The invention of postage stamps in the 19th century marked an important milestone in the history of the postal service. Before stamps were invented, only the wealthy could afford to send letters through the post and it was the recipient, not the sender who had to pay the fee.

The king of rock and roll, Elvis Presley, first sang in church as a child, making his public debut at the age of ten at the Mississippi–Alabama Fair and Dairy Show’s talent contest. Although he didn’t win, he was inspired to pursue a musical career and went on to become one of the most iconic artists in history.

Postmen and women across the UK will be kept busy this Valentine’s Day – as an estimated 25 million cards will be winging their way to loved ones on 14th February!

The postal service remains busy all through the year, handling high volumes of letters and parcels, with even more being sent at Christmas. Despite the digital age, it seems some traditions live on!

Britain’s favourite wild bird, the robin, has been appearing on Christmas cards for as long as people can remember. A native UK species, it has been adopted as Britain’s national bird, with its numbers boosted every winter by more robins flying in from Europe.