When I was sorting out the chest of drawers in the crafting half of my bedroom I re-found this book of postcards all about Post Boxes.
The first pages in the book of postcards tell the story of the post box
Some of the postcards feature commemorative postage stamps from 2002.
Had a look to see which ones of the set I had - but just two out of the 5
which were issued. (Many years ago we trimmed stamps for a charity and I
have a good collection up to the year 2000 which is when the charity
stopped delivering and picking up) after that I have very few and rarely
see any commemorative stamps on my post now.
other postcards are copies of old posters.
"Post Early For Christmas" isn't a new plea - the copy of a poster below is from 1961
The Post Box below featured quite often as my header as it was at the other end of the lane from the cottage. It was a very annoying letter box with a slot marked "letters only" and there was literally no space to get anything in that was bigger than postcard size. Birthday cards and Christmas cards needed a bike ride down the road for a mile and a half to one with a bigger slot.
My nearest post box now.....plenty of room to post all sorts and just 200 yards away from home
One of the 10 oldest post boxes in the country is in Suffolk. I go past it when driving to visit youngest daughter and one of the few Edward VIII post boxes is also in Suffolk.
I feel a new hobby starting.........................watch this space!
Back Tomorrow
Sue
Sue I so admire your enthusiasm and your mental energy - you are an inspiration to me to keep my brain acyive.
ReplyDeleteIt's all about finding something to write about on the blog!!
DeleteSorry hat last word should be active!
ReplyDeleteI wondered if we'd have an gold Olympian postboxes this year - but apparently they were only done in 2012 because we were the host nation.
ReplyDeleteAre the gold ones still Gold from 2012 or have they been repainted red?
DeleteFascinating. I remember those commemorative stamp postcards - I collected them for a while but goodness knows where they are now. Long since chicken, I expect.
ReplyDeletexx
I had lots of those postcards of stamps at one time - goodness knows why. I expect we sold them at a car boot sale many years ago
DeleteI've been looking carefully at post boxes since a walk around the historic sites of Colchester town (Essex) just happened to pass a large number of historic post boxes from all eras. Once I'd bought & read a small 'Shire' book on the subject and got 'my eye in', I've recognised all sorts of types, makes and vintages of boxes in the most unlikely of places. (I think I remember one in the wall of possibly Framlingham Castle.)
ReplyDeleteI shall have to go back to Framlingham and check the castle and find the Shire book!
DeleteI have a similar obsession with them even worse now that people are crocheting those toppers for them! Am currently reading a book all about postcodes and that has some very interesting snippets about the PO. Arilx
ReplyDeleteNow you've encouraged me to find the book about postcodes as well as post boxes!
DeleteIt's called Mail Obsession by Mark Mason. I've borrowed it from the library. ARilx
DeleteI think the reason we don't get commemorative covers now is simply post office counters don't sell them any longer, only the larger post offices and direct from Royal Mail's online shop. I gathered together all my stamps during lockdown cleaning and found I have over £70 worth of assorted stamps, some special commemorative, others simply books of stamps that get put away in a safe place never to see the light of day again.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that about commemorative stamps and post offices. £70 worth of stamps! that will do a lot of Christmas cards!
DeleteInteresting information of the post boxes, we have one of the crochet ones in the village. I have still got my stamp albums from a child and still have lots of special stamps in recent years. I still cut the stamps of letters for charity but don't get many now postage is very expensive.
ReplyDeleteHazel 🌈🌈
Nearly everything is franked nowadays - hardly see a stamp until Christmas!
DeleteFor many years I collected commemorative stamps and I have the full set of millenium stamps with the model post office vans. I also have some first day covers of a few events at the time and I still have them all. There is a stamp auction house near where we live and every time we pass it I think that I should take my stamps to be valued and maybe sold on. Maybe one day.
ReplyDeleteDon't think I have any stamps with Post office vans - I'll have to have a look
DeleteNo Sue, I worded that wrongly, they were actual toy post office vans through the last century. I can't remember if they came free or if I bought them at certain times that the millenium stamps came out.
DeleteQ: What's the difference between an elephant and a post box?
ReplyDeleteA: I don't know.
Then I'm not going to send you to post any of my letters.
Ha! Very good
DeleteWonderful information. I can just imagine when the boxes were all green and nestled into the trees and shrubs they would be difficult to see.
ReplyDeleteGod bless.
Yes, red is more logical
DeleteWhat an interesting little book.
ReplyDeleteTo me, there's still something romantic about the post. I especially love stamps about the history of stamps and indeed, post boxes.
I think it's outrageous that Royal Mail issues expensive sets of commemorative stamps which are then rarely used. For that reason, I now only buy the new issues of definitives. Recent, used commemorative stamps command a high price on eBay because they're so rare!
Like Rustic Pumpkin, I have a lot of mint stamps in booklets and albums. Postage rates rise so quickly that they could be more valuable used (e.g. on Christmas cards!) than as collectors' items.
I've noticed post boxes when traveling abroad and they vary greatly. The red British post box is nicely shaped and easy to spot. The US post box is dark blue and rectangular. The price of our stamps just increased again. Thank you for sharing this interesting history.
ReplyDeleteJust bought more stamps before USPS raises prices again. It's funny, but I've been sending out notes and cards again by mail. No one wants to email, or have a quick chat on the phone anymore, but I don't text. Besides, it's nice to get something other than bills or advertisements in the mail box, don't you think?
ReplyDeleteWho knew that post-boxes could be so interesting! Your round red boxes seem to have a romanticism to them that our plain boxes just don't have. Unfortunately, many of ours were getting vandalized at lot and have now been removed from many areas. Even our Post Offices are disappearing. Stamps are becoming a thing of the past, sadly.
ReplyDeleteI was trying to find the pillar box I photographed somewhere in the Cornwall area, out in the countryside, that was still collecting mail at least twice daily in 2016.
ReplyDeleteIn New Zealand, because there are only 5 million of us, the postal service is getting completely run down. Of course online has replaced postal accounts, receipts, and greeting cards. To the point that children know little about 'mail'.
I read my grandson a story in which the punchline was the animals stamping on the envelope when Mrs Wishy Washy said she was going to find a stamp. My young 5 year old could read the text very competently, but when I asked him what stamp was Mrs WW getting, he got up and stamped his foot! The double entendre had gone right over his little head!! I had to go and get a stamp, and an envelope, and then the next day take him to the local book and post shop, buy a card, get him to write in it and send it to himself, so he could receive his first-ever piece of mail!
You are very fortunate in your postal service.