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BBC Radio Suffolk

JANUARY 2022 – BBC RADIO SUFFOLK – SHOWING SOME LOVE TO A VERY BRITISH THING

BBC Radio Suffolk - LBSG Interview

Letter Box Study Group Chairman Andrew R Young chats to Matt Marvel about the British post box… Read More

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After McDowall Steven folded, Carron Company took

After McDowall Steven folded, Carron Company took up manufacture of Type A pillar boxes alongside the Type Bs they already made. That same year they altered the design of the aperture. The new wide, protruding slot made it easier to accept larger mail items.

Pictured: Type A in Somerset, Type B in Birmingham. Both manufactured post-1957 by Carron Company

#postboxsaturday #postbox #letterboxstudygroup #streetfurniture #history

Ludlow wall box were an early casualty of Elizabet

Ludlow wall box were an early casualty of Elizabeth II's reign. By 1960 the Post Office had centralised provision of post boxes across the country, so there was no longer any need for a cheaper postbox affordable by sub-postmasters. There were also a handful of Scottish Crown versions produced for Scotland, which had rejected the EIIR cipher.

#postboxsaturday #postbox #letterboxstudygroup

With Queen Elizabeth II's ascension to the throne

With Queen Elizabeth II's ascension to the throne in 1952, a new Royal Cipher was due to appear on postboxes across the country. But who would expect that her reign would last 70 years, and her cipher would be present on over two thirds of postboxes by her death in 2023?

The first postbox of Elizabeth's reign was installed on Whitehall: a Type A (large) pillar box, which is sadly long gone. Its manufacturer, McDowall Steven & Co, would go out of business in 1957, a story that would be repeated with other manufacturers across the next years as they struggled to compete with the costs of overseas foundries.

Pictured: McDowall Steven Type A pillar box in Leamington Spa

#postboxsaturday #letterboxstudygroup #leamingtonspa

This George V pillar box in Edinburgh has a secret

This George V pillar box in Edinburgh has a secret past as a 1930s blue-painted airmail box, with two collection plate holders. Ex-airmail boxes can often be identified by the replacement 'chunky' plate holder, so look closely when you pass one. The pictured airmail box at Windsor shows the original appearance of these boxes #postboxsaturday

Where are you going on holiday this year? If you'r

Where are you going on holiday this year? If you're travelling around the UK, take a closer look at the postboxes you pass. You might have found something new! We're on a mission to record all of Britain's postboxes, to help preserve and protect our heritage, and we're nearly there. Social media posts are an immense help.

We're especially looking for reports of new Charles III pillar and lamp boxes, as well as the new parcel lockers - both the Royal Mail-only red lockers and the grey shared lockers. Use the tag #charlesiiipostbox or send us a message!

#postboxsaturday

At a glance, you might think this typical Ludlow w

At a glance, you might think this typical Ludlow wall box at an undisclosed location is from the reign of Elizabeth II. After all, it has the "female" crown, and the initials 'ER'. But dig a little further into the designs of these boxes and you'll soon find that it's quite special.

Until George VI's reign, all Ludlow boxes carried the same crown design, not switching to the "male" crown when Edward VII became king. And for Elizabeth's reign, Ludlow boxes have her 'EIIR' cipher. So, is this an Edward VII Ludlow? No, it's even more exciting than that - an Edward VIII Ludlow! You won't be surprised to learn that Edward VIII Ludlows are harder to find than his pillar boxes, and we will be keeping the locations private to help preserve them for future generations

#postboxsaturday #letterboxstudygroup #postbox #mailbox #edwardviii

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Recent News

JUNE 2025 – KNITTED POSTBOX TOPPERS TAKE OVER LBSG MEMBER’S MUSEUM 3rd June 2025
APRIL 2025 – ROYAL MAIL UNVEILS POSTBOX OF THE FUTURE TO MAKE SENDING PARCELS EASIER 10th April 2025
MARCH 2025 – HAVE YOU SEEN A CHARLES III LETTER BOX YET? 14th March 2025
JULY 2024 – THE FIRST CIIIR POSTBOX IS UNVEILED LIVE ON BBC BREAKFAST 15th July 2024

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