Letter Box Study Group

Primary Menu

Skip to content

Letter Box Study Group

Home
About Us
About Boxes
Heritage
Membership
Photographs
Contact

radio 4

‘Boring’ man’s postbox passion

LBSG member Peter Willis talks to James Naughtie on the BBC’s flagship radio programme Today.… Read More

Archives

Tags

BBC News Belfast Cambridgeshire Cardiff Carronade Engineering Charitable Status Charity Commission Charles III Cipher Colin Murray coronation Cypher Daily Mail Dara McAnulty Edinburgh Edward VIII EIIR Elizabeth II George V George VI Gosport Greg James and Chris Smith Have I Got News For You Heritage Open Day King Charles III Letter Box Letter Box Study Group London Machan Engineering Martin Waddell McDowall Steven & Co Monday Night Fan Club Nadiya Hussain NHS Parcel Lockers Pillar Box post box toppers radio 5 Royal Mail Scottish Crown The Times Type A pillar box Type C pillar box Type K pillar box Virtual Tour

Images

A handful of postbox designs that came out of Eliz

A handful of postbox designs that came out of Elizabeth II's reign are hard to find these days. The Postbox TV on the left was intended for advertising in supermarkets, but emerged just as the Internet made it redundant. The Jana pillar box on the right was made by the same company who made pouch boxes, and their fibreglass construction made them quite prone to deterioration. That didn't stop this one from featuring briefly in The Full Monty, though! Its yellow stripes indicate it had a Sunday collection.

#history #postboxes #streetfurniture #rarepostbox #thefullmonty

The other pillar box design to get an upgrade in t

The other pillar box design to get an upgrade in the 1990s was the Type A, but this was mainly cosmetic. Both Machan and Hillsyde foundries were appointed to manufacture them, though Scottish Crown versions were only made by Machan. The most notable difference is that Machans have no gap between the collection plate and aperture, while Hillsydes have a large gap.

Additionally, a few Machans can be found with the old-style 'POST OFFICE' wording, like their Carron predecessors. Again, the difference is in the gap between plate and aperture.

#postboxsaturday #letterboxstudygroup #postbox #mailbox #streetfurniture #history #castiron

From 1991, new Type C pillar boxes were installed

From 1991, new Type C pillar boxes were installed on the street. They featured doors on the front rather than the end, a re-designed crown and cipher, and of course the words "ROYAL MAIL" replacing "POST OFFICE". With this, Machan Engineering made one of the more extreme updates a pillar box design has had since 1905 #postboxsaturday #letterbox #letterboxstudygroup #history

Not all postboxes produced in Elizabeth II's reign

Not all postboxes produced in Elizabeth II's reign were made of metal. Broadwater Mouldings produced these fibreglass boxes, installed in supermarkets and transport hubs across the UK. A few, installed in airports, have clear backs for security reasons.

Broadwater box - Edinburgh Airport
Broadwater box with clear back - Bristol Airport

In the mid-1990s, postboxes underwent a subtle but

In the mid-1990s, postboxes underwent a subtle but significant rebrand - the words "POST OFFICE" - present on postboxes since 1852 - disappeared, replaced with "ROYAL MAIL". This change heralded the future for the Post Office, which would be split out from the public entity of Royal Mail into a private business. Today, the Post Office has no responsibility for postboxes, which remain under the care of Royal Mail.

Pictured: Royal Mail Type C pillar box, Machan Engineering; Royal Mail "Tin Lizzie" lamp box, Carronade or Machan

#postboxsaturday #royalmail #postoffice #postbox #letterboxstudygroup

Machan Engineering were one of the more proactive

Machan Engineering were one of the more proactive of the later postbox manufacturers. Not content just to produce the designs given to them, they approached Royal Mail with ideas of their own. The pictured Type L and M pedestal boxes are two such examples. Royal Mail approved the design, and they were installed across the UK from 1995. In contrast to the mixed feelings on other modern postboxes, these have generally been met with public approval.

Join Us

Click the button to apply for membership

Follow LBSG at

Recent News

SEPTEMBER 2025 – ROYAL MAIL DELIVERS SOLAR-POWERED POSTBOXES NATIONWIDE 4th September 2025
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

Footer Menu

Media
Archives
Privacy Policy
Disclaimer
Enquiries
Joint Policy Statement

© 2025 Letter Box Study Group | Registered Charity Number: 1198577
A Charitable Incorporated Organisation registered in England and Wales