Our lead picture this month, of seasonal holly and berries, once again taken by Alan Wheeler.
Please find below additional items and photos mentioned in our December 2021 Newsletter.
Windsor u3a members registered on this web site can log in to view the full Newsletter here (as e-mailed at beginning of the month).
Explore London 1 group visit Postal Museum
We are grateful to Peter and Lynne King for their photos and text from the very interesting Explore London trip to the Postal Museum.
Giant mural based on an iconic image of a postman out on delivery greets visitors.
The main entrance of the postal museum on Phoenix Place.
A montage of post boxes set in a living wall outside the museum.
The group, suitably masked up, prepare for the journey down to the Mail Rail hub.
The train is quite cramp and runs on a narrow gauge of just 2 feet.
The trains run in a single tunnel, 9 feet in diameter.
Back in the museum, an array of post boxes through the ages from the very ornate Victoria, a green one and the very rare Edward Vlll box, together with a equally rare book of Edward Vlll stamps. It cost one old penny to post a letter then.
Early methods of delivering the post.
Victoria Cross and other medals awarded to Sgt Alfred Knight, an Engineer in the Post Office Rifles during the First World War for his bravery at Ypres, 1917. He is the only Post Office Rifle to have received such a high decoration. I was assured by the manager that the VC was the original and not a replica. VCs sold at auction recently have achieved between £250,000 and £420,000 so I hope it is suitably insured (not that you could replace it of course).
The Windsor connection – the world’s first airline service took off from near the Long Walk. There’s a commemorative plaque on the Long Walk.
And no visit could be complete without the Gift Shop.
Finally, a view from the 38 bus in New Oxford Street of James Smith’s famous umbrella shop established in 1830.
Members Gallery
Jane Brett took some autumn shots and provides an update on the crochet, this month commemorating Remembrance Sunday.
Sally Woodhead’s photos (below) from a trip to Windsor Great Park displaying plenty of autumnal colour on the 14th November.
Frank Tarrant’s garden still had some blooms to show on the 15th.
On the 20th, Dave Humphries visited Windsor Great Park Illuminated for an enjoyable evening.
Rosemary Deem shared pictures from her walk in Windsor Great Park on the sunny 28th.
On the same day, Alan Wheeler was out taking shots of the Parakeets and Cormorants along the Jubilee River. They are followed by some backlit leaves and seasonal holly.
