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Royal Mail

Categories: Transport

Before the 2012 Olympics started the Royal Mail committed to turn a red post box gold for each British Gold medal, Olympic and Paralympic. In the event this meant that over 100 boxes turned colour. Each one is associated with a particular gold medal and has been chosen to be close to the medallist's home town/borough. Here's the map. We don't believe that the Royal Mail despatched an employee with a pot of gold paint the instant the medallist crossed the line but they have said the colour is permanent.

The Royal Mail have their own website of memorials, nationwide: https://www.royalmail.com/memorials/home .

2022: Londonist have posted (ha ha) an excellent page on postboxes

2024: We read a WW2 'Letter from London' by Mollie Panter-Downes with: "Posting a letter has acquired a new interest, too, since His Majesty's tubby scarlet pillar boxes have been done up in squares of yellow detector paint, which changes colour if there is poison gas in the air and is said to be as sensitive as a chameleon." 

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This section lists the memorials created by the subject on this page:
Royal Mail

Creations i

Anthony Trollope - pillar box - Fleet Street

5 similar plaques have been erected.

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Anthony Trollope - pillar box - Piccadilly

This plaque commemorates the bicentenary of the birth of Anthony Trollope (18...

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Anthony Trollope - pillar box - Rutland Gate

5 similar plaques have been erected.

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Anthony Trollope - pillar box - Strand

5 similar plaques have been erected.

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Charlotte Dujardin gold post box

{On plaque attached to side of box:} This post box has been painted gold by R...

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Other Subjects

First Blackfriars Station

First Blackfriars Station

As we write the work on the new river-spanning Blackfriars Station is close to completion.  It seems Blackfriars Station has never known whether it is a North or a South Londoner.  The first Blackf...

Place, Transport

1 memorial
Esso UK PLC

Esso UK PLC

Fuel company. The name is a phonetic representation of the initials of the company's predecessor Standard Oil. In 1972 it was generally replaced by the name Exxon. 

Group, Transport

2 memorials
Transport for London / London Transport

Transport for London / London Transport

This organisation has been a bit of a political football, often having its name changed, as follows: 1902 - 1933 Underground Electric Railways Company of London 1933 - 1948 London Passenger Transpo...

Group, Industry, Transport

50 memorials
Samuel Plimsoll

Samuel Plimsoll

Born Bristol. "The sailors' friend", whose Load Line prevented ships becoming dangerously overloaded.  Sand shoes were renamed for him since the lower section is rubber and the upper is canvas: dry...

Person, Politics & Administration, Transport

1 memorial
Chelsea Bridge

Chelsea Bridge

At the same time that Battersea Park was created the first bridge at its eastern corner was built (shown in the image). This was opened in 1858, as Victoria Bridge, by Queen Victoria on her way to ...

Building, Transport

1 memorial