please empty your brain below
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That Charles post box is an ugly thing. I bet its namesake is horrified!
Dan | 28.07.25 - 7:25 a.m. | #
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Nice!
I found the historic six in Beckenham within a 2-mile walk in chronological order: see Reddit.
I'm not getting my hopes up about a Charles III box suddenly appearing nearby though.
ST | 28.07.25 - 7:29 a.m. | #
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Well done getting to all of that history within Dartford.
There is an E VIII R box—I believe the closest to central London—near to you and me in Tower Hamlets (by Domino's Pizza on The Highway).
dg writes: see 2015 post.
MartinG | 28.07.25 - 7:43 a.m. | #
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Goerge VI - I don't think its been repainted, they've just removed the gold paint, hence the remains around the fiddly bits, note the slot and the indents around the cap still appear to be gold.
Still Anon | 28.07.25 - 7:45 a.m. | #
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If you turn around on the Penney Close streetview, you can see a postie. Wonder if it's the usual one?
martin | 28.07.25 - 8:03 a.m. | #
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I don’t think figures are kept on postbox usage but would be interesting to know London’s most/least used examples. It is probably possible to work out where the most remote one is or where in London is furthest away from being able to post a letter.
B2024 | 28.07.25 - 8:05 a.m. | #
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I must admit that I quite like Danny's repaints. Better than some of the graffiti I see elsewhere, though I can see how it could get out of hand.
Andrew S | 28.07.25 - 8:18 a.m. | #
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I sometimes think community service as a punishment should fit the crime. In this case if would be appropriate if Miskin had been required to repaint all of his efforts back into Post Office red.
Alan S | 28.07.25 - 8:36 a.m. | #
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I don't know why Royal Mail insists on kidding people the the post boxes will be emptied at 9am, when the postmen's duties are incapable of meeting such a time.
dg writes: a cost saving measure introducing leeway to collection times, introduced in 2014.
In my area, the collection time is advertised as 9am and, on Saturdays at 7am. In practice, the regular postie collects from the box as he reaches the end of his round, usually between 11am and midday.
Daily fiction causes unnecessary rush.
Petras409 | 28.07.25 - 9:17 a.m. | #
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Without wishing to get hysterical (there are obviously many more significant issues concerning the public), the Royal Mail’s inability to repaint pillar boxes is one of those tiny things that feeds into the whole ghastly “Broken Britain” narrative. The RM won’t do it, the council can’t or won’t enforce it, everything stays looking a bit trashed.
Philip | 28.07.25 - 9:20 a.m. | #
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Petras409, the 9am time on most post boxes isn't the time the post will necessarily be collected, just the earliest it could be collected. These boxes are emptied by the postie on their delivery round so the post is collected as they pass by. Having worked as a postie on particularly quiet delivery days you might be hanging around at your first box waiting for 9am (orcoming back later) to empty it. The boxes with a different time on are generally collected by separate collection drivers in the afternoon. The latest collection is always at the local Royal Mail Sorting office and emptied just before the collection lorry heads off to the main sorting office.
Andy S | 28.07.25 - 10:22 a.m. | #
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Prise, not prize.
dg writes: apologiez.
David | 28.07.25 - 10:30 a.m. | #
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The Charles box looks a mess! The 'Royal Mail' plate looks like an afterthought, and as you say, temporary. The Royal cipher should have the crown above the C III R, but they haven't left room for that. Interestingly, the keyhole is on the left while all the others have it on the right: I wonder why.
Peter (of Cambridge) | 28.07.25 - 10:31 a.m. | #
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I noticed that Charles box for the first time 3 weeks ago, and I commented on here about it. I walk down that street regularly, but as the post box is the same shape as the old one, and in a similar condition, it might have been there longer.
Quite cheap looking to have the cypher just plated on.
Mikey C | 28.07.25 - 10:45 a.m. | #
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In response to an earlier post, I remarked that St Julian's Farm Road SE27 has a pillarbox without a royal cipher, Are there any more of these un-Royal Mail boxes around?
Ian Paton | 28.07.25 - 11:12 a.m. | #
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Why is it the more niche the post, the more interesting I find it?
If you want real street furniture niche, try The Telegraph Pole Appreciation Society here. You could collect the markings on telegraph poles.
South London Lad | 28.07.25 - 11:29 a.m. | #
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What vintage was the box on Ulverston Road at the corner of Sandwood Crescent which replaced the one on Esher Road in 1974 due to a road widening scheme?
kev | 28.07.25 - 12:16 p.m. | #
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I walked past my local post box earlier. It has been fully wrapped in black plastic shrink wrap, with an official Royal Mail sign stating: "Out of Service. Automated System coming soon" The sign also has a QR code to locate the nearest alternative "pillar box".
I have no inkling what the automated service may be, and neither does my London-based postman buddy who is near the end of his delivery walk.
Frank F | 28.07.25 - 12:19 p.m. | #
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Ooh I like this post, as I will often snap a box with a nice topper, for my groups. There's a Victoria one not far from the old Norbiton bus garage, in Kingston. Often meant to snap it but it would mean getting off the bus to Kingston Hospital. I'm glad that you found one. :-)
Marmaduke Jinks | 28.07.25 - 12:23 p.m. | #
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Who'd have thought there'd be so much drama in a post about post boxes!
Dartford is the happening place!
Cornish Cockney | 28.07.25 - 12:25 p.m. | #
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Ian, there was an ´unroyal´ box in the Waldrons in Croydon which I assume is stlll there. based on the area I assume it is from the early 20th century.
Again a very interesting blog pointing out to me how the world is moving ever more away from attractive design to utilitarian mediocrity.
Keith the Kraut | 28.07.25 - 12:39 p.m. | #
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I've seen all types apart from E VIII and C III - in my defence, I had no clue they'd constructed them!
Honestly I don't mind the painted pillar boxes. Sure, they're vandalism, but some of the graffiti you see out and about is far far far worse than this. And I will admit that sure, red pillar boxes are lovely, but the greater the variety, the better it is. The golden ones especially are nice.
All Over 2a | Homepage | 28.07.25 - 1:06 p.m. | #
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Frank F - perhaps one of these?
2d53 | Homepage | 28.07.25 - 1:23 p.m. | #
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Regarding repainting. I wonder if Royal Mail would accept volunteers to repaint.
BT does allow volunteer repaints for heritage (out of service but must be retained) phone boxes.
A professional decorator volunteered to repaint the phone boxes in St. John's Wood; BT dutifully supplied the correct paints free of charge, and a fine job was done although with temporary consternation as the correct undercoat is a vibrant pink!
MilesT | 28.07.25 - 2:14 p.m. | #
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I'm loving this celebration of day one of alternate day deliveries.
ap | 28.07.25 - 4:55 p.m. | #
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In response to B2024 it seems the Royal Mail can monitor postbox usage if they need to. The residents of sheltered housing near me wanted a larger postbox because the exisiting small box occasionally got stuffed full of business post, meaning their birthday cards to grandchildren and other missives couldn't fit in.
My mum, who is a local councillor, duly took up the issue for them and Royal Mail were able to tell her fewer than 50 items a day were being posted and they'd track useage to determine if a larger box was needed. Useage wasn't high enough and the lamp design remains.
Jon | 28.07.25 - 5:05 p.m. | #
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Ian Paton - Scottish Pullar boxes were provided without the Royal Cipher during the reign of Elizabeth II because of objections to the II
Timbo | 28.07.25 - 6:56 p.m. | #
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Kev - It's handy for the shops and convenient for the West End!
daveid76 | 28.07.25 - 7:34 p.m. | #
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Sale in Manchester has a set of 7
youtu.be/rqRC2i__47g
dg writes: it has 6
James | 28.07.25 - 9:00 p.m. | #
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“The cypher is no longer an intrinsic part of the moulding but cut from a metal panel stuck to the front.“ This also existed on EIIR boxes - see
here.
dg writes: indeed, since about 2014
Luc | 28.07.25 - 9:24 p.m. | #
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Maybe the phantom pillar box painter of Dartford wished to continue the 2012 Olympic tradition.
ActonMan | 28.07.25 - 9:33 p.m. | #
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Well the E viii one in brackley road Beckenham was in Kent but the Kent retreated in the onslaught of the London boroughs
nostalgio | 29.07.25 - 7:33 p.m. | #
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