150th Birthday of the Liverpool Special pillar box 29th January 2013 | Robert Cole | Leave a comment Our Chairman, Andrew R Young, gives a live interview to the Sean Styles Show on location at an historic and rare pillar box in the city of Liverpool. Listen to the broadcast (scroll to the 2 hr 10 min point).… Read More
Remembering the Liverpool Special postbox on its 150th birthday 28th January 2013 | Robert Cole | Leave a comment “Robert Cole, from the Letter Box Study Group, says: “There is also one in The British Postal Museum Store in Debden, Essex. Altogether that makes three accounted for, but we have no idea where the other four have gone. They could be still in Liverpool, maybe even in someone’s garden. It’s such a shame, because… Read More
Why this Special One is just part of the furniture 23rd January 2013 | Robert Cole | Leave a comment “Yet it is still something of a mystery. Now, to mark the anniversary – and in pursuit of its mission to map and measure Britain’s red breasted beauties – The Letter Box Study Group (for it is they) wants to gather stats and stories about the Liverpool Specials: the wheres, whens, whys and whos.” read more… Read More
Letter boxes: The red heart of the British streetscape 18th January 2013 | Robert Cole | Leave a comment “The Letter Box Study Group (LBSG), which maps sites across the UK, is not just concerned with this postal oddity today, but with the fate of all the boxes. In 2002, Royal Mail undertook to repaint each of its letter boxes every three years. But, according to Andrew Young, chairman of the LBSG, many are… Read More
Liverpool celebrates its Special letter box birthday 17th January 2013 | Robert Cole | 1 Comment Liverpool’s very own letter box celebrates its 150th birthday in January 2013. As distinctive as it is unique, the only remaining still-working ‘Liverpool Special’ letter box stands in the city’s Albert Dock. Click here for the full article.… Read More
Heritage in postboxes 15th December 2012 | Robert Cole | Leave a comment “Though most of his correspondences with family, friends and acquaintances are now via electronic mail (e-mail) and short messaging system (SMS), his fondness for ‘snail-mail’ and old post boxes saw him joining a club called, The Letter Box Study Group based in Birmingham, UK. This group has a unique hobby of listing and photographing letter… Read More
Post boxes in focus 5th June 2012 | Robert Cole | Leave a comment “‘It’s a great way to see the country, although sometimes I get funny looks if I’m on my hands and knees looking for the box’s manufacturing number.’ ‘I’m just going to keep going and see as many new ones as I can.’ Peter is a member of the Letter Box Study Group, an organisation that… Read More
‘Boring’ man’s postbox passion 12th May 2012 | Robert Cole | Leave a comment LBSG member Peter Willis talks to James Naughtie on the BBC’s flagship radio programme Today.… Read More
Peter’s passion sees him travel from pillar to post 11th May 2012 | Robert Cole | Leave a comment “When he finds a new post box, Mr Willis photographs the base to record the manufacturer’s name and logs a grid reference on a map. He is a member of the Letter Box Study Group – an organisation dedicated to cataloguing the UK’s post boxes.”read more… Read More
Postman Pete: Not your average mail 11th May 2012 | Robert Cole | Leave a comment “AFTER years of working for the postal service, you’d think Peter Willis would never want to see a letter again. But instead, the retired postman spends his days photographing postboxes. In the past five years, the 67-year-old has snapped 2,500 iconic red boxes.”… Read More