staff to review the system they all depend on.

Local post offices, like those all over the world, celebrated World Post Day.

And they will be providing open houses and other activities to commemorate Post Office Awareness Week.

"We observe World Post Day, a day set aside by our parent body, the Universal Postal Union, for all postal administrations throughout the world to celebrate the birthday of the Union and to re-dedicate themselves to the mission of the post office which is to deliver the mail as efficiently and as effectively as possible,'' Mr. Crichlow said.

Prior to the creation of the Union on September 15, 1874 , he noted, the delivery of mail throughout the civilised world was "hazardous and erratic'' with countries making bilateral agreements to suit their own needs.

"You may get some idea of the confusion if you picture the parishes of Bermuda as being independent entities with St. David's charging one price to deliver mail to Hamilton and Somerset charging another, Warwick at odds with Southampton and refusing to let mail be transported over its territory or charging a high tariff or toll for the privilege,'' Mr. Crichlow said.

Thanks to the signing of the treaty at Berne in Switzerland in 1874, he added, the world was made one territory with uniform international rates, and rates were to be based on a single currency.

During the week Mr. Crichlow said the public was invited to "visit and learn about the institution which they love to hate''.

He stressed that workers aimed to show Bermuda exactly how the post office operated and to highlight some of the difficulties it encountered.

"That we do not always achieve our goals is not entirely our fault at times,'' Mr. Crichlow noted. "There are times when the airlines lose our mail, an incident which has recently occurred, once again.

"There are times when mailers do some extraordinarily silly things, such as writing only the addressee's name and country or describing the person's address as close to some landmark.

"However,'' Mr. Crichlow admitted, "there are times when we do not perform our duties efficiently and effectively. So Post Office Awareness Week is not only for the public, but for the Post Office family as well.'' The Post Office also revealed that the deadlines for sending airlifted Christmas mail are as follows: Australia, Africa, and Asia on October 13; New Zealand on October 16; South America on October 23; The Azores and Portugal on November 6; Canada on November 21; Bahamas, Jamaica, and the British West Indies on November 22; Great Britain, Europe, on November 24; and US on November 27.

The deadline time for all of the above is 3 p.m. Airlifted parcels for Australia, New Zealand, the Azores/Portugal/Europe, Bahamas/Jamaica, Great Britain, and the British West Indies must be in by September 29, October 13, October 27, November 8, November 10, and November 15.

The deadlines for airmail are as follows: Africa and Asia by 11.30 a.m. on November 28; New Zealand by 9.30 a.m. and Australia by 11.30 a.m. on December 1; British West Indies by 9.30 a.m. on December 4; South America by 9.30 a.m. on December 5; Canada by 9.30 a.m. on December 6; The Azores, Portugal, Bahamas and Jamaica by 9.30 a.m., Europe by 11.30 a.m.

on December 8; Great Britain by 11.30 a.m. on December 11; and US by 9.30 a.m. on December 13.