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A Badenoch village is awaiting with trepidation the arrival of a new style postbox after decades of treasuring, maintaining and decorating theirs with local craftwork.
One of the concerned villagers, Toni Vastano, who runs Kincraig’s Old Post Office Cafe and Gallery opposite the beloved postbox, was shocked to see events unfolding: “I saw two vans arrive mid morning before going for a bike ride. When I came back I found they had shot the lovely old box up.
“I am certainly not alone in thinking this is probably the most loved and iconic postbox in the Highlands if not Scotland. It’s absolutely treasured by the local community.
“There was not a word or warning about this.”
Another villager, Ian Ash, has tended to the maintenance of the box for years with many a rich red coat of paint applied – and a little gold in the right places.
“We don’t know what’s going on,” he told the Strathy after initial upset at what might be occurring with the local landmark.
“I think we need more than an explanation,” said Mr Vastano, whose wife Ann is a much respected locl artist and has painted the postbox many times to the delight of her customers, who buy copies through the gallery and send them proudly to friends around the world.
“People are going to be very angry and upset about this,” said her husband.
The Strathy spoke with Royal Mail, who are confident that what’s planned will ultimately prove very popular. It is not the removal of the box.
“This is being upgraded to a postbox of the future,” said a spokesperson.
It transpires the new design features a solar panel, a scanner and a drawer for parcels, allowing customers to send and return small, labelled parcels through a postbox for the first time.
“Customers can of course send letters via the posting slot as normal.”
The turnaround for upgrades is several weeks as each box is individually measured, the existing door is taken off and the new door has to be transported from RM’s engineering centre in Gloucester. The boxes are wrapped to protect them from the weather or vandalism during the upgrade.
“In the meantime, residents can use another nearby postbox – they can locate these via our Services Near You page, which is signposted on a notice on the out-of-service postboxes – or hand stamped letters to their postman or woman.”
The Strathy was assured: “Our postbox of the future will offer another convenient way for our customers in Kincraig to access Royal Mail’s services, alongside home delivery and collection, our Customer Service Points, Post Office branches, lockers and Royal Mail Shops.
“We’re pleased to see positive feedback from customers in areas where the postboxes have already been introduced, and we hope that Kincraig residents will find theirs just as useful and convenient.”
Kincraig locals will be concerned at losing the ‘top’ for craft decorations.
Others have asked about the fate of Aviemore’s golden tribute to Paralympian David Smith MBE which stands alone outside the Post Office on Myrtlefield.
But the Royal Mail spokesperson told the Strathy: “We’ve not got any plans to upgrade any heritage/special postboxes, just red ERII postboxes.”
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