Back in early October I picked thirteen images from my "Geograph" collection for my 2025 Calendar. I had eight of these made at great expense - £80 in total. My box of new calendars was delivered to me in mid-November. I was delighted with them.
As planned, at the start of December, I parcelled two of the calendars up and toddled down to our local post office. I was sending them to my sister-in-law Josephine and my niece Katie who both live in western Ireland. I also sent one without hindrance to my brother Robin in France.
I filled in customs declarations and paid the appropriate amount of postage - £6.55 for each calendar.
Christmas arrived and I imagined that both calendars had been delivered. After all, I have sent many parcels and packages to The Republic of Ireland over the years.
However, at the end of this past week, both packages were returned to our house with stickers telling me that they had been rejected by Irish customs. No explanation given - just that. I took the parcels down to our local post office and was told by the helpful postmaster that several other customers had had Christmas parcels rejected by Irish customs.
I mean, what the hell could possibly be wrong with a calendar? How on earth could the parcels have failed the scrutiny of the Irish customs service? It just does not make sense.
For each package I am out of pocket by £16.55 and besides who wants a new calendar when we are on the threshold of the second month of the year? Inside the packages there were also Christmas cards wishing the Irish members of my family all the best in the festive season and beyond. Some jobsworths have blocked that ritualistic annual contact.
from Yorkshire Pudding https://ift.tt/VUadxzW