At the Post-Office - Speak Out

There's more to Britain than just London. This is the countryside. Alreston is the name of this pretty little village in the county of Sussex. A letter box like this is called a pillar box. There are about 25,000 post offices in Britain. Some of them are very small, like this village post office. It's inside the grosser shop. Let's go inside, too. >> Hello, Jelly. >> Hello. >> Hello, Simon. >> Hello, Mrs. Ross. >> And what can I do for you today? >> I'd like to send a letter to Germany, please. How much does it cost? >> How much does the letter weigh? >> I don't know. >> Well, let me weigh it for you then. >> Cuz I haven't written it yet. Oh, I see. Well, a normal letter to Germany cost 5 p. >> Oh, may I have some uh writing an envelope, please? >> You can. But why don't you write a letter card? Then you needn't buy a whole packet of envelopes. >> Thanks, Mr. Ross. How is a letter card? >> Four pens. It's already got a tropy stamp on it, so you only need another tney stamp. >> Thanks. Can I use your ball pen, please? Certainly it's there for the customers. Jamie, can you help me? >> All right, Simon, what do you want to say? >> I want to congratulate Gunter on his birthday. >> How old is he then? >> 13. >> Then say you would like to congratulate him on his 13th birthday. Dear Ga, >> hasn't he got some dots somewhere? >> Dots? Oh, yes. But I've gotten worse. Are they on the N? >> Dots are always on bowels in German. >> On the U or the E then? >> I know. On the U. >> Doesn't Ger write it with a th. >> He says it ga. Yes, but it's got a th I know. >> Okay. Okay, there. Now, what should I write? >> I'd like to congratulate you on your 30th birthday. >> Oh, yeah. Is that right? There's no A there. >> Oh, it's congratulate, not congratulate. >> Okay. Okay. I'd like to congratulate you on your 13th birthday and I wish you many happy returns of the day. La, >> are there any letters for us this morning? So, a two or three for your dad by the first post. The second post hasn't arrived yet. >> Are you expecting a letter? >> I hope my German pen friends will write to me about swimming. They had a big swimming match at school last week. >> Oh, that's nice. Is this okay? Please write to me soon. Right's not right. You don't write right like that. I do rightly. Sideman, don't you learn anything at school? >> No, not like that. It's with a W. So, >> no, silly. W R I T E. Oh, why didn't you say so? It looks an awful mess now. Oh, shut up. It's my letter. What shall I say now? Well, I don't know. It's your letter. >> Oh, J. Ask your pen friend about his birthday party. >> Oh, yes. I'll tell him you hope he got lots of lovely birthday presents. >> But he hasn't had his birthday yet. Oh, then tell him you hope he gets lots of lovely presents. >> I hope you get lots of nice presents. You sent him a parcel the other day, didn't you? >> Yes, I thought so. Then tell him. You see, letters get to Germany quicker than parcels do. >> Oh yes. >> How long do letters take to get to the continent? 2 or 3 days. Parcels take longer, of course. Okay. I posted a small parcel to you the other day and I hope you have received it. I before E except after C. I before E except after C. Never heard of it. >> There received the dots in the wrong place. That's all. Bear, I'd like to ask them to come over here for the summer hall. What? While I'm opening journey, staying with Pat. Huh? Just like you. No, before you go, then you can go back with him. That should be super. I'd like that. Ask him if he'd like to come and stay with us at the beginning of your summer holiday. I haven't got room for all that. They say, "Come and stay with us. Come and stay with us." At the beginning of the summer holiday at the beginning, you can write on the back, too, Simon. >> Oh, thanks. of the summer holidays. That looks fun all by itself. What else can I write? Best wishes again and love and all that. Best wishes for a very happy birth day. >> Yes, that's very nice. Now, finish it off with with love from Simon. >> No, not love on the outside, Mrs. Ross. >> Your friend, Simon. Okay. Have you got Aunt's address in Germany? I have it somewhere. No, not there. Not here either. Here it is. John Fisher three handover on a stra 77. >> Straa. It's got stra here. >> No, that's a German double S. And it's not bomber. It's Burma Strasa. And that's 11, not 77. Those are continental ones. >> Why is it three handover? >> Oh, that's the German postal number code. Every town, city, and village has its postal number in Germany. >> And why is the house number after the street name? >> Don't ask me. That's the way it is, that's all. What's this? Bundes Republic Deutsch. That's the German Federal Republic. >> Oh, how do you spell federal? F E D E R A L. Fair. Now fold it over and stick it down around the edges. >> Oh, I see. When will it get there, Mrs. Ross? wall. Today's Saturday, so it won't get there till Tuesday. For goodness, birthdays on Monday. Oh dear, Simon, you shouldn't have left it so late. Why don't you send him a telegram? Are you crazy? It would cost the earth. No. 22 words to the continent cost 55. That's not bad. I'll send it. Write it out on the telegram form, please. Shall we help Simon? Let's turn his letter into a telegram. >> All right, I've helped you. What did you write first? I'd like to congratulate you on your 13th birthday. I beg your pardon. You tell her. >> You must shorten that. Congratulations on 13th birthday. That's still too long. He knows it's his 13th birthday, doesn't he? Yes. Congratulations on birthday. Why not just say birthday congratulations? >> You say that, too? Yes, that's nice and short. >> Write in block letters, please. It says so on four. >> Sorry. Birthday. All right. Elations. Yes. What's next? >> I wish you many happy returns of the day. >> Repeated. >> You can shorten that a lot. Many happy returns. >> You too. Many happy return there. Good. What came next? Please write to me soon. Please write soon. You'll need a right please in the telegram. Right soon. >> I see. Right soon. W R I T E soon. What did you write next? Tell me all about your birthday party. How can we shorten that? >> You needn't write it at all. If your pen friend writes to you, I'm sure he'll tell you all about his birthday party. >> That's true. Then I won't write it. What did you write next? I hope you get lots of nice presents. You needn't write that either. Of course, your friend will get lots of birthday presents. Didn't you send him one? >> Yes. >> Didn't you tell him that, too? >> Yes, I did. I posted a small parcel to you the other day. Parcel posted other day. When exactly did you post it? I can't remember at the beginning of the week. >> Then write parcel posted recently parcel to me. What did you put after that? I hope you have received it. Of course, he received it. You needn't write that either. Okay. What did you say next? Come and stay with us at the beginning of the summer holidays. You'll have to shorten that. Yes, but how? It's got 12 words in it. So, come and stay with us. You can write visit. Visit us beginning summer holidays. Yes. Can't I leave out beginning? No. Don't stay with us while I'm still here. >> Okay. Visit us beginning summer holidays. summer holidays. Did you have anything else to say? With best wishes for a very happy birthday. You can make that a lot shorter, too. Huh? Best wishes. Best wishes. Best pushes your pen friend, Simon. >> No, don't write all that. He knows you're his pen friend. Just sign it, that's all. >> Simon, >> let me see it. You read it. That's 18 words. And the address six, that's 24 words. Now, a letter costs 55 p for 22 words. So, let's cut out this and this. Then, will it get there? Yes. Take about 6 hours. >> Is that all? >> Yes. That's 55 and 4 P for the letter card. That's 59, please. >> What? 41 p change. Thank you. >> Hello, Jim. Hello. Not much today. Thanks. Oh, here you Oh, thanks. Bye-bye. Bye-bye. Now, let's see. Is there a letter for me? >> I am just looking. >> Oh, what have we here? >> Is it for me? >> Yes, but it's not a letter. It's a telegram. >> A telegram for me? Oh, boy. It's from my pen friend catcher in Germany. Listen, Simon. One big swimming race coming England next month. Possible stay with you right soon. written long letter. Best wishes, catcher. Gosh, what's all that about? Didn't you understand? Did you understand? Perhaps [clears throat] you can tell Simon. Put the telegram language into spoken English. I won. Catchy says, "I won the big swimming race." >> Oh, she won the big swimming race. She says, "I'm coming to England next month." Oh, she's coming to England next month. She asked, "Is it possible to stay with you? Can she stay with us? And how?" She asks, "Will you please write to me soon? She says, "I have written you a long letter." >> You will write to her, won't you? >> Of course. In fact, I think I'll send her a telegram right away. >> We can help Jenny with her telegram, shall we? I'd like to congratulate her for winning the big race. >> Shorten F. Three words. Congratulations for winning. I'd like to ask her to come over to England next month. >> Say it in three words. >> Come next month. I'd like to ask her to come and stay at our house. >> Three words again. Stay with us. >> I'd like to tell her that I'm writing to her soon. >> Two words. >> Writing soon. >> I'm going to wish her all the very best. >> Two words. Best wishes Jenny there. How much is that, please, Mrs. Ross? 17 words. That's 85. >> Oh, I haven't got that much and I can't shorten it anymore. >> Tell you what, we'll send it as a letter. That's 22 words for 55. >> Oh, that's fine. Thanks. >> Thank you. >> And thank you for helping me. >> Yes. Thanks. Goodbye. Goodbye. >> Bye, dear.