2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics gold post boxes explained
To commemorate British gold medal winners at the 2012 Summer Olympics and 2012 Summer Paralympics, various post boxes in the home towns of the medal winners around the United Kingdom, plus one each on Sark and the Isle of Man, were repainted gold. It marked the first occasion in modern times that the colour of post boxes in the United Kingdom had been changed from their traditional red. Originally intended to be a temporary measure, due to the positive public response it was later decided the colour change would become a permanent tribute, with boxes additionally receiving their own special plaques.
Organisers and timeline
The project was organised by Royal Mail Group Communications in-house team, Eulogy[1] and Blonde. Outside the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man Post and Guernsey Post also decided to emulate the Royal Mail scheme when athletes from their territories won gold (one each).[2] [3] The project was launched on 24 July by painting the box at Westminster Abbey, whilst the first athletes' boxes to be painted were in Lossiemouth for Heather Stanning and in Penzance for Helen Glover, to commemorate their medals in the women's coxless pair rowing.[4] [5]
While initially planning to commemorate only Olympic gold medallists, on 15 August 2012, Royal Mail confirmed that gold medallists at the 2012 London Paralympics would also be similarly recognised with boxes and stamps.[6] [7] On 19 September 2012, the Royal Mail relented to public pressure and decided to also commemorate Northern Irish Paralympians who won gold medals while competing for Ireland, reversing their position that "the stamps and gold post boxes were specifically for gold medal winning Olympian and Paralympians who competed for Team GB."[8] [9] On 2 November 2012, it was announced the boxes would retain their new colour permanently, and would also receive a plaque denoting the recipient.[10] [11]
Colour and precedent
See main article: Postbox. According to Royal Mail, the first postboxes (pillar boxes) were erected in the UK in 1853, a year after trial boxes had been erected in Jersey. They were initially painted green, to blend in with the landscape, however between 1874 and 1884 they were repainted bright red to better stand out. This has remained the standard colour, with only a few exceptions, such as blue for Air Mail in the 1930s. Also according to Royal Mail, while gold stamp schemes had been introduced before, the UK is "believed to be the first country to paint post boxes gold to celebrate Olympic and Paralympic gold medal wins".
Locations
Each gold medallist in the 2012 games had a post box painted in recognition of their achievement, usually in their home-town.[12]
Great Britain
Boxes were painted gold across Great Britain, as far north as Lossiemouth in Scotland, down to the near tip of South West England in Penzance, Cornwall. The actual site of boxes ranges greatly, from rural places such as village greens, to suburban high street locations such as Stratford-upon-Avon, to urban city centres.
Northern Ireland
Although athletes from Northern Ireland are eligible to compete for both Great Britain (Team GB and ParalympicsGB) and Ireland (Team Ireland and Paralympics Ireland), there were no GB gold medallists from Northern Ireland.
Due to the Royal Mail's decision to recognise Northern Irish medallists competing for Ireland, three Irish gold medal winning Paralympians were recognised with boxes in Eglinton (Jason Smyth), Glengormley (Michael McKillop) and Seaforde (Bethany Firth), although unlike the GB athletes, the multiple medallists (two each for Smyth and McKillop) did not receive multiple boxes.[9]
Sark (Bailiwick of Guernsey)
The formerly blue post box on the island of Sark in the Bailiwick of Guernsey was painted gold by Guernsey Post to commemorate Carl Hester's team dressage success.[3]
Isle of Man
The Isle of Man Post painted one gold box for Peter Kennaugh following success in the cycling team pursuit.[2]
Location disputes
In some cases, the locations chosen by Royal Mail for gold boxes were disputed by either the athlete or members of the public as not being appropriate, either because the athlete was more closely associated with another location, or their home town was not as closely located as another location. In some cases, the Royal Mail attributed these errors to Team GB's athlete details database. This variously led to additional boxes being awarded, and in at least one case, a gold box being repainted red.
- For cyclist Joanna Rowsell, the Royal Mail initially painted a box in Carshalton, the location of her birth, however at the request of her family this was repainted red within a few days and replaced by a gold box in nearby Cheam, where she grew up and now lives.
- For sailor Ben Ainslie, the Royal Mail initially painted a box in Restronguet Passage, Cornwall, the place he grew up and learned to sail. A member of the public then painted a box in Lymington High Street, Hampshire, gold, on the basis that Ainslie was a long time resident and considered a local "legend".[13] After initially filing a complaint, Royal Mail relented to a public campaign and decided to officially paint the Lymington box themselves.[13]
- For canoeist Tim Baillie, the Mail painted a box in his home town of Westhill, Aberdeenshire. After requests from the public, a second box was added, also in Westhill, but in a more central location.[14]
- For equestrian Peter Charles, Royal Mail painted a post box in Paper Mill Lane, Alton, Hampshire. It was soon pointed out that Charles lived in the nearby village of Bentworth (located 4 miles away), rather than the town itself and a second post box was painted accordingly.
Recipients
The majority of boxes were awarded to individual gold medalists, whether they were competing individually or as part of a team/crew. This meant that in several cases, multiple gold medal athletes received multiple boxes in various locations. The highest number awarded was four, for the quadruple gold medallists, Sarah Storey and David Weir.
In variation of the system of awarding one gold box per medal, there were variations on this theme (not counting instances of multiple boxes painted next to each other as a single site):
- Andy Murray, Ben Ainslie, Bradley Wiggins, Heather Stanning, Nick Skelton, Peter Charles and Tim Baillie all received two individual gold boxes at two separate sites, to commemorate a single gold medal.
- Charlotte Dujardin, Chris Hoy, Eleanor Simmonds, Mo Farah, Hannah Cockroft, Jason Kenny and Natasha Baker all received two individual gold boxes at two separate sites, to commemorate two gold medals.
- Laura Trott received three individual gold boxes at three separate sites to commemorate two gold medals. One was initially painted in her birth town of Harlow by mistake, rather than Cheshunt where she grew up and considers her "home town".[15]
- Pete Reed received four individual gold boxes at three separate sites to commemorate one gold medal
- Sophie Christiansen received four individual gold boxes at four separate sites to commemorate three gold medals
In one case, a box was also shared between two athletes – cyclist Craig MacLean initially received one gold box in Grantown-on-Spey, Scotland, to commemorate his single gold medal won as an able-bodied pilot in the Paralympics, while Olympic cyclist Victoria Pendleton also initially received one gold box in Stotfold, Bedfordshire, to commemorate her single gold medal. A third box was later painted in their home town Wilmslow, Cheshire, dedicated to both of them.
In certain other cases, the boxes were awarded to commemorate recipients other than individual athletes:
The Henley box was awarded to mark the over one hundred Olympic medal winning rowers who have trained at the town's Leander Club.[16]
Types and cyphers
The type of box painted encompasses the wide variety of types in use.
The ubiquitous cylindrical pillar box was represented by both the traditional Type A (narrow) and Type B (wide) versions, plus the newer Type K pillar boxes (both singular and in pairs). The modern square shaped pillar box, the Type G, was also painted (singles and pairs). Various types of wall box were also represented, both installed in buildings, and in self-contained pillars. Representing the pole mounted type were two boxes of the more traditional design (Pete Reed in Watledge Road, Nailsworth and Bethany Firth in Seaforde), as well as a single example of the modern Type M (Tim Baillie, Westhill Drive North). A single example of the rare Penfold type hexagonal pillar box was also painted, for Sophie Wells in Lincoln. The Isle of Man box represents the only Type D painted gold (the D being a Type C oval but with a stamp vending machine), In one case, Nicola Adams' box in Leeds, as well as the post box, an adjacent Franked Mail Only type box was painted.
Reflecting the age range of the boxes painted, there are also a number of different Royal Cyphers, from the then-current Queen Elizabeth II (EIIR), to the historical versions for King Edward VII (EVIIR), King George V (G R) and Queen Victoria (V R). Also represented are Scottish boxes, which simply display the Scots Crown, and also boxes with no cypher at all.
Tourist attractions
The boxes were met by a very positive public reaction and have become tourist attractions within their local areas and many people have their photos taken alongside them.[17] [18] [19] [20]
Vandalism and unofficial boxes
Several of the official gold post boxes were subsequently vandalised. These included the ones for triathlete Alistair Brownlee,[21] rower Kat Copeland,[18] swimmer Josef Craig,[22] heptathlete Jessica Ennis,[23] and tennis player Andy Murray.[18] Fans picked flecks of paint off Murray's box as souvenirs, while Ennis' box was defaced with the words "Go Jess".[18]
A number of additional post boxes were painted by members of the public to commemorate silver and bronze medallists:
The awarding of an additional box for Ben Ainslie in Lymington was precipitated by an episode of vandalism which saw the perpetrator arrested.[28]
After Lizzy Yarnold's win in the Women's Skeleton during the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, vandals crudely painted a post box gold in her hometown of Sevenoaks, Kent. Despite an online petition attracting 43,000 signatures, Royal Mail rejected demands for an official gold post box to be decorated, declaring that the 2012 Summer Olympics were a 'unique occasion'.[29]
Two unofficial postboxes were positioned outside Home Park, Plymouth; one gold for Lithuanian swimmer Rūta Meilutytė, who is based in the city, and one bronze for diver Tom Daley.[30]
Two unofficial boxes appeared in Posso and Kirkton Manor, both near Peebles in the Scottish borders, which also had its own official box in honour of Scott Brash and one at Stoke in Hayling Island, in honour of 2020 Olympian Eilidh McIntyre.
In addition to the gold post box on Sark for Carl Hester, in 2020 Guernsey Post painted one of their (normally blue) post boxes gold in recognition of Percy Hodge who won a gold medal at the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp.[31]
List of gold postboxes
Olympian boxes
| Athlete | Event(s) | Town/City | Address | Coordinates |
|---|
| Boxing – Women's flyweight | Leeds | Cookridge Street | |
| Sailing – Men's Finn | Restronguet
Lymington | Pandora Inn
High Street, Lymington[32] |
50.7589°N -1.5388°W |
| Canoeing – Men's slalom C-2 | Westhill
Westhill | Westhill Drive North
Westhill Drive South |
|
| Equestrian – Team dressage | Ampney St Peter | High Street | |
| Equestrian – Team jumping | Peebles | 41 High Street | |
| Men's triathlon | Horsforth | Craghill Post Office, 77 New Road Side, Horsforth, Leeds LS18 4QD | |
| Cycling – Men's team pursuit | Colne | Albert Road/Crabtree Street | |
| Boxing – Men's bantamweight | Hull | Hessle Road | |
| Equestrian – Team jumping | Alton
Bentworth | Paper Mill Lane
Holt End Lane |
51.1565°N -1.0516°W |
| Cycling – Men's team pursuit | Huddersfield | Railway Street | |
| Rowing – Women's lightweight double sculls | Ingleby Barwick | Apsley Way | |
| Equestrian – Team dressage
Equestrian – Individual dressage | Enfield Town
Newent | Southbury Road
Church Street |
|
| Athletics – Women's heptathlon | Sheffield | Sheffield City Hall | |
| Athletics – Men's 10,000 metres
Athletics – Men's 5000 metres | Isleworth
Teddington | Isleworth Post Office, London Road
Broad Street/North Lane |
|
| GB Cycling | Cycling – British Cycling HQ | Manchester | Piccadilly Gardens[33] | 53.4814°N -2.2369°W |
| Rowing – Women's coxless pair | Penzance | Quay Street, TR18 4BD | 50.1161°N -5.531°W |
| Rowing – Women's double sculls | Aberdeen | Castle Street | |
| Rowing – Men's coxless four | Cheltenham | High Street | |
| Henley-on-Thames Rowers | Rowing – Leander Club | Henley-on-Thames | Hart Street | |
| Equestrian – Team dressage | Sark, Guernsey | The Avenue | |
| Cycling – Men's team sprint | Manchester | Albert Square/Lloyd Street | |
| Rowing – Women's lightweight double sculls | Wimbledon | Worple Road | |
| Cycling – Men's keirin
Cycling – Men's team sprint | Edinburgh | Hanover Street/Princes Street
Hunter Square |
|
| Rowing – Men's coxless four | Wrexham | Town Hill Post Office | |
| Taekwondo – Women's 57 kg | Flint | Church Street | |
| Boxing – Men's super heavyweight | Watford | High Street | |
| Cycling – Men's team pursuit | Onchan, Isle of Man | Main Road/Kelvin Road | |
| Cycling – Men's team sprint
Cycling – Men's individual sprint | Bolton | Deansgate
Churchgate |
|
| Cycling – Women's team pursuit | Hamble-le-Rice | High Street | |
| Equestrian – Team jumping | Elsenham | Robin Hood Road[34] | |
| Canoeing – Men's K-1 200 metres | Bradford on Avon | The Shambles | |
| Tennis – Men's singles | Dunblane
Wimbledon | High Street
Church Road |
|
| 2012 Summer Olympics | Stratford | Post Office, Broadway[35] [36] | |
| Cycling – Women's keirin | Stotfold
Wilmslow | Brook Street
Alderley Road[37] |
|
| Rowing – Men's coxless four | Chiswick
Nailsworth
Nailsworth | Heathfield Terrace, Chiswick
Old Market, Nailsworth
Watledge Road, Nailsworth http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yatesfield,_Watledge_Road,_Nailsworth,_Gloucestershire.jpg |
|
| Cycling – Women's team pursuit | Cheam[38]
Carshalton[39] | Ewell Road
Carshalton Road/Cambridge Road
(Box repainted red on request by
family for gold box in Cheam) |
|
| Athletics – Men's long jump | Milton Keynes | Silbury Boulevard | 52.0444°N -0.7571°W |
| Equestrian – Team jumping | Alcester
Bedworth | High Street
High Street[40] |
|
| Rowing – Women's coxless pair | Lossiemouth | Clifton Road West, IV31 6DP[41] | 57.7202°N -3.2809°W |
| Canoeing – Men's double canoe slalom | Bedford | St Paul's Square MK40 1SQ | |
| Cycling – Men's team pursuit | Cardiff | Castle Street | |
| Rowing – Men's coxless four | Hebden | Main Street | |
| Cycling – Women's team pursuit
Cycling – Women's omnium | Cheshunt
Cheshunt
Harlow | College Road
Cadmore Lane
Post Office Road |
|
| Rowing – Women's double sculls | Leek | Derby Street | |
| Cycling – Men's road time trial | Eccleston
Chorley | Carrington Centre
Chorley Centre, Market Street |
|
| Westminster Abbey | Project launch | Westminster Abbey[42] | Tothill Street | 51.4996°N -0.1298°W |
| Shooting – Men's double trap | Sherborne | Cheap Street | 50.9486°N -2.5162°W |
|
Paralympian boxes
- Key
Notes and References
- News: Case Study: Royal Mail. 18 March 2016. August 2012. Eulogy!.
- Web site: Peter Kennaugh Olympic win marked with gold postbox . 8 August 2012 . 25 August 2012. BBC News.
- Web site: Gold postbox honours Sark's Carl Hester Olympic dressage win . 9 August 2012 . 25 August 2012 . BBC News.
- News: Olympics win: Gold post box honours Heather Stanning. 24 August 2012. 2 August 2012. BBC News.
- News: Penzance post box painted gold for Olympian Helen Glover. 24 August 2012. 2 August 2012. BBC News.
- News: Silverman. Rosa. Royal Mail says Paralympic gold medallists will get individual stamps after all. 24 August 2012. The Telegraph. 15 August 2012.
- News: Diaz. Alex. Paralympic Games British gold medal winners to be celebrated with first class stamps. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/paralympic-games-british-gold-medal-winners-to-be-celebrated-with-first-class-stamps-8052615.html . 1 May 2022 . subscription. 24 August 2012. The Independent. 16 August 2012.
- News: Eglinton Paralympian Smyth misses out on gold post box. 19 September 2012. 11 September 2012. BBC News.
- News: Gold post boxes for NI Paralympian heroes. 19 September 2012. 13 September 2012. BBC News.
- Web site: Golden postboxes to keep their sheen to honour British athletes. BBC News. 2 November 2012. 2 November 2012.
- News: Olympics 2012: Royal Mail unveils special stamps to celebrate GB gold medal winners. Birmingham Mail. 2 August 2012.
- Web site: Royal Mail goes Gold this summer. Royal Mail. 24 August 2012. 24 July 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120818043345/http://www.royalmailgroup.com/royal-mail-goes-gold-summer. 18 August 2012. dead. dmy-all.
- News: Ben Ainslie post box: Royal Mail U-turn in Lymington. 24 August 2012. 16 August 2012. BBC News.
- News: Olympic canoeist Tim Baillie gets second gold post box in Westhill. 24 August 2012. 24 August 2012. BBC News.
- News: 8 August 2012 . Laura Trott golden postbox painted in Harlow by mistake . . 9 July 2023 .
- News: Henley-on-Thames rowers get gold post box. 24 August 2012. 17 August 2012. BBC News.
- News: Jones. Jonathan. How Olympic gold gave Britain a fresh coat of patriotism. 10 September 2012. The Guardian. 14 August 2012.
- News: Andy Murray and Kat Copeland's gold post boxes damaged. 24 August 2012. The Telegraph. 9 August 2012. Press Association.
- News: Hendry. Arron. Gold post box in Lymington now officially in Ainslee's honour. 10 September 2012. Bournemouth Daily Echo. 22 August 2012.
- News: Adams. India. Gold Post Box in Jarrow For Teenage Paralympic Hero Josef Craig. 10 September 2012. 8 September 2012. Sky News. https://web.archive.org/web/20120913004407/http://tyneandwear.sky.com/news/article/38670. 13 September 2012. dead. dmy-all.
- News: Alistair Brownlee golden post box vandalised in Leeds. 24 August 2012. 22 August 2012. BBC News.
- News: Hutchinson. Lisa. Josef Craig's gold postbox in Jarrow is vandalised. 19 September 2012. Evening Chronicle. 13 September 2012.
- News: Jessica's gold post box vandalised. 24 August 2012. The Belfast Telegraph. 8 August 2012.
- Web site: Silver postbox turns red again. thisisdorset.co.uk. 25 August 2012.
- News: Doddington postbox painted bronze for hockey team win. 27 August 2012. 13 August 2012. The Lincolnite.
- News: Doddington post box painted bronze by hockey fans. 24 August 2012. 12 August 2012. BBC News.
- News: Anthony Ogogo gets bronze post box in Lowestoft. 15 August 2012. BBC News. 24 August 2012.
- News: Topping. Alexandra. Royal Mail's Olympic post box-painting inspires public copycat campaign. 24 August 2012. The Guardian. 15 August 2012.
- Web site: Vandals paint Lizzy Yarnold's postbox GOLD after Royal Mail denied pleas to recognise Sochi winner. Paul. Gorst. Daily Mirror. 20 February 2014.
- Web site: Postboxes painted for medallists. 27 September 2012. BBC.
- Web site: Guernsey Post commemorates 100th Anniversary of Olympic Gold Medal winner.
- Web site: Ben Ainslie: Lymington gold post box painter arrested . BBC News . 11 August 2012 . 25 August 2012.
- Web site: Manchester City Council news. Manchester City. Council. Government of the United Kingdom.
- Web site: Golden Post Box in Elsenham for Ben Maher - Alan Dean. Via. Studios. alandean.mycouncillor.org.uk. 7 August 2012.
- Web site: London. London.
- Web site: Olympic postboxes to remain gold. 2 November 2012. BBC.
- Web site: Golden goodwill continues.
- Web site: Second golden post box for Olympic champ Joanna Rowsell. Your Local Guardian.
- Web site: Post box marks birthplace of Olympic cyclist. Your Local Guardian.
- News: Second gold post box for Nick Skelton in Bedworth. 21 August 2012. BBC News. 24 August 2012.
- Web site: Gold Postbox Finder. Royal Mail. 8 September 2012.
- News: Where can I find Royal Mail's gold post boxes in London?. John. O'Ceallaigh. The Telegraph. 22 March 2018. The Daily Telegraph.
