We have fought a long battle in Eastern Berwickshire to change our postcode. The great metropoli of Hutton, Paxton and Foulden lie in TD15. The same post code as Berwick- upon- Tweed. It is in England and we in Scotland. This bothers Royal Mail or BT not a whit. Our address and phone number is found in the Northumberland phone book and it has taken 6 years to get it into the Borders one (still remaining in the Northumberland version as well) A letter from elsewhere in the known world gets to Hutton quicker if it bears the magic logo Berwick upon Tweed-put TD15 and Berwickshire and omit B-o-T it will go via Hawick, linger for two tea breaks and arrive 24 hours after a similar letter posted at the same time, in the same place but routed via Berwick.
More seriously for the poor in pocket our insurance policies are based on crime in Berwick itself. The fact that we live in a virtually crime free rural backwater makes not a p of difference. The post code is all. It has long been suggested that a new code be created TD16 which would take in the Scottish bits of TD15. But that is too difficult for Royal Mail. The latest snag is that when calling the new local NHS out of hours health line one is asked the post code. TD15 we say in H,P and F. Wrong number they triumphantly respond-call Northumberland, its their bag.
I am all for bowing to the inevitable and hauling up the Northumberland flag on my flagpole but that won’t help with the insurance and will only encourage more loud mouthed, horsey, braying, tweedy, Northumberland ladies calling with copies of the phone book on behalf of BT and asking me ‘Where Scotland starts’. And not believing my response. As happened the other day. I am a reluctant Scot at the best of times but faced with such ignorant arrogance I was a fired up as any other Brave heart and urged the ladies to heid south and 'think again'
