What was done to pillar boxes and why?

Answer 1

Pillar boxes are mailboxes that are often found in public spaces in Britain and other parts of the Commonwealth. They were originally introduced in 1852 by the British Post Office as part of the Penny Post system. Since then these boxes have been painted a distinctive bright red colour and have become an iconic symbol of British culture.

Pillar boxes were originally painted red in order to make them stand out and be easily visible from a distance. This made it easier for postmen to find them and for members of the public to recognise them as the place to drop off mail. Over the years the colour of the boxes has been changed a few times to reflect the changing monarchs. For example during the reign of Queen Victoria they were painted green and during the reign of King Edward VII they were painted bronze.

In more recent times pillar boxes have been updated with new features to make them more accessible. For instance they have been fitted with larger slots to accommodate larger envelopes and they have been given greater protection against vandalism. In addition some boxes have been modified to accept cash and credit card payments for postage stamps.

In addition to the changes to the design of the boxes the Royal Mail has also been engaged in a campaign to save the boxes from closure. Since 2002 over 1100 boxes have been saved from closure due to a combination of public campaigns and financial incentives from the Royal Mail.

In conclusion pillar boxes have become an iconic symbol of British culture and the Royal Mail has taken steps to preserve and update them over the years. They have done this by painting the boxes red to make them easily visible modifying the boxes to accept larger envelopes and cash payments and campaigning to save them from closure.