Postbox gets Charles Darwin stamp of approval
A stamp of Shropshire's most famous son has been unveiled on a postbox in his home town.
The plaque, which is fixed to the postbox outside Shrewsbury Library – where Charles Darwin attended as a schoolboy – was unveiled to mark the 50th anniversary of Royal Mail's much-loved modern Special Stamps programme.
Fifty special stamp plaques have been installed on postboxes across the UK. Each plaque features one of the most popular stamps that has a special connection with the UK city, town or village, in which it is located.
The stamp of Charles Darwin was issued in 1982 to mark the centenary of his death. Over the past 50 years, Charles Darwin and his work has appeared on 16 stamps, making him the fourth most featured individual on Special Stamps.
Other stamps on postboxes include Winston Churchill, Bagpuss, Dylan Thomas, Robert Burns, the Giant's Causeway, York Minster and Sherlock Holmes. It is hoped that it will attract attention and admiration from locals and tourists alike.
Present at the unveiling was president of Shropshire Wildlife Trust, Lady Veronica Cossons. She said: "We are delighted that Royal Mail has chosen this unique way to celebrate Darwin's achievements through a special stamp on a local postbox. It gives the local community an opportunity to mark the successes of the town's most famous son."
Royal Mail delivery director Estelle Baillie added: "The UK's towns and cities have influenced stamp designs over the past 50 years. We are proud that one of our postboxes in Shrewsbury features the stamp of Charles Darwin. We hope our customers and visitors enjoy this special stamp plaque and might even take their own photograph as a memento."
