Not Another Post Box!

Yes, I'm afraid so! I'd forgotten I'd taken this photo of the Penfold post box opposite the Cheltenham Ladies College and the poor thing missed out on being part of my series the other week. Today I right that wrong!

I really liked this photo because of the trail of red going off into the distance - the red post box, the red roadwork bollards and the red light. Sometimes things just come together.

Someone To Watch Over Me

Here in Montpellier this Penfold post box isn't in danger of being removed, what with the beady eyes of the Caryatids keeping watch. Although they haven't managed to stop the finial on the top going AWOL, but with no arms its difficult to apprehend thieves!

And now I'm leaving post boxes alone as I fear I could become a 'post box nerd'!

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Second Class

Following on from yesterdays post box post here is another. I promised you an original and complete Penfold letter box but when I uploaded the photo I spotted that part of the Royal Coat of Arms is missing! Never mind, what can you expect after standing on Douro Road for over 100 years?!

I've found out a bit more about these Penfold post boxes (one of eight in Cheltenham.) They were manufactured between 1866 and 1879 by the Cochrane Grove Company in Dudley. Obviously they differ from the normal round post boxes, what with them being hexagonal, but they also have a beaded edge and are topped with acanthus leaves.

I'm not the only person to become suddenly obsessed with post boxes, check out this news story.

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Peek-A-Boo Post Box

Or how about the title - 'Penfold Peeking'?

"Why the Penfold?" I here you ask. This hexagonal designed letter box is called a Penfold and is one of eight in Cheltenham. Apparently Cheltenham has the highest number of Victorian post boxes in the country - eight of these ones and six round ones, all with the VR insignia (Victoria Regina.) In the UK letter boxes are inscribed this way in relation to the reigning monarch at the time of installation (most now have ER on them.) This letter box on Lansdown Road used to have the finial on the top missing but it has been replaced with a replica one, tomorrows post box is the original version (yes, the start of a mini-series!)

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Little House On The Park

How about a house with one of Cheltenhams largest open spaces as a front garden? Not enough for you? How about a garden pond that just happens to be a boating lake? Still not enough? OK, how about an 18 hole golf course in your front garden? No? What's wrong with you?!

This little Victorian red brick house has all three. It faces on to Pitville Park, the boating lake and, just beyond that, the golf course! This house stands out from the crowd too. All the other surrounding houses are made up of row upon row of terraced housing, that all face away from the park. Talk about bad planning.

I'm glad to see the owners have got chairs under the front porch to take full advantage of their extra special front garden.
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Night On The Tiles

I'm glad I didn't have to grout all of those tiles! (click on the photo to enlarge it and see the detail above the door) This is The Vine on the High Street, at the corner of Grosvenor Street. The pubs tiled front looks Victorian, but its actually from much later than this. The original building was severely damaged in a fire between the first and second World Wars, so this look dates from the late 40's. Back in the 1970's the pub was known as The Coopers Arms, then in the 90's it was renamed Cactus Jacks and opened as a Western themed bar, and recently it had a name change to The Vine. I guess the owners were trying to make it a bit more modern, but its hard to achieve in a building decorated in this old fashioned way.

While looking on the internet for some of the buildings history I came across this review from when it was still Cactus Jacks. It made me laugh!

" CACTUS JACKS (near Cheltenham Model Centre!)
(Review kindly supplied by someone without a name). This has to be Cheltenham's number one underage pub where a variety of fake IDs are widely accepted, but what is so special about this place is the apparent large number of OAPs. It appears that you have to either be under-16 or over-60 to get served in here by Dave or Shirley (the resident management). Another unique aspect of this pub is Ted. No matter what time of the day it is, 7 days a week, 12 months a year, come wind, rain or sun, you can always guarantee Ted will be sat at the bar - amazing! Ted particularly likes to pass his time by looking down the low cut tops worn under the Kappa tracksuits of the underage female contingent who swell the building on Saturday nights. The pub appears to do its' best trade during School Holidays, GCSE results day is a particular bumper day for Dave and Shirley!"

Victorian Style

Cheltenham doesn't have many red brick Victorian buildings, most of the towns buildings were built in the early 1800's or at the turn of the last Century, but the ones we do have are impressive. This one sits near the end of the High Street, at the pedestrianised junction of Cambray Place. As you can see the ground floor is occupied by the Bradford & Bingley Building Society but the top three floors are home to Wedding Days bridal shop. From the coloured brick inlays to the clock and weathervane this is a stylish looking building.

If you click on the photo for a larger image you should be able to see the netting that covers the roof and most of the front of the building to protect it from pigeons and their mess!

Red Chimneys

All those chimneys and that striking architecture really caught my eye while I was out and about last week. This large and impressive red brick building looks Victorian to me but I'm not sure. All I know is its big! I don't know what its used for or by who, I don't even know what its called. What I do know is that its in Malvern Road and it may be part of the Ladies College, as its near some of their sports facilities, but I don't really know! My standards are slipping. Sorry!

Just have fun counting the chimneys...