Located on Windsor High Street next to the Guild Hall is a green hexagonal Penfold post box.

This broke the standard pattern and so in 1866 the Post Office again produced a standard letter box. This time the box was designed by J W Penfold and came in three sizes. Problems were encountered with some of the early designs however and modifications were made, such as the inclusion of downward-pointing shoots to help prevent letters being caught up in the cap of the box. The ‘Penfold’ letter box while not particularly a success operationally was very popular with many people.

As a standard box however it was not to survive. In 1879 a further standard box was produced. This time more of the earlier lessons were taken on board. The new standard box at last resembled the letter box that is today the iconic image of Britain – cylindrical with round cap and horizontal aperture under a protruding cap with front opening door and black painted base.

The Postal Museum Website explains how the Pillar Boxes went from red to green and back again.

Near to Windsor castle, situated next to a more usual red pillar box is a blue George V pillar box. The blue pillar box displays the history of ’special’ blue pillar boxes:

On 9th September 1911, Gustav Hamel took of from Hendon Aerodrome to inaugurate the first United Kingdom aerial post and landed in Shaw Farm meadow, Long Walk, Windsor.

The flight was organised to carry special mail celebrating the coronation of King George V.

Within a few years, Air mail services became well established and between 1930 and 1938, special blue pillar boxes were used for posting Air Letters.

This box is adjacent to the site of Windsor Post Office (1887 – 1966) where Air Mail was received from the United Kingdom aerial post.

Next to the two pillar boxes is a historic stamp vending machine.

The ‘Post Box’ room is situated above the the old victorian post box which gives the room its name:

Your room ‘The Post Box’ is named after the 1854 Victorian wall letter box over which it sits. As one of the oldest Post Boxes in England, it was probably installed at the instigation of Anthony Trollope (himself a Wykehamist) who was at that time the Postmaster General and also writing his novel ‘The Warden’ in which the local area is strongly featured.

Many famous politicians, military figures who were at Winchester College would have used this tiny post box over the 150 years of its life. Names like Hugh Gaitskell, Field Marshall Lord Wavell, the Nawab of Pataudi and many others spring to mind.

The local Post Office has, for the last 150 years, combined with the local General Stores and Grocers’ Shops to serve the needs of the bustling local community which centres around the Cathedral and the College. Today the tradition survives and still, against all trends, the Post Office and Shop continue very much as they always have done.

Tales of the characters who have run the local Post Office and Shops abound – but I particularly like the story of a local who recalls the story of a Postmaster in the 1920’s who had his life so organised that he could sit on the lavatory, fry his breakfast and keep a beady eye on the Post Office through a wooden hatch – all at the same time.*

*From information in the room

Hidden away near to the medieval Kingsgate in Winchester a Victorian post box is mounted in a window. The post box complete with its original enameled sign is still used for regular collections of mail today.

NOTICE. LETTERS WHICH CONTAIN COIN IF POSTED AS ORDINARY LETTERS WILL BE CHARGED ON DELIVERY WITH A SPECIAL REGISTRATION FEE OF 8D

I am sure you have guessed by now that there was a long queue of people collecting their Christmas parcels, so I had rather a long wait.  Whilst waiting I noticed that I would need some form of identification and there was a long list of things that would be suitable, none of which I had with me.  The last one on the list was Trade Union Card, which rather surprisingly I don’t have.  I was hoping that my works pass would be OK but for some reason I was the only person that wasn’t asked for some form of ID.  Phew!

Also whilst waiting I noticed a very strange contraption on the ceiling and I wasn’t the only one to do so.  It had small red and green lights on it and the red one kept going on and off.  We decided it wasn’t a heater…

After all of that I only just made it to work on time but lots of people followed me in through the door, including one lady who had been in an even longer queue at the post office.

Now I am off for a meal out I wonder what is on the menu.  Just thinking about it has made me feel hungry.