Dear LPG,

Over the past couple of weeks, I have found an excuse to take three pictures which might be of interest.  I first saw something a little disturbing happening as I negotiated the streets near Lewisham Park.  The first time I looked and found myself doing a double take but by the third time I found myself a little concerned.   The pillar box red that we have all become used to when passing that bit of street furniture that the young don’t really use as much as us older residents, appear to be being substituted with rather anaemic looking pink ones.  

I think after the past couple of years we have all learned to become somewhat pessimistic and so I drew the conclusion that they were being earmarked for a more permanent sort of collection than the ones that they are usually used for.  

We are all being told how posting letters is becoming a thing of the past and, now that electronic mail is taking over as the written form of communication of choice, the whole situation reminded me of the disappearance of another entity that used to be so common on so many London streets.  Do you remember when our telephone boxes started to disappear? I seriously wondered if this was to be the fate of these odd, coloured pillar boxes too.   

Over the years there was no real warning of the kiosks’ departure but every now and then you would miss one and the thought that our post boxes were on the way to extinction as well was a little upsetting.

I happened to pass one that was in the middle of such a transformation recently.  It was not pink but looked worse for wear in my opinion and the workmen were busy working on it, so I asked what was going on.  

The answer was very reassuring and, if like me, you are not a fan of change, you need not worry.  The round red boxes are just getting a facelift.  The workmen I saw were busy stripping off the old paint and putting on that rather unsettling pink coloured undercoat, and sure enough my local one is now pillar box red again with a renewed layer of vigour.

So, I have learnt two things; firstly, that we don’t have to worry about the demise of the Royal Mail’s letter collections for a while yet, and secondly that it can be a very good idea to go right up there and ask questions when you see a street workman doing something unfamiliar. 

SF, Lewisham