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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

Santa Maria, ship

Santa Maria, ship

The flag ship, the largest of 3 ships, in which Columbus discovered America.  It was a 'caravel' a particular type of sailing ship used by the Spanish and Portuguese in the 15th and 16th centuries....

Vehicle, Transport, USA

1 memorial
Highbury Corner traffic scheme

Highbury Corner traffic scheme

This scheme converted a roundabout, which was unfriendly to pedestrians and people on bikes, into two-way roads and created a plaza in front of the station. This is happening at many locations all ...

Place, Transport

1 memorial
Marylebone Station

Marylebone Station

A Central London railway terminus and London Underground complex, designed by Henry William Braddock. Originally it was the London terminus of the former Great Central Railway, and is now the Londo...

Building, Transport

2 memorials
AC Cars Limited

AC Cars Limited

AC Cars are Britain’s oldest car manufacturers having been producing cars since 1901. Founded by John Weller and John Portwine.  The company name comes from an early model, the Auto Carrier, pictur...

Group, Engineering, Transport

1 memorial
Croydon atmospheric railway

Croydon atmospheric railway

An experiment by the London and Croydon Railway. Pumping stations were built which created a vacuum in a pipe laid between the rails. Each carriage had a piston that entered a slot in the tube, sea...

Place, Transport

2 memorials

Previously viewed

Donald Willis

Donald Willis

Flight Officer, 121 Eagle Squadron, American

Person, USA

War served, WW2
1 memorial
Hazrat Wali

Hazrat Wali

From BBC: "A boy of 16 has been charged with the murder of an 18-year-old stabbed to death on a playing field in south-west London. Police found Hazrat Wali fatally injured in Craneford Way, Twicke...

Person, Tragedy

1 memorial
Sir Henry Wellcome

Sir Henry Wellcome

Born Wisconsin, USA, moved to London in 1880 for business reasons. Pharmacist, founder of the Wellcome Trust and Foundation. His collection of books & artefacts relating to the history of medic...

Person, Benefactor, Industry, Medicine, Museums / Libraries, USA

1 memorial
Stephen Gardiner

Stephen Gardiner

Architect, teacher and writer. Born Chelsea. Awarded O.B.E. 2002. Died Pembury, Kent

Person, Architecture, Education

1 memorial
University of the Arts London

University of the Arts London

It has its origins in five previously independent colleges, which were brought together to form the London Institute in 1986. In 2003, it received Privy Council approval for university status and w...

Group, Education

1 memorial