When Paul Edwards, from Chester, UK, ordered the parenting magazine Mother & Baby in 2007, he was hoping that it would provide helpful advice and offers to help him and his wife navigate the stresses and challenges of bringing up children. At the time, their daughter was 18 months old, and they were expecting their second child in three months. However, the magazine was delivered 19 years late. The 52-year-old’s children are now 20 and 18. Edwards said he found the late delivery “just bizarre.” The package was dropped in his mailbox with a message from Royal Mail apologizing “for any inconvenience caused.” Royal Mail said it checks its delivery offices and sorting machines daily, and it was likely the magazine had been put back into the postal system by someone, rather than lost internally. The mail service, which has been fined £37 million ($49 million) since 2023 for routinely failing to meet delivery targets, revealed that 24.3% of first-class mail fails to arrive on time. A spokesperson for Royal Mail said improving its service is a top priority.
