Royal Mail has delivered a father's parenting magazine almost two decades late in a "bizarre" mishap by the postal service.
Paul Edwards, 52, originally bought a copy of Mother & Baby in 2007 when his daughter was just 18 months old and his wife was expecting their son three months later.
The magazine only arrived on Friday, accompanied by an apology for "any inconvenience caused".
Mr Edwards's children, now 18 and 20, have both left home and are currently studying at university.
The science-fiction author described the experience as "just bizarre".
"I'm not sure we realised at the time that the magazine was missing. Then it's suddenly arrived in the post," he told the BBC.
"You get a half-torn screwed up bag and you think, 'what on earth is this?', with the 'sincere apologies' on it."
Mr Edwards, who frequently checks his post hoping for news of a publishing deal, took great pleasure in the irony.
Paul Edwards, 52, originally bought a copy of Mother & Baby when his daughter was just 18 months old
|X/LOVELESSAGE
He said: "It just really tickled me, it's the contradiction. You're constantly checking for any publishing offer then this turns up. It's just marvellous.
"What really got me was the apologies for the inconvenience. My two children have now left home."
His post about the delayed delivery on social media has attracted considerable attention, garnering 1.6 million views and around 60,000 likes.
He wrote: "Well done Royal Mail took a mere 19 years to deliver this magazine.
ROYAL MAIL - READ THE LATEST:
'What really got me was the apologies for the inconvenience,' Mr Edwards said
|X/LOVELESSAGE
"Inconvenience? Well, the kids have now left home...."
The viral response to his post took the father-of-two by surprise.
"I guess a big part of British culture is to complain about the post or trains being late, so it rings true for so many," he said.
Mother & Baby ceased printing physical editions in 2020, though it continues to publish online.
Recent statistics reveal Royal Mail failed to deliver almost a quarter of first-class letters on time
|GETTY
A Royal Mail spokesman told the BBC: "Once an item is in the postal system, then it will be delivered to the address."
"Over the last year more than 92 per cent of letters arrived on time and over 99 per cent within seven working days."
Recent statistics reveal Royal Mail delivered only 75.7 per cent of first-class post within one working day in the year ending March.
This means nearly a quarter of letters fail to arrive on time.
Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter