Royal Mail - First class service?

M made an interesting discovery today regarding  the Royal Mail.
He assumed  a letter posted “first class” would arrive the following day. Well, he had been expecting one regarding a dental appointment for over two weeks.
 
They assured him it had been posted “first class”.
 
Well, it turned up this morning 17 days late.
 
He took it to the local Post Office to complain and the counter assistant explained that first class does not mean next day. If you want that then you pay extra and get Express delivery.
 
For the record all that First class guarantees is that it will be delivered within 28 days.  He did not ask how long a second-class delivery would take.
 
Time to re-instate the pigeons?
 
Bitterly cold – 3C, wind, rain, sleet snow. We have had them all today.
 
Outdoor photography was a “no go” area. So this bunch of tulips filled the gap.