The Post Box
@arthurchappell (44998)
Preston, England
March 8, 2016 11:36am CST
Nothing evokes a sense of being in Britain in quite the same way as the humble traditional red post-box in which letters are placed ready for collection. Lately there is a growing trend for painting post boxes gold or green, but I love the old fashioned red designs.
In 1996 a terrorist bomb blew our city centre apart, and the blast was heard from our house three miles away. Remarkably no one was killed, but many buildings were destroyed. What was really impressive was that the IRA van that contained the bomb was parked right next to a cast iron post box and though the van was torn apart along with much of the Shambles and Shudehill shopping area, the post box was totally unscathed. I now say that in the event of World War Three I am taking shelter inside a post box.
Arthur Chappell
17 people like this
19 responses
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
9 Mar 16
Good point and good eye for detail, Owl.
3 people like this
@GreatMartin (23672)
• Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
8 Mar 16
I don't remember the last time I saw a separate postbox!! What's a 'letter'?? We call that junk mail in the USA--people don't WRITE letters anymore now that they have email! And to me that
is sad.
is sad.3 people like this
@alchemistrx (2547)
• Philippines
9 Mar 16
Truly so sad. I love letter writing. Its romantic
1 person likes this
@dpk262006 (58676)
• Delhi, India
9 Mar 16
The post box or letter box reminds me of good olden days when hand written letters were the major means of communication and red letter box used to hold a special place. We need to remember the locations/spots where we could find letter boxes for dropping our letters. There used to be a an indication on the letter box to let us know when the next mail will be out. Sometimes, we used to stand near the letter box just to see how the postman collects all the letters/envelopes in his big cloth bag and vanishes.
However, nowadays we find limited number of letter boxes around us and we find that hardly anyone using letter boxes to post his letters as other technological devices like mobile phones/laptops have replaced mode of communication.
2 people like this
@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
9 Mar 16
@dpk262006 I still like snail mail and actually hate seeing the post arrive with nothing addressed to me apart from junk mail some mornings, or given the state of our delivery service, the afternoons
2 people like this
@dpk262006 (58676)
• Delhi, India
9 Mar 16
@arthurchappell - Handwritten letters or snail mail has its own charm. Emails or text messages just cannot replace it.
I just cannot recall how many years ago I would have received any handwritten letter.
2 people like this
@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
9 Mar 16
@dpk262006 most are typed or word processed and as many struggle with my hand writing I always type and print snail mail corresponence I send
2 people like this
@celticeagle (167015)
• Boise, Idaho
9 Mar 16
That's quite a bomb heard so far away. I'd take shelter in a post box too. No room for me so someone will have to move. LOL
2 people like this
@celticeagle (167015)
• Boise, Idaho
9 Mar 16
@arthurchappell ...This makes me think of the Boston bombing here recently,
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (167015)
• Boise, Idaho
9 Mar 16
@arthurchappell ...and who knows where a terrorist cells will pop up.
1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
9 Mar 16
@celticeagle there are still so many dangerous fanatics out there
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43418)
• Denver, Colorado
8 Mar 16
Our out-going mail boxes wouldn't survive that at all.
3 people like this
@jaboUK (64354)
• United Kingdom
9 Mar 16
@Poppylicious I do too, but not the junk.
2 people like this
@Poppylicious (11133)
•
10 Mar 16
@jaboUK We're quite lucky as we don't get junk mail. We signed up to that 'No Junk Mail' service when we moved to our house and now the only junk we get is from our own banks {no, I don't need a credit card!} and a couple of charities we've had dealings with. It's very rare for the postman to rattle our letterbox, and this makes me sad. :(
2 people like this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
8 Mar 16
going to say, I know where to hide now! lol
2 people like this
@crazyhorseladycx (39509)
• United States
8 Mar 16
i love it! i'd agree 'n wish 'em to remain painted red's well. yepperz, yer gonna need to find'ja a post box large 'n nough coz it sure sounds to be the safest bet.
2 people like this
@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
8 Mar 16
I imagine them drifting round in space long after the planet falls to pieces @crazyhorseladycx
2 people like this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
9 Mar 16
If you could save room in there for me, that would be great. I'd just need to figure out a way to fly overseas and find you amid the fighting.our boxes aren't as fancy as that. Most of the ones here are blue, square, metal boxes.
2 people like this
@troyburns (1405)
• New Zealand
9 Mar 16
So you want to hide when the going gets tough? Typical mail! (Sorry,that's my IWD joke.) I can't imagine these iconic boxes being anything other than red.
2 people like this
@Mike197602 (15505)
• United Kingdom
8 Mar 16
I think they paint them green sometimes as that was the first colour so maybe they've found a very old victorian box and have put it back to the original colour.
I've always wanted an old phone box and convert it to a fish tank.
2 people like this
@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
8 Mar 16
@Mike197602 that would look neat - they probably actually sell on E-bay
2 people like this
@Mike197602 (15505)
• United Kingdom
8 Mar 16
@arthurchappell I've seen them sell for 2k but no point me getting one as i don't have my own house to put it in.
2 people like this
@JohnRoberts (109846)
• Los Angeles, California
8 Mar 16
How many vintage post boxes are there left? Are new ones made? The phone booths were traditionally red also.
2 people like this
@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
9 Mar 16
no idea what the stats are on them @JohnRoberts
1 person likes this
@alchemistrx (2547)
• Philippines
9 Mar 16
We dont have this iron clad post box here. Only a post office with post box attach to the counter for selling stamps.
1 person likes this
@veganbliss (3895)
• Adelaide, Australia
3 Apr 16
This reminds me of a Mr Bean episode!
I wonder what it'd take to blow these things apart? Perhaps a session on America's MythBusters could be in order?
I see they love blowing things up on that show!
Perhaps it's more the design than the strength of the material that makes these things seem indestructible?
I wonder what it'd take to blow these things apart? Perhaps a session on America's MythBusters could be in order?
I see they love blowing things up on that show!
Perhaps it's more the design than the strength of the material that makes these things seem indestructible?1 person likes this
@arthurchappell (44998)
• Preston, England
3 Apr 16
yes, probably - an explosion from inside might be more destructive
1 person likes this
