In my local Post office today a tourist, excellent English, asked if she could buy just one stamp - seemed surprised and pleased that it was possible. She explained it was to send postcard to little girl back home, when she saw the v plain stamp with Queen's head enq if there were any prettier ones. No, she was assured, they only come in this colour. Now we all know what she meant, perhaps a commemorative one ? Perhaps she'd received one in the past. But the clerk was adamant, nothing else.
I was too cowardly to challenge him, I know they don't stock other stamps but they do exist. It's my local PO so I didn't want to antagonise him, but was told by a PO in another village, Oh they're in the safe but we don't get them out because if we sell a few, when we send them back we have to count them ! Sorry if this post is too long.
Clocking Off - amazing BBC series from 2000!