King Charles and MPs write to greetings industry folk – and there’s an MBE too!
Letters from very important people have been landing on mats around the greeting card industry over the past few days with the King and MPs putting pen to paper, along with an MBE being awarded.
Wendy Jones-Blackett was delighted with King Charles III’s response to the thank you card she and her team designed back in September after hearing of the death of Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.
She told PG Buzz: “I’m sure we’re not the only ones to receive these today but this was such a lovely touch by King Charles’ team, sending out thank you cards to people who sent sympathy cards.
“A gorgeous example of British card sending, tradition and etiquette. His message is so deeply personal and sad and refers to her as a mother rather than a Queen, which is sometimes forgotten in the tributes. I think this just hits the right note.”
And in his first New Year’s Honours list, King Charles awarded MBEs to David and Ruth Southgate, who founded Retas 2022-nominated Cards N Things in Norwich in 1984 which is now run by their son Paul and his partner Helen.
David and Ruth were honoured for more than half a century of charity and community work, having founded a church in Hellesdon, Norwich, building its current premises and helping young people and adult with guidance, a luncheon club for the elderly, and a local orchestra where musicians have gone on to become professionals as well as the organisation raising over £100,000 for charities, including their local MS Society.
Sharing the news via Instagram and Facebook, Helen wrote: “No better way to finish 2022 than to share the news that the shop’s founders have been made MBEs for their services to charity and the community in Norwich. What an honour for their lifetime of voluntary work.”
There was more VIP mail following on from the GCA’s call for industry folk to write to their MPs to express opposition to Royal Mail’s decision to look at cutting letter deliveries to five days a week.
“Lovely to have received a response letter from my MP regarding my concerns with the Royal Mail which may affect the valuable services we rely upon,” Abacus Cards’ MD Nick Carey said of his missive from Alex Burghart, MP for Brentwood and Ongar, who promised to take the card industry’s concerns into consideration in debates and votes in the House of Commons.
And at Home Counties greeting card retail group House of Cards co-owners Miles Robinson and Nigel Williamson both wrote to their local MPs explaining: “This could have a significant detrimental effect to our business. Royal Mail postage is an integral part of our business as card retailers. Customers want to buy a card, and post it to arrive the next day, including Saturdays, whether that be for a birthday, sympathy, anniversary or some of many other occasions we celebrate as a greeting card sending event.
“If these cards are consistently turning up late, or they are needed to be posted several days in advance of the occasion, customers will simply stop buying cards and more will move to the much more impersonal method of digital messaging and greetings.”
They asked their MPs to raise these concerns within government and stress the need for Royal Mail to continue Saturday deliveries and fulfil its Universal Service obligations, as well as encourage a swift resolution to the ongoing industrial action which severely disrupted card deliveries over the business Christmas period.
Laura Farris, MP for Newbury, responded to Miles by email, noting that the Communication Workers’ Union, which is behind the ongoing strike action in the dispute over pay and conditions, “has voiced its strong concerns and opposition to the reported proposals”.
She said she understands Royal Mail is conducting a review examining ways it can cut costs to compete with its competitors, while still meeting consumer needs, but added: “As Saturday deliveries are part of the USO, MPs would need to vote to change it. I hope Royal Mail will therefore conduct a full analysis of the effects of any changes and I will monitor any developments closely.”
However, GCA president and Second Nature general manager Chris Bryan mentioned that he’s not even received an acknowledgement for his letter to Gagan Mohindra, MP for South West Hertfordshire – but, of course, it could be stuck in the post with plenty of Christmas cards among the pre-holiday mail still being delivered after it was stranded due to the strikes!
Top: The King’s reply to Wendy Jones-Blackett’s sympathy card
