Bl**dy Hermes

...actually, Hermes are probably the worst, because after thee attempts it goes back to sender. No option for collection elsewhere like a depot (though you can nominate a neighbour)

Many of the other carriers will leave at local pick-up point - I regularly use the village Post Office if I don't want to be hanging about for an indeterminate delivery time.

Shortly after the Hermes episode, I had a delivery coming via Parcelforce. As initially I wasn't sure of day and time, and was due to be out quite a bit, I opted for it to be diverted to the PO. Parcelforce will then leave a card through the letter box, confirming where it has gone, and when it can be picked up (with the card as proof). As it happens, I had just returned home when the Parcelforce driver waltzed up (not literally) and delivered the package even though I'd had it confirmed it would go to the PO. As he has to leave a card, he always tries to deliver anyway, before dropping it off for collection if there is no-one in. Works for me!

I used UPS to send some parcels to Dad in Israel. Collected from my office in north Manchester on day 1 and arrived in his flat 30km north of Tel Aviv on day 4, with weekends in between. I was impressed. They do have a huge depot right next to Tel Aviv airport.

Maybe worse domestically in the UK?

...well, the carefully selected tap valves arrived.....and didn't look anything like the picture or schematic diagram. (They are, for example, threaded on the outer end to mount a cosmetic "collar", which the originals, and the pictures, most certainly aren't).

However, the few critical measurements are spot on, so the leaky tap is now repaired. The opposite side, however, still has the original since, though I would prefer to mount matching pairs, I can't easily remove the current valve from the reducing bush (the other side was tight, but do-able). As it is currently functional, there is no way I'm going to attempt a potentially destructive removal until/unless I have a problem. So non-matching, but non-visible valves, but a fully-functional tap, is what I have.

As a coincidence, and in breaking news, my walking companion has exactly the same issue with a top-hung uPVC window as I have just fixed. His is a more urgent issue than mine, since it is in a kitchen window that is about to be tiled up to, and he was envisaging having to replace it before the tiler arrived/finished off the reveal. £600+ quote (ouch!) for a replacement window. I had a look on Tuesday, and it exhibits exactly the same symptoms as mine, with exactly the same hinges. (and the window is otherwise healthy)

Replacement hinge pair £11.50 and on order, so I shall likely be over in Sheffield again before the end of the week assisting. (The windows are heavy, and though it is ground floor, the ground slopes away so there is a drop).

I am 90%+ confident of a result.