Re: Stamp Vending Machines
I very rarely used them, but I assume that it was a lot more useful to buy them when the Post Office was closed and not having to wait for them to open. Some might have offered single stamps as well.
As I said in the other thread, they were in books of four with a more glossy cover than now (probably because they are made on recyclable paper these days). Some books had a plastic "window" so you could see the "top right" stamp inside the book, while later ones had a diagonal line at the bottom right of the Queen's picture so it cannot be used as a stamp itself, even though the glossiness of it would make it more than apparent that it wasn't one of the actual stamps.
At least modern stamps can be peeled off backing paper and not have to lick them - I wouldn't want to lick some stamps that were years old.
Telling it almost exactly like it was so many years later - and proud of doing so!