X-Nico

13 unusual facts about Royal Mail


Barra Head

In 2008 the Barra RNLI Life Boat, Edna Windsor was featured on a series of Royal Mail stamps.

Cautese Nationál Postal Disservice

It produces parodies of Royal Mail stamps, some of which are collected by enthusiasts.

Derek Showers

He later became involved with the Cardiff City youth programme before going to work for the Royal Mail.

Election address

In UK parliamentary elections, all candidates are entitled to have one election address delivered free, by Royal Mail to every voter in their constituency.

Gary Emmanuel

After his Football League career finished, he went on to play for several non-league clubs in Wales, and had a brief spell as manager of Haverfordwest County, while working for the Post Office.

Leicester Campbell Street railway station

The offices for Royal Mail now occupy some of the site of the old station buildings on Campbell Street.

Luronium

In 2009 it featured on a first class Royal Mail stamp in the series "Endangered Plants".

Messenger bag

Some Royal Mail carriers in the United Kingdom currently use large messenger bags to deliver mail in lieu of a Postbag.

Personalised stamp

Royal Mail has permitted personalisation of labels adjoining their stamps.

Rubber band

In 2004 in the UK, following complaints from the public about postal carriers creating litter by discarding the rubber bands which they used to keep their mail together, the Royal Mail introduced red bands for their workers to use: it was hoped that, as the bands were easier to spot than the traditional brown ones and since only the Royal Mail used them, employees would see (and feel compelled to pick up) any red bands which they had inadvertently dropped.

Semi-postal

The United Kingdom's Royal Mail, a relative newcomer to semi-postals, issued its first stamp of this type in 1975 with a 4½p denomination and a premium of 1½p for charitable causes making the total cost 6p, with funds going to health and handicap charities.

Tête-bêche

This was sold in 1970, in the normal course of business, by the British Post Office and is exhibited by a member of the Royal Mail Stamp Advisory Committee.

Torphins

There are other infrequent connections on the 210, 413, and the Royal Mail PB74 postbus.


British Forces Post Office

In 2012, in collaboration with Royal Mail, the BFPO introduced UK-style postcodes, to help ordering items online, owing to problems with websites not recognising the BFPO addressing format.

General Post Office

For the more recent history of the postal system in the United Kingdom, see the article Royal Mail and Post Office Ltd.

As part of the Postal Services Act 2000, the businesses of the Post Office were transferred in 2001 to a public limited company, Consignia plc, which was quickly renamed Royal Mail Holdings plc.

The postal service was known as the Royal Mail because it was built on the distribution system for royal and government documents.

The Royal Mail (which, following its legalization, held a nominal monopoly on such delivery services) moved its headquarters to Lombard Street in the City in 1678 to better curtail such practices.

Highgate House

Successive members of the Bosworth family were licensees until 1837 when the establishment of the railways took over Royal Mail distribution around the country more effectively.

Joyce Grenfell

In 1998, the Royal Mail memorialised Grenfell with her image on a postage stamp as part of a series of stamps celebrating Heroes of Comedy.

Laurence Dunmore

He left the course before completion to work with Howard Brown working for clients such as Richard Curtis (through Faber & Faber), Goldcrest Films and the Post Office, prior to joining Pentagram Design, when Brown became a partner in 1987.

LDV Maxus

The van is being used on fleet basis by companies such as Transco, Royal Mail and various UK police services.

Marion Deuchars

Her distinguishable style has been used on stamps for the Royal Mail to commemorate the Royal Shakespeare Company’s 50th anniversary.

Porsche Panamera

In the June 2009 edition, Richard Hammond and James May were seen driving the Panamera along the A30 in Devon, Great Britain They were racing against a letter sent via Royal Mail between the Isles of Scilly and the Orkney Islands.

Stratford City

Royal Mail has allocated the postcode E20 to Stratford City and the Olympic Park.