Mick F wrote: ↑15 Sep 2022, 8:50am
The new boxes - round here at least have the queen's crown and ER on the sticker on the front above the slot.
Simple to remove and fit a king's one perhaps.
I was pondering that as I cycled along the other day. I doubt they'll remove those panels from existing boxes - it's not as if they've ever covered over previous monarchs' initials on older boxes. I think it's more likely that they order new postboxes in large batches to get economies of scale and didn't want to be left with a warehouse half-full of EIIR boxes they couldn't use. Much cheaper just to order a batch of postboxes with no initials on, order the metal panels separately and stick them on as the boxes leave the warehouse. That way all they have to do now is order new CIIIR panels, not entire new postboxes. Sensible, but the metal panels just don't look as good.
Back on topic, here's an abandoned roadside VR postbox I found a few miles from Ledbury last week. A bit strange that the collection notice was never removed - it feels as if the postman just stopped visiting.
A few days ago, I bought a second-hand book titled "Odd and Unusual England", by John Bland. On looking through it, I noticed that one of the photos in the book is of a Victorian post box, the oldest in England, from around 1854. It's located at Barnes Cross, in Dorset.
I remembered that I went on a cycling holiday nearby in 2000, and the photo from the book triggered a memory of that post box.
Here's a copy of the photo I took at that time, together with the black and white one from the book.
I've been box spotting for a while now. Once you "get your eye in" it's surprising how many VR, GR and GviR boxes there are still. 3 from jaunts this year, a sad disused VR next to it's modern replacement north of Malton. One that I'm pretty sure sure is VR but so corroded and repainted that it's almost impossible to tell. Thoughts? A "live" one from Boroughbridge.
Some VR boxes are better loved than others. This one from Hawnby north of White Horse Bank. I'm not keen on this fad for adding knitware to pillar boxes as per this George V one at Kirkby Misperton.
Richard of York wrote: ↑10 Oct 2022, 9:14pm
I've been box spotting for a while now. Once you "get your eye in" it's surprising how many VR, GR and GviR boxes there are still. 3 from jaunts this year, a sad disused VR next to it's modern replacement north of Malton. One that I'm pretty sure sure is VR but so corroded and repainted that it's almost impossible to tell. Thoughts? A "live" one from Boroughbridge.
I'd agree that second photo is of a VR box. The shape, size and lack of decoration are consistent with others, along with what appears to be the remnant of "VR" at the top.
Interesting that many but not all have a manufacturer name in the moulding bellow the door. These two have W T Allen and Co London. One is early QEii the other George V. Pretty long term contract. I'm sure there are other names I've seen though.
Richard of York wrote: ↑10 Oct 2022, 9:14pm
I've been box spotting for a while now. Once you "get your eye in" it's surprising how many VR, GR and GviR boxes there are still. 3 from jaunts this year, a sad disused VR next to it's modern replacement north of Malton. One that I'm pretty sure sure is VR but so corroded and repainted that it's almost impossible to tell. Thoughts? A "live" one from Boroughbridge.
Just cropped your excellent photo.
The new one on the right illustrates my point very well indeed.
Notice the Royal Mail is pop-riveted on, but the EIIR is a sticker.
Easily removed and replaced by CIIIR.
Richard of York wrote: ↑10 Oct 2022, 9:14pm
I've been box spotting for a while now. Once you "get your eye in" it's surprising how many VR, GR and GviR boxes there are still. 3 from jaunts this year, a sad disused VR next to it's modern replacement north of Malton. One that I'm pretty sure sure is VR but so corroded and repainted that it's almost impossible to tell. Thoughts? A "live" one from Boroughbridge.
Just cropped your excellent photo.
The new one on the right illustrates my point very well indeed.
Notice the Royal Mail is pop-riveted on, but the EIIR is a sticker.
Easily removed and replaced by CIIIR.
Screen Shot 2022-10-11 at 15.39.07.png
Royal Mail Will Not Replace The Labels On Existing EIIR Postboxes. They never have before and they're not going to start now.
Will the cypher on post boxes be changed to reflect the new monarch?
In line with past practice, following the death of a monarch all existing post boxes will remain unchanged. Postboxes already in production or being prepared for installation, will also retain the insignia of Queen Elizabeth II. https://www.royalmail.com/sending/quest ... -postboxes
I still think the obvious reason for the separate panels is that they had a huge batch of postboxes made and weren't sure how long the queen would last, so they had them all made with neither monarch's cypher on and added the correct panel whenever a new postbox was required from stock. Logical and economical, if not exactly pretty.
Richard of York wrote: ↑10 Oct 2022, 9:14pm
I've been box spotting for a while now. Once you "get your eye in" it's surprising how many VR, GR and GviR boxes there are still. 3 from jaunts this year, a sad disused VR next to it's modern replacement north of Malton. One that I'm pretty sure sure is VR but so corroded and repainted that it's almost impossible to tell. Thoughts? A "live" one from Boroughbridge.
Just cropped your excellent photo.
The new one on the right illustrates my point very well indeed.
Notice the Royal Mail is pop-riveted on, but the EIIR is a sticker.
Easily removed and replaced by CIIIR.
Screen Shot 2022-10-11 at 15.39.07.png
Royal Mail Will Not Replace The Labels On Existing EIIR Postboxes. They never have before and they're not going to start now.
Will the cypher on post boxes be changed to reflect the new monarch?
In line with past practice, following the death of a monarch all existing post boxes will remain unchanged. Postboxes already in production or being prepared for installation, will also retain the insignia of Queen Elizabeth II. https://www.royalmail.com/sending/quest ... -postboxes
I still think the obvious reason for the separate panels is that they had a huge batch of postboxes made and weren't sure how long the queen would last, so they had them all made with neither monarch's cypher on and added the correct panel whenever a new postbox was required from stock. Logical and economical, if not exactly pretty.
that has the look and feel of something done in the 80s though, when maybe the post office werent as much about maintaining such traditions.
I dont know how often postboxes get replaced or appear as new housing gets built, certainly people steal them for various reasons, and cars inevitably drive into them, so theres a replacement programme even for the beyond repair & faulty ones, but I doubt they bulk order so many at a time as to have feared being left with a large surplus, that given how popular the last 50p's are proving they could quite easily have sold to the public collectors anyway.
Bmblbzzz wrote: ↑12 Oct 2022, 9:39am
Well there are new issues of stamps coming out with the old queen's head on, so they're not that keen on redesigning.
Stuff that's already been designed, & probably manufactured, such as stamps & coins (see BBC 100th anniversary 50p coin - BBC News link) will generally go ahead with Elizabeth's head/cipher.
Former member of the Cult of the Polystyrene Head Carbuncle.
I cycled over to Cranbrook in Kent recently and visited the interesting museum there. In one of the rooms, I saw an old Victorian post box which was originally sited at nearby Sissinghurst. The Post Office sign was on the ceiling of one of the rooms.
The VR script at the top of the post box is different from some of the others. A different manufacturer?
