IT IS not just the post that is late, but Royal Mail press releases too. The Insider was sent information about the new Alice in Wonderland stamps, which were released to celebrate the book’s 150th anniversary.

The press release said: “Strict embargo until Tuesday, January 12 at midnight.”

Except when we asked when the stamps were going on sale we were told “they are already available”.

Spokeswoman Natasha Ayivor said: “We had such success with our stamp stories over the new year we wanted to delay this by a week to stop them from all going out at once.”

Perhaps they use the same technique for their letters?

THE Insider was very pleased to see Wantage MP Ed Vaizey wholeheartedly embracing his role as “Minister of State for Culture and the Digital Economy” this week.

On the same night as he went to see Simon Rattle conducting the London Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Schumann’s Das Paradies, he took to Twitter to support the campaign to find a new home for the World Pooh Sticks championships held on the Thames in Oxfordshire each year.

High culture, low culture, and a little plug for the constituency – a cheeky hat trick! Well played Mr Vaizey.

WORD on the streets of Abingdon is that former West End postmaster and precinct newsagent Peter Wiblin is aiming to get into politics.

Mr Wiblin stood for the Tories in the Vale of White Horse District Council ward election for Peachcroft in 2013 and polled a respectable 518 votes, losing out to Liberal Democrat Andrew Skinner, who won with 683 votes.

This time round, the former leading light of the town’s Chamber of Commerce is considering standing as an independent for the town council, campaigning on transport issues.

As well as his bid to get into politics he will also be returning to the Good Friday Radley Walk, which he was forced to miss last year after his knee ‘blew up’.

Let’s hope his return to politics does not also prove painful.

THE Insider was surely not the only person caught by surprise on Monday, when Oxford city councillors decided to put off a decision on the £20m Castle Mill boatyard scheme.

The item was slated to be discussed and decided at the west area planning committee meeting starting at 6.30pm on Tuesday.

The Insider can reveal it was certainly what could be called “last minute” for a scheme that is so expensive. The Insider understands councillors were told of the item’s withdrawal at about 4pm on Monday – only 26-odd hours before the meeting.