3 OCTOBER 1970, Page 16

Cracking the postcodes

Sir: Has the full horror of the postcode system not yet dawned on the public? There seems to have been no outcry at this imposition of what will be a perpetually recurring nuisance. Every envelope one addresses will be a matter of laborious reference. Memorising even one's family codes so as to be 100 per cent certain (as will be necessary) will be impossible to most of us.

Why has there been no protest at this retro- grade step? It will be, like the imposition of the metric system, yet another instance of addle- headed progress.