2009

SY6890 : Dorchester: postboxes № DT1 2000 and DT1 511, Bridport Road

taken 15 years ago, near to Dorchester, Dorset, England

Dorchester: postboxes № DT1 2000 and DT1 511, Bridport Road
Dorchester: postboxes № DT1 2000 and DT1 511, Bridport Road
These two postboxes stand outside the SY6890 : Dorchester: Royal Mail delivery office, Bridport Road.

The one on the left, an example of the shortlived 'Type G' design of the very early 1980s, is for stamped items and is numbered 2000 (the ID number of many main boxes at sorting offices bears the suffix 2000). It is emptied finally at 6:30pm on weekdays and at 1pm on Saturdays.

Its compatriot is a modern box for franked mail, which is emptied finally at 6:30pm on weekdays, whereupon it will be locked shut until the following morning (or, on Fridays, till the following Monday).
Business postbox for franked mail

The distinctive business postbox for franked mail was introduced in the mid-1990s. Before the advent of such boxes, franked mail could not be posted in a letter box and thus had to be handed in at a post or sorting office unless the business had a visit from the postman. (The reason for this is that ordinary stamped mail would be sent to the sorting office and postmarked, whereas franked mail is already dated by the sender's franking machine.)

Because it is designed for business mail, it is found usually in business parks and industrial estates or in areas of town which are heavily occupied by businesses – and has relatively late final collection times.

It is opened by pulling down the black handle on the sliding opening, and when the final collection of the day is made it will be locked shut and reopened the next weekday morning (including Saturday if the box has a Saturday collection). This is because, as franked mail is dated by the customer rather than at the sorting office, it must be posted on the same day as the date indicated on the franked impression. By accepting later items which would not be collected till the following day, it would give the false impression that Royal Mail had taken a day longer to deliver the item.


Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Chris Downer and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Category: Postbox
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SY6890, 428 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
Chris Downer   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Saturday, 29 August, 2009   (more nearby)
Submitted
Monday, 7 September, 2009
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SY 687 906 [100m precision]
WGS84: 50:42.8942N 2:26.6482W
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! SY 687 906
View Direction
North-northeast (about 22 degrees)
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Image classification(about): Supplemental image
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