When does the mail get franked?

[mrs.chappie]

At what point does the mail gets franked by the Royal Mail?

A friend said he'd posted a Xmas card to me on the 23rd December.

It arrived today and the envelope is clearly franked 29th December at Thames Valley and 30th December at Hull (its final destination).

Is it possible that he posted it on the 23rd and it sat in a post box or sorting office for six days before the first frank?

Also, there is (I think) a sorting office in Wantage, where it was posted - yet the first frank says Thames Valley. Would it not be franked at the local sorting office?

It's not a problem, and I fully understand the disruptions due to severe weather ... just curious as to how the mail is dealt with regarding franking.

Thanks for any replies, peeps. x.

[mrs.chappie]

Thanks Eddie.

[coccinelle]

The mail usually gets franked at the local sorting office before getting shipped to its destination. However, if the machine can't 'read' the address due to usually a dark coloured envelope it will have to be franked by hand and so might go elsewhere. Always stick a white sticker onto a coloured envelope so your letter or card arrives next day or if 2nd class two days later.

[mrs.chappie]

Thanks coccinelle. Is the reading of the postcode done entirely by machine? Or does a human type a code onto the envelope, which is then read by machine?

[boxtops]

I understood that the majority of the postcode reading is by machine, which is why we are asked to write clearly and on a separate line at the bottom.
If you post anywhere in certain areas, they only have a central frank - most of Sussex seems to be franked "Gatwick" (the main sorting office) and ours is mostly "Canterbury", which suggests it's all franked centrally. We have no nearer sorting office, only a delivery office.

[coccinelle]

The machine can read the postcode and if there's no postcode the address. This means it's franked and sorted to its destination. If the machine can't read it, it's rejected so has to be read by a human and franked and sorted by him/her. This is sometimes done in the same office but sometimes moved on to another sorting office.

[mrs.chappie]

Thanks very much for replies, all. x

I sometimes make my own envelopes to match my home-made cards. I'll be more considerate in the future, regarding colours etc.

[dzug2]

I have noticed some post from elsewhere in the country is franked in my local main sorting office prior to delivery - sometimes the only postmark, sometimes as a second one.

To OP - if it was franked at Wantage that would probably come out as Thames Valley - local postmarks, unless actually in a Post Office, don't really exist these days.

[Dodger666]

I was surprised by the number of cards we received this year that hadn't been franked at all. With a careful hand the self adhesive stamps could be removed and re-used in need be.

[mrs.chappie]

Thanks to dzug2 and all. x