"Why there's a cryptic puzzle in the post"

[Valentine Mark Herman]

is the title of a not very good, sort of Mail Art article by Harry Wallop in today's, 17 July, (UK) Daily Telegraph -- telegraph.co.uk

It is helpful in explaining how post codes work in the UK, and how the Post Office tries to deliver seemingly undeliverable mail.

However, Wallop and the bloke he is writing about seem to think that they have discovered Mail Art...and puzzles in the post, citing Harriet Russel's 2008 book 'Envelopes'. But, and it's a big 'but', it completely ignores John Tingey's great book 'The Englishman who Posted Himself...and other Curious Objects', ie Reginald Bray, who I reckon to be the first ever (properly documented) Mail Artist -- some 50 years before Ray Johnson and other so-claimed 'firsts'.

As might be expected, the article makes no mention at all of mail art!

[Valentine Mark Herman]

Glad to know that you're still around, John.

[John Tingey]

Like you, I too was disappointed when I saw the article failed to acknowledge Bray's postal antics.

Thanks for the kind words about my small contribution to the history of Mail Art.

Cheers, John