COURT GARDEN, THURLBEAR and the Inkpen Post Box Museum

Sixsmith Map 1957

Since 1992 David James has bought, restored and put on display more than 80 old post boxes, creating the largest private collection in Britain. David aged 70, said: They are an important part of our history and, of course years ago letters were the only form of communication. "I like to think of all the joy and sadness that has gone through each box". The collection is housed in the Inkpen Post Box Museum, a converted barn bearing the sign bought by David from the closed-down post office at the Berkshire village of Inkpen. As well as a collection of post boxes spanning more than a century, the museum also contains old sorting benches, mail bags, stamps and letters - including one by Prime Minister Lloyd George in 1917. Along with his wife Kate, David is a member of the International Letterbox Study Group, which last year held its annual convention at the museum. Nearly 100 of the 800 members attended from as far afield as the USA, Australia and South Africa.

David has a smallholding with plenty of buildings and space. With the postboxes came the postal history and memorabilia and he decided to open a private museum and converted one of the barns to house it. The museum also includes antique sewing machines which David began collecting over a year ago. The museum is open on a private, by appointment basis and appointments to view can be made by ringing David on 01823 286897. The photograph shows Terry Rowles' mother (93 years) on a recent visit to the museum.

Many of the smaller lamp and wall boxes are starting to disappear, reports David, because of complaints from the public that the apertures are too small to accommodate today's larger envelopes. The apereture on a Victorian lamp box is only four inches wide. The museum is presently restoring four boxes from Hongkong which were similar in design to those in the UK, bearing royal ciphers. With the return of Hongkong to the Chinese, the boxes had their ciphers removed or were taken out completely.

Material provided by Terry Rowles of Winterwell. Photographs by David James.