Formal letter writing

[Albert]

Can anyone confirm for me the correct way to sign off a formal letter. I always thought that Dear Sir letters (where you don't know the name) ended with Yours Faithfully and Dear Mr Smith (where you do know the name)letters ended with Yours sincerely. However, I've just received a letter from the British Council in Brasilia with the endings the other way around ie. starting Dear 'Albert' and ending Yours faithfully. I'm confused - which is right? Now I don't know how to reply.

I always use 'faithfully' if I don't know the specific name, and 'sincerely' if I do.
So we're right and they're wrong!

Aha, I was right!! I will tell them off when I see them on Thursday

Dear Albert,
Good for you!
You tell 'em what's what!
Yours sincerely,
Humphrey.

Yes you're right...

Dear 'name' = yours sincerely

Dear Sir/ Madam etc = yours faithfully

tut tut

The easy way to remember is that you don't put the two 'Ss' together . So 'Sir' always goes with 'faithfully'.

We were told for the RSA secretarial exams in the seventies - faithfully if formal and sincerely if social.

Imagine that - thirty schoolgirls using manual typewriters clicking away