The idea of a POD was to show where the nearest Post Office was to a given pillar box. Over the years several different types of POD have been used. The one shown here is the rare and expensive-to-make unique address POD. This one is from Great Portland Street in London and is in a private collection in Middlesex, although the BPMA collection also contains similar items. There is just one of this type left on the British street scene - at Glasgow Central Station; signposting Buchannan St. SPO.
PODS and their cast iron supporting brackets are now officially "protected" by the Joint English Heritage / Royal Mail Policy on Street Furniture, issued in 2003 (download a PDF of this document).
PODS were, in their heyday, fitted to almost any type of box. Archive pictures show them adorning First National Standard and Vertical Aperture Fluted pillar boxes, often with special ornate brackets. In New Milton, Hampshire a POD is fitted to a concrete housing containing two wall boxes whilst in Brixham, Devon, a POD has been photographed on top of a K6 Telephone Kiosk (on one side of the domed roof, at a slightly wonky angle!). (Go to Colne Valley Postal Museum to see an image)
For a description of the basic types of POD and photographs go to the Colne Valley History Museum's page on PODs
Editor's note: Thank you very much for contributing this page and for adding to the letter boxes page, and welcome to our WikI?! If you would like to keep in touch with wiki developments and chat to other wiki users, why not join the BPMA Wiki group email? As you will see I have moved the link to your page from the Wiki main page to the Postal History page. I hope you continue to enjoy using the Wiki!
