Letters from the Green Line: The postman working inside the UN Buffer Zone in Cyprus
Lifting a large box for closer inspection, Corporal Samuel Stock taps a few keys into the computer.
Out prints a grey parcel label with the King's head above a QR code.
"Sending back is normally just letters," says Cpl Stock, firmly sticking the label to the cardboard. "They send lots of blueys home," he added, referring to the free letter service for personnel.
Sweets and rolls
Standing behind a chest-high counter, the Royal Logistic Corps corporal unfolds a sheet of stamps and begins to count.
The 33-year-old from Luton has been the postman for the British working with the United Nations in Cyprus for the last two years.
"Receiving could be anything. I've seen things from toilet rolls, sweets and the things that people miss from the UK," he says.
A postman for the peacekeepers
The Postal and Courier Troop manages all the mail sent to and from the British forces around Cyprus.
Cpl Stock's patch is a little different to his RLC colleagues at RAF Akrotiri and Dhekelia Garrison.
He's working with Op Tosca in a city divided more than 60 years ago to prevent intercommunal violence between Greek and Turkish Cypriots.
The Green Line buffer zone cuts Nicosia in half.
Hundreds of British soldiers deploy for six months or longer, wearing the blue beret of the United Nations while patrolling the ceasefire lines.
Major's sacrifice a major benefit
Despite decades of deployments, the British Forces Post Office that Cpl Stock's working out of is brand new.
Until recently BFPO 567 was the office of a major, who kindly made room for the postal service.
"It would take myself coming up here with a little ammo box, cash and some stamps, and manually sending some parcels home," says the corporal.
It was a simple, slower process.
The mail was bounced from the UK to RAF Akrotiri in the west of the island for sorting, then to Dhekelia in the east before it would arrive at Blue Beret Camp inside the Buffer Zone.
The new BFPO in Nicosia cuts out Dhekelia and speeds up the service.
It's making life overseas cheaper too, with a new card and cash service.
"If you use the bank account in the outside cash machine they will charge it," explains Sergeant Yam Gurung.
"Using the Post Office, they won't be paying any fees and the exchange rate is very good."
Morale from mail
Across the doorway of the new Post Office a red ribbon is swiftly sliced with a pair of scissors by the station's commander, officially opening BFPO 567.
A small group along the corridor cheers as Lieutenant Colonel Mark Gannon declares the Post Office "open for business".
"It's the very first time we've had a Post Office actually integral to the whole headquarters," explains Lt Col Gannon of HQ Britcon.
"It's for the 300-plus service personnel – add on the families and we get to above 400 people that this has a positive impact for."
Thanking a long list of names who spent months setting up BFPO 567, the colonel finishes with Cpl Stock.
The first day of the British Forces Post Office is the last for the postman in Cyprus.
He's leaving his mark on the position and people he's helped connect with home.
"I feel everyone loves me because they're getting the morale from the mail," he says.
"They're getting letters from their kids and parcels sending home."
But he added the caveat: "As long as the mail's on time!"
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