post office at Claxton (August 19).

The following day three readers contacted me; two said there had never been one, and one said there had.

The next day's post brought me a copy of a superb book Claxton And Sand Hutton, published in 2000 by the local Millennium Committee. This has nearly 200 pages, many with fine coloured illustrations.

Some of these showed "Poppies", which I had thought housed a post office. Its only connection seems to be that it has a phone box in front, and a letter box set in the wall.

It would seem there had never been a post office there, because all the readers had been in Claxton for decades.

I'm grateful to Alan Scriver for sending me the book.

However, the original query stemmed from the discovery of a piece of envelope which bore a very clear handstamp "Claxton, York, July 14, 1992". So where was this handstamp used? By this time, I gather that Sand Hutton post office had closed.

Was there an office opened at Claxton to handle misdelivered mail?

I'm sure that some of your readers will know.

Harry Hayes,

11 Chatsworth Drive,

Haxby, York.

Updated: 10:58 Thursday, September 09, 2004