27.09.2012

Self-effacing

Robbie Rix educates us on stamps and reminds us of how essential it is to hit the fighting fund target

Comrade RG is at it again. That man is so modest and self-effacing that, whenever he pops a cheque for the fighting fund in the post, he doesn’t even bother with a covering note. So I’m assuming the £50 he sent is for the fighting fund. But if past form is anything to go by …

Seriously though, whether the cheque is accompanied by flowery prose, a few curt words or nothing at all, the main thing is that we keep receiving such generous contributions. And RG’s was one of three cheques received over the last seven days - thanks also to KT (£20) and RT (£25).

September’s fund was also boosted by a number of standing orders totalling £268, so thanks go out to SK, SP, DO and GD too. Then there were two gifts received via our online PayPal facility - from GR (£20) and DL (£5). But, because of a technical glitch, I can’t tell you how many other internet readers we had last week. All I can say is that, if recent weeks are anything to go by, there were probably between 10,000 and 12,000 of you.

By the way, lots of subscribers have commented upon the unusual stamps affixed to the envelope carrying the Weekly Worker. Make the most of it, because we will shortly be going over to an online account with ‘printed postage impressions’. Not so quirkily attractive, but a little bit cheaper.

For those who are interested, those decades-old stamps for peculiar denominations were supplied to us at a discounted price. Originally they were special issues bought up in bulk in the hope that one day they would fetch a fortune as collectors’ items. But, when there turned out to be no takers for them, they ended up being sold at a loss and auctioned off. Which is where we come in.

But Royal Mail’s extortionate price rise this year was far greater than the discount we get on old stamps, so we have decided to go for the slight saving represented by officially printed labels.

Of course, overwhelmingly the Weekly Worker is read online, not in its printed form, so most of you won’t know what I’ve been talking about - all this talk of old stamps! So just take it from me: we look at every way we can to save money, to ensure your paper is produced every week at the highest quality. But we wouldn’t be able to survive without the £1,500 that we aim to raise every month through our fighting fund.

However, September’s total stands at just £1,165 with only three days to go. So we need £365 by Monday at 12 noon. Please send your cheque or postal order first class as soon as you read this - or, better still, get out your credit card and transfer the cash via our website. Please make sure we reach that target.