On Mon, 02 Aug 2004 08:03:24 +0100, Tony Raven wrote:
> Michael MacClancy wrote:
>> On Sun, 01 Aug 2004 23:28:19 +0100, Tony Raven wrote:
>>
>>
>> The address line is only for the street name. There are 30 spaces. I
>> assume your house has a name, not a number. If it has a name and a number
>> then omit the name. If only a name then truncate that (e.g. Cherry Blossom
>> instead of Cherry Blossom House).
>>
>> A German address looks like
>>
>> Tony Raven
>> Street Name, House Number
>> Postcode, Town
>> Country
>>
>> They have called 'Town' 'Place'.
>>
>
> But how do you deal with
>
> House Name
> Street
> Village
> Postal Town/postcode
> County
> Country
>
> which is typical of many UK addresses? Six lines into three 30
> character lines doesn't go.
>
> Truncation is fine if you have an address that doesn't become ambiguous
> with truncation. The Post Office has enough trouble finding it if you
> give the full address _and_ post code!
>
> Tony
UK addressing is a bit of a hobby horse of mine, having lived in Germany
where it's so much more concise. (I've also been working as a consultant
in the postal sector.)
I happen to have a copy of "Mail made easy", Royal Mail's guide to postal
services, to hand. (April 2004 edition)
Its instructions for addressing your mail are:
"Please follow this layout. Avois using commas or full stops and do not
centre or stagger your lines.
Line 1: Addressee's name
Line 2: Number and Street name
Line 3: Locality name, if required
Line 4: POST TOWN, Please print in capitals
Line 5: POSTCODE, Please print in capitals, in full, and on a separate line
You do not need to include a County name provided the POST TOWN and
POSTCODE are used."
Worryingly, Royal Mail doesn't know that some houses don't have numbers,
only names!
I don't see any need for the locality name and I always omit mine. In
principle, every delivery point is uniquely identified by the house name or
number and postcode so the other details are only needed to facilitate the
sorting processes. Neither does Royal Mail strictly need the addressee's
name because in the UK delivery has to be to the street address since we
don't have family names on letterboxes.
To fit Rose's template I would suggest you enter:
Line 1: Tony Raven
Line 2: House Name, Street
Line 3: POST TOWN GB - POSTCODE
Line 4: England (You are in England? Otherwise Grossbritannien)
This format works for me when I buy from amazon.de
Although there will always be people who have horror stories about Royal
Mail, they really are a lot better than people think, particularly outside
London. In fact, I think they actually take pride in being able to deliver
badly addressed mail, unlike the Germans who, in my experience, delight in
deliberately delaying incorrectly postcoded letters in order to teach you a
lesson!
For the last 6 six years since we moved back to the UK from Germany our
German bank has steadfastly refused to get our UK address even remotely
correct. This hasn't stopped Royal Mail delivering even one of our bank
statements!
--
Michael MacClancy
Random putdown - "They never open their mouths without subtracting from
the sum of human knowledge." - Thomas Brackett Reed
www.macclancy.demon.co.uk
www.macclancy.co.uk
