Royal Mail will deliver millions of parcels, letters and cards over the next few weeks.

Reporter Jade Edwards visited Rochester’s delivery office to see how staff are preparing for the annual festive rush.

When you next pop a card in the post box, or drop a parcel off at the Post Office, spare a thought for the scores of postmen and women bracing themselves for a busy few weeks.

Getting your greetings and gifts delivered quickly is their aim, but it’s a tough challenge as the number of items they handle starts to rocket.

When I arrived at the office in Almon Place, staff were busy sorting letters and preparing to set off on their rounds. Once all of the post was sorted, they loaded it into vans for delivery.

This Christmas, the team are setting off on their rounds from 6.40am to try to deliver as many parcels as they can before people go to work.

On Monday, they delivered 1,300, but the office normally receives around 10,000 a day all of which need sorting before they can make the next stage of their journey.

On a normal day, they will handle anything between 80,000 to 100,000 items, including letters, cards and packages. In the run-up to Christmas, the number will soar to between 120,000 to 130,000 items.

Last year, in December alone, Royal Mail delivered 120 million parcels across the country.

Despite the postal team’s best efforts, not everyone is at home when they call so during the festive period they have increased the collection office opening hours from 6.30am to 7.30pm Monday to Friday, and to 8pm on Wednesdays, making it more convenient for customers to collect missed parcels.

Gemma Jones, manager of the Rochester delivery office, said: “We are doing really well. Christmas is a really busy time but there’s a good atmosphere as well. I couldn’t ask for more from my team.

“The team in rural areas often stay out past their shift and go that extra mile for customers.”

To help them, Gemma urged people to make sure the right postcodes were included in addresses, to make them easier to sort, and also that packages are wrapped properly so they do not get ripped.

The Rochester delivery centre has taken on 12 extra night staff to help with the sorting, ready for the postmen and women to take in the morning.

I followed postman Robert Ashdown as he set off on a walking round along Rochester High Street.

The 32-year-old, from Gillingham, has worked for Royal Mail for 14 years but said compared to some of his colleagues, who have been there for more than 20, it wasn’t worth mentioning.

He is out in all weathers, but Rob always wears shorts on his round, which takes him along Strood High Street and back along Rochester Esplanade.

The dad-of-two said: "I love being outside; I couldn’t be inside all the time. I like the dark mornings.

"I always wear shorts, unless it’s raining heavily – then I wear waterproof trousers; my dad’s always telling me off."