POST BOXES GO LIVE ON FIVE THE BBC’S Radio Five Live dedicated an entire hour to a detailed discussion of post boxes on 28 November 2023. Hosted by Colin Murray, two LBSG members contributed to the show. Arthur Reeder and Robert Cole spoke along side Chris Taft from the Postal Museum and Colin Sinclair, an enthusiast who was on holiday in… Read More
MARCH 2021 – WORLD BOOK DAY POST BOXES Five UK post boxes have been decorated to honour British authors and illustrators who’ve been using their work to help educate and entertain children during lockdown. The boxes – one of which is a parcel postbox – are in London, Cardiff, Sheffield, Belfast and Oban, close to places of significance to either the writers or… Read More
MARCH 2021 – MOTHERS’ DAY POST BOXES Mothers are the latest group to be recognised and celebrate with specially decorated Royal Mail post boxes. Three of the four boxes are for letters and cards with the fourth a newish style parcel box. There is one in each of the four nations of the United Kingdom. The plum colour boxes are in Inverness,… Read More
DECEMBER 2020 – DIGITAL CHRISTMAS POST BOXES Four post boxes, one located in each UK nation, have been made digitally active to mark Christmas 2020. Each box has a QR code linking to a special festive message from Santa. Royal Mail says it wanted to: “spread yuletide cheer” as well as remind people to send letters, cards and parcels early for Christmas.… Read More
NOVEMBER 2020 – POST BOX POLICY FOR NORTHERN IRELAND Authorities in Northern Ireland have formally adopted a Joint Policy Statement covering the required treatment of post boxes in the region. The document is similar to the one published for England with substantial contributions from the Letter Box Study Group. The Northern Irish version has a bright and fresh layout which does much to highlight… Read More
OCTOBER 2020 – BLACK HISTORY MONTH Royal Mail has given four post boxes new livery to mark Black History Month. The boxes will honour black Britons past and present in October 2020. The post boxes are located in London, close to the Black Cultural Archives in Brixton; Glasgow, close to the University; and near the City Halls in Cardiff. The Belfast… Read More
September 2020 – Birmingham Heritage Week POST BOXES are taking a leading role in the Birmingham local history event being held this month. Called the Birmingham Heritage Week, it actually runs from 10 to 20 September 2020. The Letter Box Study Group assisted the organisers with its ‘Postbox Challenge’. A few pertinent facts are on the website (link: https://birminghamheritageweek.co.uk/postbox-facts/). Pictures of… Read More
Summer 2020 – Assisting Royal Mail with Covid testing kits THE LETTER BOX STUDY GROUP assisted Royal Mail designating boxes suitable for sending Covid-19 testing kits through the post. Boxes had to conform to certain parameters including, most obviously, the size of the aperture. Alerting the public to the Priority Postboxes, Royal Mail said: “We are a key partner for government’s coronavirus testing programme. We… Read More
May 2020 – NHS decorated postboxes ROYAL MAIL DECORATED five postboxes in support of the NHS and as a thank you healthcare workers across the United Kingdom. The boxes are painted in ‘NHS blue’ and say ‘Thank You NHS’. They are located close to hospitals in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Wales and Belfast. The postboxes were chosen to ensure the representation of… Read More
April 2020 – Captain Tom’s Post box CAPTAIN (now Colonel Sir Thomas Moore) Tom’s 100th birthday was celebrated with a specially decorated postbox. The box honours him and great achievement raising money for the NHS. The postbox is painted ‘NHS blue’ with a golden balloon plate and birthday greetings. The postbox is located on Bedford Road, MK43 0LA in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire,… Read More