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How many letters does it take to fill a postbox?

17th May 2017 | Robert Cole | 3 Comments

Earlier this month Andrew Young from the Letter Box Study Group popped into Radio 2 to answer this important question. Listen to his interview.

Letter Box Study Group, press release Drivetime, Letter Box Study Group, Radio 2, Simon Mayo

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3 comments on “How many letters does it take to fill a postbox?”

Val says:

22nd June 2017 at 6:51 pm

Really enjoyed listening to this clip

Reply
Bill Brown says:

1st October 2018 at 8:34 am

Have just started renovating an old Post Office Mail barrow and found out about the two in Aberdeen! Saw both yesterday, one is in really excellent condition, the other could do with an urgent repaint. Both are in use at this time

Reply
- Robert Cole says:
  
  2nd October 2018 at 12:36 pm
  
  Bill – I am sorry if it has taken me an age to reply here…it is all still quite new to me AND I am learning on the job!
  
  Reply

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Images

Advent Calendar Dec 3 - Dundee This unusual pair

Advent Calendar Dec 3 - Dundee

This unusual pair of back-to-back postboxes in Dundee come from the reigns of George V and Elizabeth II respectively, the Elizabeth II box carrying the Scottish Crown rather than the EIIR cipher. In 2022 the George V box was painted yellow for World Book Day, celebrating local authors. It has since been returned to a standard red colour. The Scottish Crown box carries one of the 50 special stamps plaques.

Another interesting postbox to look out for in Dundee is a modern oval (Type C) pillar box, installed with the EIIR cipher instead of the Scottish Crown. The box was 'corrected' by locals who removed the cipher, leaving the rest of the box intact and giving it an odd appearance.

#letterboxstudygroup #adventcalendar #christmas #dundee #scotland #postbox #letterbox #mailbox #streetfurniture

Advent Calendar Dec 2 - Armagh Armagh is one of s

Advent Calendar Dec 2 - Armagh

Armagh is one of six cities in Northern Ireland, and home to this understated anonymous pillar box. While we're still not sure why Handyside decided not to include the VR cipher on their early pillar boxes (their story that they "forgot" for eight years is dubious to say the least), they have appeared across the UK and even overseas in former British Empire territories and Portugal.

Pillar boxes are an uncommon sight in Armagh, with most postboxes here being lamp boxes. This one has a 'stub' on top as the remains of a Post Office Direction Sign (PODS) which would have pointed to the nearby post office, and also features a metal plaque celebrating 50 years of special stamps. 49 boxes were fixed with these plaques; the 50th, in Birmingham, was never installed.

#letterboxstudygroup #postbox #postboxes #mailbox #letterbox #history #armagh #northernireland #streetfurniture #adventcalendar

Advent Calendar Dec 1 - Carlisle The first mainla

Advent Calendar Dec 1 - Carlisle

The first mainland postbox in the UK was installed in Carlisle in 1853. It wasn't quite in the same location as this 1988 replica Penfold, which carries a commemorative plaque, and it certainly wouldn't have been a Penfold, a box type that dates to the 1860s. At the time there was no standardised postbox design, so we can't be sure what it looked like. This box is outside the Tourist Information Centre, so it should be very easy to spot!

#postbox #mailbox #letterbox #carlisle #history #streetfurniture #adventcalendar #letterboxstudygroup #england #victorian

This oval postbox isn't like other oval postboxes

This oval postbox isn't like other oval postboxes - it's an experiment from the reign of George V. Incorporating a letterbox at one end and a stamp vending machine at the other, it came in two models - D (large) and E (small). This is the smaller version, easily identifiable because the words 'POST' and 'OFFICE' are on two lines. Like most of these experiments, they weren't made in large numbers

Due to the curvature of the box's end, Royal Mail don't make collection plates to fit this unique box, and instead have used a laminated piece of paper. More recent photos show that paper is now gone, perhaps blown away?

George V size B wall boxes made a notable design c

George V size B wall boxes made a notable design change towards the end of his reign, as the 1880s design from the reign of Queen Victoria was replaced by a new pattern. In many ways it was similar to the old design, but now the words 'NEXT COLLECTION' and the next collection day tablet were incorporated, much as they had been on the larger wall boxes and on pillar boxes since 1905. It was not long after this change that George V died, so the old design is much more common in his reign. The new design remained in use until wall boxes ceased production in 1980.

Image 1 - old size B wall box design
Image 2 - new size B wall box design

George V's reign saw a changing of the guard for T

George V's reign saw a changing of the guard for Type B (small cylinder) pillar boxes, as from 1922 a new postbox manufacturer came on the scenes. Falkirk-based Carron Company has been established in 1759 and made their name developing and producing the Carronade cannon, which proved to be a key weapon for the Royal Navy.

Their move into postbox manufacturing has made them a household name for box spotters around the world, as they not only produced for the UK and Empire/Commonwealth market but also overseas in countries such as Colombia, Ireland and Nigeria.

So next time you pass by a George V pillar box, have a look at the front (or back) at the maker's name. It might give you a little clue about the age of the box!

McDowall Steven continued to manufacture the Type A (large cylinder) pillar boxes until 1957, so make sure you give the box a hug to check the size!

Many thanks to member David L for sharing these excellent pictures

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FEBRUARY 2024 – WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PILLAR BOX AND A LETTER BOX? 20th February 2024

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