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10/19/03 |
               
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What does a Letterbox look like? Well, it’s certainly not red with a slot to post letters in. It will probably be either a plastic lunch box or a pill container. There are also many old ammunition boxes still around, particularly on Dartmoor where the pastime began although these are gradually being removed. Some are even in the small plastic containers that 35mm films are sold in. Those really are hard to find! By far the most common is the pill container as most chemists give them away and they are reasonably watertight. Inside the box will
be a rubber ink stamp, a notebook, and sometimes an inking pad. The rubber
stamps are, more often than not, beautifully designed and can depict
anything and relate to as many subjects as there are on the Web! Birds,
football stars, jokes, dogs - in fact anything. It is recommended that all boxes contain the contact address or phone number of the owner in case of problems. What do I do with the rubber stamp? You use your own inkpad to ink it up and then take an impression on to some plain postcards or notebook that you bring with you. This is the copy of the stamp that you take away with you - the reward for all your efforts. You then you write your comments or details into the notebook found inside the box - and leave that behind! If you have a rubber stamp of your own (and eventually you will) you stamp that into the notebook. This allows the box owner to know who has visited the particular site, and when and by whom. Simple isn't it! Oh, and also, for those that are naturally lazy, there are an increasing number of letterboxes installed in many country pubs, particularly on Dartmoor. You will have to ask for them though. It is a gentle way of getting you into the pub to buy the beer! Don't be surprised if you get hard looks if you only take a copy of the pub stamp and clear off without buying something - although some people do of course. Don't ask when the place is heaving with visitors either! . |
This site was last updated 10/19/03