Here, I'm referring to those on the street into which one posts a letter, not the one on one's front door.
Round here we have had three of them nicked. I knew about one but our village mag, received today, indicates that there were three of them half-inched. The one I saw was missing was one of those that perches on top of a pole - the pole was still there but no letter box.
Do scroats just take them for the scrap value?
Here in Suffolk, there was a spate of this a couple of years ago. They were all old historical ones. I don't know if any were ever recovered.
OK.
The one I saw appears to have been replaced. But it apppears to say E II R on it rather than C III R (haven't had a chance for a close look yet).
It's no longer Royal Mail so why would they make any post boxes with C III R on them? I presume they will not be replacing any existing post boxes with rebranded versions and would be replacing any vandalised or stolen ones with existing stock.
Tradition.
They've never done that.
If it's not Royal Mail, what is it?
KRÁLOVSKÁ POŠTA :-) (according to Google translate)
but, since 2022
IDS (International Distributions Services plc)
Royal Mail is owned by International Distribution Services (IDS), which is owned by EP Group. The founder and chairman of EP Group is Daniel Křetínský, a Czech businessman and lawyer.
Royal Mail was previously owned by the UK government, but was privatized in 2013.
The government approved the sale of Royal Mail's parent firm to EP Group. Křetínský's EP Group has said it wants to make Royal Mail a successful postal operator that provides high-quality service. Křetínský has said that owning Royal Mail comes with a huge responsibility to the employees and citizens who rely on its services.
Probably sell them on ebay for thousands as decorative retro-chic items for your living space...
That's the parent company. It is still Royal Mail who deliver letters and parcels in the UK.
Biggles
I was surprised to see what looks like an authentic modern Royal Mail pillar box in a neighbour's garden close to the fence next to the pavement. There is a sign saying that it's being used as this person's mailbox, for the postman to deliver to, and that people shouldn't post stamped mail and expect Royal Mail to collect from it.
What made me laugh was that just after they put it there, they were moaning on the village Facebook group that people were posting letters into it. I thought "well, if it looks like a pillar box, what do you bloody expect?"
Did Royal Mail ever sell off old pillar boxes which were no longer needed/used (eg if one developed a fault and had to be replaced), or would this one be a replica?
There's one like that near us. But it's obviously on the geezer's property, not on the road, and it's clearly marked as to what its use is. Not that this always helps - there's plenty of loonies around who haven't got a clue.
It's still branded Royal Mail, so the brand goes on the boxes.
As with the traditional pillar boxes, new ones with the C III R crest will only be put up once the stock of E I R ones is exhausted.
Did they change the name from International Distributions Services to International Distribution Services?
Apparently, yes.
[source:wikip, ICBA to check companies house filings, but I'd expect it would confirm]
That should have happened some hundreds of years ago, I would have thought. :-)
:-)
So "International Distribution*s* Services" wasn't just a typo in this thread?
Have something to add? Share your thoughts — no account required.
Ask the community — no account required