The clerk serving me said nothing about the fact that on January 1 postage stamps would be one dollar.

When I realised what had happened I went back to the Post Office to buy 20 more stamps – this time 30 cent stamps.

It had none. Not surprisingly there had been a rush.

I suggested that I bring back my 70 cents stamps and buy one dollar stamps.

“We can’t take them back – we don’t use them anymore,” the clerk told me.

I suggested they were also no use to me, and the clerk said perhaps I could keep them to put on parcels. Honestly.

I believe the Post Office will have new stocks of 30 cent stamps soon, but how inefficient is it?

No wonder it was losing money.

Last year I thought that the Bega District News Christmas toy drive was fantastic, but this year, everyone has excelled with an outstanding response.

I would like to thank Bega District News and their great staff, especially Ben Smyth and Gary Etcell.

Thanks also to Bega Rotary, Bega Lions and the Ulysses Sapphire Coast Bike Club and all the other participating bike riders and especially the Bega community and business houses for their wonderful generosity.

Christmas is a great opportunity to help others. It is a time when the bills can become overwhelming, and many people do struggle to provide Christmas gifts and food for their families.

Thanks to everyone’s kindness, the Salvos, Anglicare, Bega Hospital and St Vincent de Paul have once again been able to distribute the donated gifts to families and children throughout the Bega Valley.

Thank you again and God Bless.

Have you noticed that Santa and his snowmen haven’t left Bega yet, but already we have Easter hot cross buns for sale!

While everyone deserves a break over the festive season, including the staff of ABC Radio South East, some might question the national broadcaster’s real commitment to regional communities when, over that period, our “local” ABC radio broadcast content from everywhere except here.

Apart from a morning news report presented by the indefatigable John Leach, locals have had to make do with a mishmash of programming from as far away as Queensland.

If ABC management believes that the Bega Valley can do without any local program content for two or three weeks, perhaps it’s time to consider doing-away with “Our ABC” altogether?

I know Christmas is a fast and happy time, but sometimes you are not sure of what you are doing when you are driving.

I would like to know who the person was who backed into my Nissan 4x4. 

You apparently aren’t sure what you did, but could you please own up to me for the damage you did? I would be happy if you just did that. 

I will not tell the police, if only you would tell me your name.

Thank you and a happy new year to everyone who reads the Bega paper.