Tour company Quest Experiences has carefully cleaned and repainted Anguilla’s red Royal Mail post boxes in Sandy Ground and West End.
The restoration acknowledges Anguilla’s colonial past and forms part of wider efforts to preserve the island’s historical landmarks.
Manager Clemvio Hodge told Anguilla Focus that the island was a British colony from 1650 until 1980, and during that time relied on a Royal Mail service to send and receive letters.
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“In order for persons to communicate with their families across the world, they would use the postboxes to leave their mail,” he said.
“The postman would have made his way to them on a regular schedule to collect the mail. It was then shipped from Anguilla primarily by sailboat.”
As part of efforts to preserve that history, Hodge said his team cleared overgrowth and debris, removed old paint and rust, and repainted the post boxes red to match those in the United Kingdom.
The whole process took about three hours, he said, with the lettering on the post boxes added during a follow-up visit to the sites.
The efforts are part of a wider series of cultural heritage initiatives that Quest Experiences plans to undertake to protect and celebrate the stories that make Anguilla unique.
Another one is the Adventure Map at the viewpoint on Back Street in South Hill which provides suggestions for places people can visit on self-guided tours.
“We are always open to suggestions for other areas of interest. We are working closely with the Ministry of Tourism for the reopening of the Wallblake House for regular tours,” Hodge added.
Anguilla Focus is currently running a competition in partnership with Quest Experiences, with a prize of a pass for two for its historical walking tour.
All paid members of Anguilla Focus are automatically entered into the draw. Click here to become a member from just $3 a month.
