He is not your traditional superhero. He arrives with a pristineUnspoilt. It derives from a Latin word meaning former or original. black-and-white cat called Jess, in a glaring Royal Mail van, always with a chipperCheerful. "hello" and "cheerio" on his lips. But each of the residents of his small rural village has something to thank him for. He saves cats from trees, finds stolen strawberries and deals with extreme weather events.

From red letterboxes to postmen decked in blue frock coats with a scarlet collar, the postman is a symbol of traditional British life, with Postman Pat its most enduring symbol. He is stereotypically ruddyRed.-cheeked, always jolly and full of uplifting charm. He does not always deliver the post on time, but it always gets there, even if something stands in his way.

But some fear the tradition of the postman is in a long and painful decline. Soon we will be able to order and receive items without so much as seeing a human face.

Retail giants are racing to automate their delivery services with drones and robots. In the latest twist, Amazon has announced that parcels in the UK will be delivered by drones as soon as the end of 2024. The drones will usher in an era of much faster delivery times, allowing orders to be delivered within just one hour.¹

For those not struck by mournful nostalgia for the age of the traditional postieA nickname in Britain for postmen and women. , it is a welcome innovation. The service will allow important medications to be delivered at extremely short notice, and will supposedly use zero-emission technology.

Many have found inspiration in the humble act of delivering the post. US President Abraham Lincoln, writers William Faulkner and Charles Bukowski and filmmaker Walt Disney all started their careers as postmen and letter carriers.²

As a profession, it seems to signify a deeper connection with people and nature. In one lifelong postman's 2009 book Dear Granny Smith, he describes it as an early-morning ritualSomething that is done the same way every time. Rituals are often religious. of "cycling through your own personal corner of Eden", with nobody else in sight but the milkman, taking joy in the "dawn colours and bird song, and letters bathed in morning light".³

It all sounds quite romantic. Philip Larkin's Aubade concludes with the line "Postmen like doctors go from house to house". The poet CJ Dennis wrote that "I'd like to be a postman, and walk along the street/Calling out, 'Good morning, Sir,' to gentlemen I meet". And the British comedian Billy Bennett dedicated a long, humorous poem to the man who delivers the mail, beginning with "Three cheers for the postman, the jolly old postman".

It is hard to imagine a hovering delivery drone inspiring rhapsodyA poem or musical piece that expresses powerful feelings. . Many feel that they will miss the ceremony of it all: those three sharp knocks on the door, hurrying bleary-eyed down the stairs and stopping for a brief chat with the cheery messenger, or else even the comforting thud of letters hitting the floor as they squeeze through the letterbox. It makes them feel less alone in an increasingly isolating world.

But for others, innovation is what really makes us human. Before we had postmen and women, we had men on horses. Before we had writing and letters, we had oral histories. We should celebrate the ways in which we have evolved, rather than pushing back against progress.

Yes: The most important thing is efficiency. Drones will allow us to deliver items to people faster than ever, which could be life-saving if somebody needs some medication or an urgent resource.

No: We will lose so much of what makes us human if we move towards solely drone delivery. There is something invaluable in the exchange of parcel and letter from hand to hand, the smile and brief niceties exchanged.

Or... The golden era of post has already ended. Nobody writes letters now, and the only deliveries that are going around are orders from huge retail giants like Amazon, which everybody just wants to receive as quickly as possible.