Meanwhile, in Antarctica
In the run-up to Christmas, we deliver festive cheer to customers across the globe. This includes the polar researchers and support staff from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) working in the Antarctic.
They spend Christmas on the other side of the world, far from their family and friends in the UK. The Christmas cards and presents we deliver from their loved ones are a heart-warming link to home over the festive season.
Like Royal Mail, they need to start thinking about Christmas well before December!
To enable cards and gifts to reach the Antarctic in time for Christmas 2018, items will start their long journey south from 26 October 2018.
James Miller, HR manager at the British Antarctic Survey, said: ‘In an age of telecommunications where, even in the Antarctic, emails and phone calls are very much part of daily life, there’s very little that creates as much excitement as the arrival of mail.
‘In today’s digital age, the personal touch of a handwritten letter or card still counts for so much more, especially during the festive season. Spirits are always raised when the post bag arrives at our research stations.’
The journey to the Antarctic
To cover the 9,000 mile journey from Cambridge to the BAS’s five research stations, mail initially travels by plane to the Falkland Islands, where it is loaded onto one of two BAS ships or occasionally a Royal Navy ice patrol vessel. This vessel takes up to two weeks to complete this stage of the journey to arrive in time for Christmas.
The British Antarctic Territory is the oldest territorial claim to a part of the continent. A regular postal service has served this area since the 1950s. In total, around 200 people from the UK are based on the frozen continent during the peak summer months.
Head of Network, Andy Pickering,said: ‘In the modern world, it’s easy to forget that mail can still take several weeks to reach some remote destinations, such as the Antarctic. As we don’t want anyone to be disappointed if they are waiting for Christmas mail, we urge all our customers to post early as Royal Mail builds up to its busiest time of year.
‘The last recommended posting dates for overseas destinations around the globe by air are typically in early December and will be announced at a later date.’
Photo courtesy of Rod Arnold (British Antarctic Survey).
