Mail Obsession: A Journey Round Britain by Postcode

by Mark Mason

Overview

'FASCINATING' Daily Mail
'FULL OF AMAZING FACTS' The QI Elves

Each of the United Kingdom's 124 postcode areas has a story to tell, an unexpected nugget to dust off and treasure.

Mark Mason has embarked on a tour of the country, immersing himself in Britain's history on a roundabout journey from AB to ZE. On the lookout for interesting place names and unusual monuments, along the way he discovers what the Queen keeps in her handbag, why the Jack Russell has a white coat and how Jimi Hendrix got confused by the M1.

At the same time Mason paints an affectionate portrait of Britain in the 21st century, from aggressive seagulls in Blackpool to 'seasoned' drinkers in Surrey. And his travels offer the perfect opportunity to delve into the history of the Royal Mail, complete with pillar boxes, posties and Penny Reds - plus Oscar Wilde's unconventional method of posting a letter.

A playful mix of fact, anecdote and overheard conversation, MAIL OBSESSION pays homage to Britain's wonderful past and its curious present.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780297608523
Publisher:	Orion
Publication date:	10/15/2015
Sold by:	Hachette Digital, Inc.
Format:	eBook
Pages:	304
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Mark Mason is a lover of trivia, the 'little facts that slip down the back of life's sofa'. Before becoming a writer, he sold Christmas cards in Harrods, played guitar in a blues band, and made radio programmes for the BBC. His other books include The Importance of Being Trivial, Walk the Lines and Move Along, Please.

Table of Contents

Introduction ix

1 Life near the fast lane 1

2 A trip to Pluto 43

3 Facts across the water 76

4 A tale of two cities 109

5 Quarrying for facts 142

6 The most northerly house in the United Kingdom 178

7 The last post 220

Acknowledgements 268

Index 270

Editorial Reviews

An entertaining read—DAILY EXPRESS

Beginning his adventure at the Watford Gap service station - the very first such station on one of the country's first motorways, the M1, [Mason] set off in the pleasant pursuit of idle trivia ... this book a source of endless delight.—Jane Shilling, DAILY MAIL 'Must Reads'

Awesome - full of amazing facts—The QI Elves

Fascinating—DAILY MAIL

Turns up trivia at every stop—BBC RADIO 4

Fantastic stuff—BBC LONDON

Almost every page contains at least one thing that you'll be itching to startle your friends with—READER'S DIGEST

Mason is an entertaining companion—WANDERLUST

All sorts of knowledge—CHOICE

Intriguing tales—EAST ANGLIAN DAILY TIMES

From the Publisher