Post a Pigeon and Other Magical Mailings

It's January. My letterbox is full of bills. Here are some things I'd rather were in my letterbox:
1. A letter from a friend
2. A present
3. A party invite
4. A pigeon

While the first three things on the list may be flights of fancy, the pigeon - I'm very pleased to say - is not. In a move that puts the coo into cool, The Letter Writer's Alliance, an United States organisation devoted to keeping the art of letter writing alive, have created a special carrier pigeon service. For $30 you get your very own (plastic) pigeon, message forms and stamps. Think of a lucky recipient, pop in into the postbox and away it goes.

In the States, you don't even have to bother with any further form of packaging: it's just the pigeon, the stamps and the postbox you need to get your message out. (New York-based Tina from Swissmiss, where I heard about this birdy brilliance, wrote that her postman simply walked in with her pigeon post sat on his shoulder). They do sell the kit internationally as well, for an extra $33. However, it does come with the warning that you might have to pack the pigeon into a box, or resort to hand delivery to get it through your own country's postal system. Does the British postal service accept unaccompanied pigeons? Can anybody confirm?

The Letter Writers Alliance site is packed full of other inventive bits of postal fun to encourage you to scribble away, such as pneumatic post kits or the intriguing sounding moth mail, which comes in a different colour depending on what phase the moon is in when you order your set. Become a member of the alliance for $5 and you can use the beautiful Letter Writers Alliance headed paper with pride, and buy other exclusive bits of stationery too. Exclusive stationery and the chance to get pigeons in the post (Really, I'd be happy with just a few letters...)? Sign me up.