ROYAL MAIL GROUP LIMITED

Annual Report presented to Parliament pursuant to Section 12 of the Postal Services Act 2011

Annual Report on Postal Heritage 2016-2017

Annual Reporton Postal Heritage2016-17

Royal Mail Group Limited

Annual Report presented to Parliament pursuant to

Section 12 of the Postal Services Act 2011

ContentsThe Chairman’s foreword

1. Introduction

2. Our Aims – Progress

3. The New Postal Museum & Mail Rail

4. How The Postal Museum supports Royal Mail Group & Post Office Limited

5. The Postal Museum Activities

6. Royal Mail Special Stamps

7. Royal Mail 500

8. 2017-18 Watch This Space

For the purpose of brevity, in this report, the following abbreviations may be applied:

• Royal Mail Group – RMG

• Post Office Limited – POL

• The Postal Museum – TPM

Foreword by Peter LongThis is the sixth annual report to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy on The Postal Museum, (formerly known as the British Postal Museum and Archive), prepared in consultation with Post Office Limited (POL).

In 1516 Henry VIII established a “Master of the Posts”, a position which evolved into the office of the Postmaster General and the beginning of the Royal Mail public service that we know today. For the first 100 years or so the mail service was only available to the Royal Household and the Court. Since then the postal network has developed and now connects people, and organisations, worldwide. In 2016 we celebrated the five hundredth anniversary of a first class universal postal service that we are extremely proud of.

Royal Mail Group (RMG), POL and The Postal Museum (TPM) marked this important anniversary with various events including a 500th anniversary reception attended by HRH Prince Charles and HRH The Duchess of Cornwall. Other events included the re-enactment of historic mail routes, an online production of a gallery of 500 memorable objects, people and events spanning the last 500 years and the release of the Royal Mail 500 Special stamps. Her Majesty The Queen visited the Windsor delivery office on the eve of her 90th birthday and re-named it The Queen Elizabeth Delivery Office.

This year has also seen huge progress in the development of TPM and Mail Rail. This brand new London attraction will transport visitors back in time through interactive exhibitions and an immersive, miniature subterranean railway ride.

It has been an extremely busy year for RMG, POL and TPM and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who have contributed and supported the continued hard work and efforts in making 2016 a very successful year. I am looking forward to what the coming year brings.

Peter LongChairman, Royal Mail GroupApril 2017

Peter Long,Chairman of Royal Mail Group

The Postal Museum

IntroductionTPM is the public identity of the Postal Heritage Trust, established in 2004 to manage the public records of the Royal Mail and Post Office Archive and to develop access to the former National Postal Museum’s collections. TPM is an independent educational charity that relies on charitable donations in addition to commercial income and sponsorship. It is supported on a long-term basis by RMG and POL with agreements for 25 years of financial support.

Section 12 of the Postal Services Act 2011 (PSA) provides that RMG, after consultation with POL, is obliged to report annually to the Secretary of State on their commitment to the maintenance and preservation of their heritage. The Secretary of State is required to lay a copy of this report before Parliament. This provision was included in the PSA to ensure transparency about postal heritage activity following the structural changes enabled by the PSA.

The main focus during 2016/17 has been on the 500th anniversary of the postal service and on the opening of TPM and Mail Rail.

In 1516, Henry VIII knighted Brian Tuke, the first Master of the Post who went on to establish key post towns across the United Kingdom and build a formal postal network. That network has grown to become what is now known as Royal Mail Group. Since its original creation the postal service has lived with 21 monarchs, two World Wars and employed hundreds of thousands of people.

Although RMG and POL separated in 2012 and RMG has now been privatised, they are both still committed to the maintenance and preservation of Britain’s Universal Postal Service and its heritage.

Last year also saw a lot of progress on the new Postal Museum and Mail Rail attraction to ensure that they open in 2017. TPM is the new home for the objects, galleries and events that tell the story of our iconic postal heritage, whilst Mail Rail provides the opportunity for visitors to journey back in time on a specially made train through the original tunnels and station platforms under Mount Pleasant.

This report looks at how the postal service was celebrated over the last year. It covers some of the work that RMG, POL and the TPM have undertaken to preserve Britain’s postal heritage from 1 April 2016 to 31 March 2017 and provides a progress update on the new Postal Museum.

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Head of Collections Chris Taft and Post Office Fellowship of Remembrance Company Secretary Simon Kelly looking at the Post Office Book of Remembrance

Brian Tuke, the first Master of the Posts

Anthony Trollope, the “grandfather” of the post box

Our Aims – progressOur aims were defined in the 2011-12 report and remain as follows:1. We, the Royal Mail and Post Office

Limited, will work together with the aim of ensuring the long term sustainability and viability of The Postal Museum and Mail Rail.

• RMG and POL have continued to support TPM financially due to their commitment to a long-term financial agreement completed in 2013. In 2014, a 25-year lease was agreed with RMG, who are the legal owners of Mail Rail which was the Post Office Underground Rail until it was closed down over a decade ago. This allowed TPM to take over the section of network that lies under Mount Pleasant.

2. We will work with TPM towards sustaining our postal heritage for the nation.

• RMG and POL continue to provide support, advice and guidance through effective partnership working to ensure that TPM achieves its full potential and maximum effect in safeguarding and providing access to Britain’s iconic postal history.

3. We will seek to ensure that our heritage is cared for and managed, for the nation, by qualified professionals.

• RMG, POL and TPM staff are qualified and experienced professionals who continue to work in partnership to ensure that records forming Britain’s postal heritage are identified, protected and preserved throughout their life cycle.

4. We will work hard to meet the relevant standards and best practice.

• The RMG Senior Records And Information Governance Manager works extremely closely with TPM to ensure that RMG and TPM comply with all relevant standards and best practice.

5. We will comply with our obligations under law.

• Although RMG is no longer a public organisation, it continues to preserve its historical records. POL remains a public body. RMG, POL and TPM aim to comply with all applicable legislation, standards and regulations.

6. We will strive to make our collections accessible to the widest possible audience using both physical and electronic means.

• 2016 was a particularly busy year for everyone with the forthcoming opening of the new postal museum and Mail Rail attraction. TPM and Mail Rail have been designed for individuals to enjoy through both physical displays and activities and digital technology, so there is something for everyone.

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2016 proved a particularly busy year for The Postal Museum

The Postal Museum and Mail Rail both offer physical displays, activities and digital technology

The Postal Museum was honoured to open the London Stock Exchange in November 2016

The new Postal Museum& Mail RailThe Postal Museum The Postal Museum has its origins in the early 20th century. Building on very humble beginnings in the basements of the General Post Office (GPO) headquarters, Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II officially opened the National Postal Museum in the City of London in 1969. Built partly to house an award-winning collection of British Victorian stamps - donated by Reginald Phillips in 1965 – the museum provided public access to its collections like never before.

In 1998, almost 30 years later, the museum was forced to close its doors for the final time following the sale of the museum building. Its smaller objects and staff were moved to the less glamorous surroundings of Freeling House at Mount Pleasant – the home of the archive since 1992 – with larger objects put into storage away from Central London.

In 2004, a newly formed independent charity, the Postal Heritage Trust, publicly known as the British Postal Museum and Archive (BPMA), took over the management of Royal Mail’s heritage. BPMA not only became the home of postal heritage but it also assumed responsibility for maintaining and promoting the history of the postal service.

In summer 2017, a brand new Postal Museum opens its doors to the public and will include five interactive zones that visitors can use to explore the history of the postal service over the last 500 years.

Mail Rail The underground Mail Rail system first opened on 5 December 1927 because the congestion and fog in London was delaying the delivery of mail. It provided the link between six sorting offices and mainline train stations connecting East and West London and transported four million letters and parcels every day for over 75 years until it closed in 2003. It became an essential part of London Underground and at its peak the service operated for 22 hours a day and employed more than 220 staff.

The trains are much smaller than those on London’s passenger underground but the stations look very much the same with grand circular walls. The tunnels were used during the First World War to store and protect art treasures belonging to the National Portrait Gallery and the Tate Gallery as well as the Rosetta Stone.

There were various changes to the trains and stations over the years and its name was changed to Mail Rail in 1987 to mark its 60th anniversary. In 2003, due to declining use and closure of above ground offices the system was deemed to be un-economical and closed down.

From September 2017, visitors will be able to board one of two miniature trains and be transported back in time, descending into the stalactite-filled miniature tunnels of Mail Rail. The trains have been adapted from the original design to accommodate visitors who will embark on a 20-minute round trip 21 metres underground, stopping to watch projections illustrating the story of Mail Rail.

3Mail Rail at The Postal Museum

After a huge programme of work the new Mail Rail will open for business in September 2017

How The Postal Museum supports Royal Mail Group and Post Office Limited with Legal Compliance and Corporate Social ResponsibilityTPM has Archive Service Agreements in place with both RMG and POL which ensures that they continue to provide the advice and assistance for the management of the postal heritage archives.

It is committed to a five-year programme of learning and outreach activity, to be undertaken both in advance of the opening of the new Postal Museum and in the immediate years post opening.

During 2016 TPM staff and volunteers have been extremely busy preparing for the move to the new Postal Museum and Archive whilst still providing a service to RMG and POL. In preparation for the move staff completed an audit of the archive, mapped current items onto the new shelves, packed up reference material for the new Discovery Room and a host of other important tasks. To ensure the continuing engagement with existing users of the archive, staff created and implemented a communications strategy to keep them informed of events and the potential impact on their activities.

To ensure that TPM complies with its legal and corporate social responsibilities new operating procedures, policies and guidance documents were created in readiness for opening its doors to the public.

Raising the ProfileDuring 2016, RMG and POL have both supported TPM with various activities to raise the profile and increase engagement, fundraising, commercial activity and public programming.

TPM was invited to a once-in-a-decade global philatelic exhibition held in New York in May 2016. TPM exhibited two items which had never left the United Kingdom before – the original sheets of Penny Black and Twopenny Blue stamps. Fundraising, marketing and curatorial staff attended the week-long show, to meet with high profile prospective funders, and raise the international awareness of TPM’s opening.

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RMG and POL are committed to helping TPM deliver a five-year learning and outreach programme

The Postal Museum was invited to exhibit two items at a special event in New York in May 2016

FundraisingTPM has continued to secure financial support from RMG, POL and a diverse range of funders including trusts, foundations, companies and individuals through networking at public events and engaging with the media. During 2016 the Trustees of the Friends of TPM decided to close the Friends as an independent charity. Plans were made to launch a special membership scheme for former Friends of TPM in May 2017, which Friends were encouraged to join at their final AGM in December 2016.

TPM secured a £63,000 grant from the John Lyon’s Charity for a three-year project to develop and deliver a Jolly Postman Learning Programme – based on the book of the same name by author Allan Ahlberg – for Key Stage One and Early Year Foundation Stage pupils in nine London boroughs. It also secured £75,000 from the Fidelity UK Foundation to support TPM’s new ticketing system when it opens.

TPM launched a public fundraising product – Sponsor A Sleeper – in 2016. Buying the product allows sponsors to affix a plaque, engraved with a name of their choice to a railway sleeper in Mail Rail as well as enjoy a tour of the tunnels on foot with a friend. By April 2017, more than 280 Mail Rail sleepers had been sponsored, raising over £70,000 for the museum. To sponsor a sleeper visit www.sponsorasleeper.org.

The Postal Museum’s Sponsor a Sleeper campaign raised over £70,000

A successful pre-opening party saw early sponsors invited to London’s newest attraction

A selection of stamps scanned for Royal Mail

The Postal Museum Activity PlanAccess and LearningUpon opening its doors in summer 2017, TPM aims to reach 10,000 schoolchildren a year through both onsite engagement and outreach activities. Throughout 2016 TPM actively promoted its schools programmes at teacher networking events and educational conferences. These included the Historical Awareness Primary History conference, attended by 300 teachers from across the UK. It also marketed the programmes in educational publications including Teach Primary and Teachers’ Post – RMG’s educational resource website. TPM will continue to provide updates for Teachers’ Post during 2017 to help promote the learning programme after the new museum opens.

During 2016, TPM’s Schools Learning Manager focused on raising TPM’s profile with schools. This included:• Trialling and testing workshops, science

shows and storytelling sessions in primary and secondary schools across London.

• Developing new learning programmes including Cracking Code Breakers, a science and computing workshop for KS2, jointly funded by RMG, the John Cass Foundation and Heritage Lottery Fund.

• Promoting existing online learning resources, including two funded by RMG.

• Consulting with teachers and specialist educational partners to ensure TPM’s learning offer is high quality, can be tailored for different key stages, and individual learning needs.

• Marketing its schools programmes in publications including Teachers’ Post to raise the profile of the museum with teachers.

Online resources included teachers’ notes, student activities, games and film clips to support museum visits and provide access to TPM’s collections for teachers across the UK. Figures showed that Last Post, a First World War resource, was downloaded over 1,000 times and Pop It In The Post, a KS1 and KS2 history resource, over 3,000 times across TPM and Times Educational Supplement websites.

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Trial outreach sessions have reached 7,800 pupils across London.

TPM has developed and actively promoted a host of new learning programmes

Trialling Schools ProgrammesIn 2016 TPM trialled Outreach sessions in primary and secondary schools across London and reached over 7,800 pupils.

Trial sessions included the Mail Rail Science Show, Last Post: Postal Service in the First World War and Pop it in the Post. These interactive sessions encouraged learners to get hands-on with original objects, take part in role play, investigate new ideas or overcome a challenge. Teacher feedback gathered through focus groups and evaluation forms is essential to help develop such learning programmes. 99% of the teachers rated the trial learning programmes as Very Good, and 100% said that they would be interested in booking a visit to The Postal Museum.

“Mail Rail Science Show is eye-opening. Shedding light on an otherwise hidden part of London’s history” Science Specialist Teacher, St Aloysius Junior School, London

Community LearningTPM works with a number of community groups to engage hard to reach audiences and support their first steps back into employment or learning. Over the course of 2016-17 this included the Flower Press Project – women who are survivors of trafficking – and the Hopscotch Project – aimed at improving the social and language skills of Bengali women in London

The Community Learning Officer delivered the second phase of the Hopscotch project in collaboration with the Hopscotch Centre for Asian Women and Poppy Szaybo (a freelance arts practitioner). During the project, they engaged with a group of 12 Bengali ladies; exploring the stories of individuals who have

impacted the postal system. They investigated paintings and objects from the collection, at their request. They also enjoyed a visit to the Houses of Parliament to learn more about the Women’s Suffrage Movement and a trip to the British Museum to find out about Asian art. Evaluation showed that the women’s knowledge of British history and culture was expanded (an outcome the group indicated they wanted to achieve). Their English literacy improved, and their confidence and self-esteem was enhanced.

“I have never been to anything like this class before. I now want to go to museums. I was in a depression but now I feel so much happier. I now feel confident to talk to people.”Ayesha (participant)

“I came here and now I have improved my English; it is better and I feel more confident. I feel well and happy when I’m in the class, it is good for my wellbeing.”Rajia (participant)

The third phase of the Flower Press (formerly Amies) project, in collaboration with artist Ella Phillips, was also delivered. Eight new women joined the group (as well as 5 of the original members), Several of the group had left as they found employment. We explored the collection to stimulate conversation on how the women want to engage with us in the future, what their expectations were and how it made them feel. The women also learned how to make paper. Their resulting designs were a response to the discussions mentioned above. These designs will be displayed in Writing Home, the launch temporary exhibition at The Postal Museum.

Designs created by members of the Flower Press project will be displayed at The Postal Museum

New intreractive sessions encourage learners to play, investigate and overcome challenges

Case Study: Cracking Code BreakersIn 2016 RMG jointly funded Cracking Code Breakers, a cross-curricular Science Technology Engineering and Maths (STEM) learning programme developed for Key Stage Two primary pupils (7-11 year olds). It includes an interactive workshop for London schools, and a digital game and online learning resource for schools across the UK to use in their classroom. Cracking Code Breakers reveals the lesser-known Second World War story of GPO engineer Tommy Flowers, Dollis Hill Post Office Research Station and Colossus, the code breaking machine he invented that broke an important Nazi code and had a vital role in the D-day landings.

The Cracking Code Breakers workshop was trialled in ten London primary schools and will be launched in Spring 2017. Teacher feedback has been overwhelmingly positive:

“Inspirational! Both for pupils and myself. We saw how technical problems can be overcome with just the minimum of equipment.”

Computing Specialist Teacher, Newington Green Primary school.

“Last Post teaches pupils about a little-known aspect of the war, the important role the postal workers had in maintaining morale both at home and on the front.”KS3 Teacher, Campbell College, Belfast

Case Study: Museums on PrescriptionAt the beginning of 2017 TPM delivered a new project called Museums on Prescription in partnership with UCL and local artist Susie Foster. Museums on Prescription is a three-year research project investigating the

value of heritage experiences on those who are deemed socially isolated by health professionals. The aim was to engage with a group of over 65s in a museum environment who are at risk of social isolation.

The theme of the project was ‘behind the scenes’. A range of participatory activities were planned which revealed the design and build of TPM, for example, a tour of the archive, a talk on the exhibition development, and shrink plastic jewellery inspired by the collection. Throughout the project TPM staff saw high levels of engagement and repeat attendance. Conversations with the group also showed that some of the participants felt in better health through taking part.

“This is one of the best projects I’ve done. It’s the subject matter, it’s so interesting. We’re all connected to the post.” Lydia (participant)

Cracking Code Breakers is a learning programme developed for Key Stage Two pupils

Teacher feedback on the Cracking Code Breakers workshop has been overwhelmingly positive

Museums on Prescription is a new three-year project aiming to engage the over 65s

Royal Mail Special StampsDuring 2016/17 Royal Mail launched another exciting programme of Special Stamps featuring a wide range of themes – from music icons, children’s books, animals, the First World War and the Queen’s 90th birthday.

Music Icons

Pink FloydIn July 2016 RMG released a set of 10 stamps to celebrate 50 years of one of the most influential and successful British rock groups of all time, Pink Floyd. Few bands in the history of rock have managed to carve out a career as rich and expansive as that of Pink Floyd. From their blues-based psychedelic roots, the band has created some of modern music’s most totemic and inspirational albums, with ground-breaking live performances to match.

Pink Floyd is renowned for its innovative album covers, many of which have become design classics. Through working with leading graphic designers and photographers, they established a body of work that is instantly recognizable, with album cover art considered among the most iconic ever created. Most of the band’s album covers were devised by Hipgnosis, co-founded by Aubrey Powell and Storm Thorgerson in 1968. They were at the forefront of album cover design, using experimental techniques in photography and multiple exposures, and retouching to create the startling images.

Six stamps feature the iconic album covers: The Piper At The Gates Of Dawn, Atom Heart Mother, The Dark Side Of The Moon, Wish You Were

Here, Animals and The Endless River. A further four stamps within a miniature sheet celebrate the ground-breaking live performances of the band from the appearances at the now legendary UFO Club in London in 1966 where they invented the ‘psychadelic’ light show; to the extremely ambitious staging for albums such as The Wall and the Division Bell tours.

David BowieMarch 2017 saw the release of a set of 10 Special Stamps to honour David Bowie – one of the most influential music and cultural figures of all time. This is the first time Royal Mail has dedicated an entire stamp issue to an individual music artist. The stamps are issued in the year of what would have been his 70th birthday, and 50 years since his first album release.

Six of the stamps showcase Bowie’s changing musical styles and personas across the decades and feature images of some of his most admired and defining album covers: Hunky Dory; Aladdin Sane; “Heroes”; Let’s Dance; Earthling and ‘ ‘.

The arc of the vinyl album protrudes from the right hand side of each stamp.

Completing the set, four stamps show Bowie performing live on tours across four decades: The Ziggy Stardust Tour, 1973; The Stage Tour, 1978; The Serious Moonlight Tour, 1983; and A Reality Tour, 2004.

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Children’s Books Mr. Men Little MissThe Mr. Men Little Miss children’s books have been enchanting children for 45 years and are now published in 18 languages. Over 250 million have been sold worldwide. Roger Hargreaves created the first book, Mr. Tickle, when asked by his son, Adam: ‘What does a tickle look like..?’ The advertising copywriter went on to visualize a tickle in the shape of a small orange man with incredibly long arms, and Mr Tickle was born. Following the publication of Mr. Tickle in 1971, a total of 50 Mr. Men characters have been created.

In 1974, a number of the books were brought to life on the small screen. First broadcast by the BBC, the short animated stories were narrated by Dad’s Army actor Arthur Lowe. The television adaptations proved very popular and a total of 28 stories were filmed.

In 1981 the first appearance of Little Miss Bossy heralded the start of the Little Miss books, of which 36 have been published.

To celebrate the Mr. Men Little Miss series of books RMG launched 10 special stamps that feature: Mr. Happy; Little Miss Naughty; Mr. Bump; Little Miss Sunshine; Mr. Tickle; Mr. Grumpy; Little Miss Princess; Mr. Strong; Little Miss Christmas and Mr. Messy. Adam Hargreaves said: “I feel incredibly proud and I think my father would have been equally proud and really chuffed. It’s a real accolade for the Mr. Men and Little Miss characters to be on a Royal Mail stamp.”

Beatrix PotterBeatrix Potter is one of the UK’s most popular and celebrated children’s authors. The books are available in 110 countries around the world, published in 45 languages and over 250 million copies of her ‘little books’ have been sold worldwide.

In excess of 45 million copies of her most famous creation The Tale of Peter Rabbit have been sold globally since its initial publication in 1902. Peter Rabbit was created in a letter Potter wrote in September 1893 to Noel Moore, the son of her former governess. She personally oversaw the launch of subsequent products, making Peter Rabbit the oldest licensed character in history.

150 years after her birth, RMG celebrated an incredible woman, an artist, storyteller, botanist, environmentalist, farmer and business woman. Beatrix Potter was a visionary and trailblazer. Single-mindedly determined and ambitious, she overcame personal rejection, academic humiliation and personal heartbreak, going on to earn her fortune and a formidable reputation. On her death she left an incredible legacy of land and property to the care of the National Trust to ensure that future generations would continue to enjoy the countryside that she was so passionate about, as well as the much-loved characters and stories that were created over a lifetime.

RMG marked the 150th anniversary of Beatrix Potter’s birth with a set of 10 Special Stamps issued in July 2016, which include six of the most popular characters from her 23 Original Tales: Peter Rabbit; Mrs Tiggy-Winkle; Squirrel Nutkin; Jemima Puddle-Duck; Tom Kitten and Benjamin Bunny. A further four stamps featured images taken form Beatrix’s first book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit. For seven days from 28 July to 3 August, RMG provided a special handstamp on all mail posted in the post box located at the Junction of the B5285 and Stones Lane, the actual postbox Beatrix Potter used while she lived at Hill Top Farm. The image used was one of the first sketches Beatrix made of Peter Rabbit.

Animail RMG released six special self-adhesive Special Stamps depicting animated images of a Woodpecker, Snake, Chimpanzee, Bat, Orangutan and Koala Bear.

The stamps were designed by Andrew Ross, of London based design company Osborne Ross. He was given the challenge of devising interactive stamps that would brighten up letters and cards, particularly for children. Andrew came up with the idea of engaging, friendly and fun animal characters that could ‘cling’ to the top or side of envelopes. He wanted to create a variety of shapes and colours to generate interest, but was mindful that each character had to sit comfortably alongside each other and have a degree of consistency so that they clearly looked like they were part of a set.

Each stamp is in the shape of the animal, and its hands, feet or indeed tail can fold over the edge of the envelope or card.

First World War 2016 saw the release of the third set of the RMG five-year commemorative programme marking the events of the First World War. The imagery on the stamps features historic memorials and artefacts that have become synonymous with the conflict, portraits of some of the participants, art showing some now famous and moving scenes, poems composed during the war and newly-commissioned artworks of poppies – the symbol of Remembrance.

The six stamps include: Battlefield Poppy, Giles Revell; ‘To My Brother’, Vera Brittain; Munitions Worker, Lottie Meade; Travoys arriving with wounded at a dressing-station at Smol, Macedonia, September 1916, Stanley Spencer; Home Depot at Regent’s Park, London; Writing a letter from the Western Front.

Minister for First World War Commemorations David Evennett said: “The Royal Mail stamps are a poignant tribute to the many lives lost and affected by the First World War. The Battle of the Somme and Jutland commemorations are important milestones in the First World War centenary and I hope that these stamps encourage people to remember and learn more about the pivotal events of 1916.”

Queen’s 90th Birthday Six Special Stamps were released to celebrate HM The Queen’s birthday. Three stamps focused on Her Majesty’s family life, and three honoured The Queen’s official role.

Photographed by Ranald Mackechnie in the summer of 2015 for RMG, the specially commissioned Stamp sheet featured a family portrait of four generations of the House of Windsor: HM The Queen, HRH The Prince of Wales, HRH The Duke of Cambridge and for the first time on a Royal Mail stamp, HRH Prince George of Cambridge. The photograph was taken in the White Drawing Room at Buckingham Palace.

The family stamps include an image of The Queen with her children, the young Prince Charles and Princess Anne. A stamp with the Duke of Edinburgh marks their long partnership. This is also the first time that RMG has issued a stamp featuring The Queen with her father.

The three remaining stamps mark The Queen’s official duties: as Head of State for the opening of Parliament; as Head of the Commonwealth where she is depicted with Nelson Mandela; and on a state visit to New Zealand. The images represent more than 100 state visits made worldwide by Her Majesty since her accession.

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ROYAL MAIL 500During 2016-2017, TPM were pleased to help RMG in marking their 500th Anniversary. In 1516 Brian Tuke, who was appointed Master of the Posts by King Henry VIII, was knighted for his services to the Crown. RMG used this anniversary to mark 500 years since the formal start of a state managed postal service. During 2016, celebrations took place across the country to recognize this important milestone.

TPM were involved in supporting this anniversary with research tracing this early history. It also worked with RMG in producing a Special Stamp issue and associated products that told the story of 500 years of the service. A full-sized replica 19th century Mail Coach was brought in to re-trace elements of historical postal routes in London, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Belfast. The Mail Coach also took part in events at Royal Ascot and the Lord Mayor’s Show in London. The Mail Coach travelled from one of London’s oldest surviving galleried coaching inns, The George, at Borough and came over London Bridge and into the City where a special event was held at Guildhall Yard. During the event curators from TPM ran a series of guided walks around historic postal sites in London, beginning and ending in Guildhall Yard. A range of historic postal vehicles were on public display.

An original Victorian hexagonal pillar box was re-instated into central London, in its original livery. The box dating from the 1860s was designed by architect John Penfold, intended as a new standard pillar box. Whilst many

were made and installed in the 1860s and 1870s the design was later replaced by the now familiar cylindrical box. In 2016 one of these boxes was refurbished and painted the original green and installed outside the former postal headquarters in St Martin’s Le Grande, near St. Paul’s Cathedral. The box was formally unveiled by HRH Prince Charles and is now in public use.

As part of the 500 years celebration of the postal service, following a visit by Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, RMG revealed a new name for the Windsor delivery office. It is now known as The Queen Elizabeth delivery office.

RMG’s CEO, Moya Greene said: ’We are honoured and extremely proud that The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh visited The Queen Elizabeth Delivery Office to celebrate 500 years of the postal service. ‘‘Royal Mail is incredibly proud of its Royal associations. On behalf of everyone at Royal Mail across the UK, we were extremely honoured to have the opportunity to wish Her Majesty a very happy 90th birthday in person.”

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2017-2018 – Watch this space!The Postal MuseumTPM opens in July 2017 and will be more than a traditional museum. Its galleries, rich in heritage, will display hundreds of original items with thousands more to be discovered within its archives. It will provide 185,000 visitors a year with an exciting, welcoming experience. Its collections and stories resonate across the generations, ensuring that families can enjoy visits together and share their learning experience and most of all, have fun. Staff at the museum have been busy preparing an action packed schools programme ready to launch when it opens and expect to attract 10,000 school visits a year. Teachers can book a Postal Package to build their own visit, including a facilitated session in the state-of-the-art learning space, time to explore the museum galleries, use of the dedicated lunch space, and the option to stay and play in Sorted! - a designated play space for 0-8s - or ride underground on Mail Rail.

Mail Rail Mail Rail will open in September 2017. In contrast to the letters and parcels the former railway transported, the new Mail Rail will carry visitors through the miniature tunnels, providing them with a 20-minute underground ride. Through the ride’s audio-visual technology, visitors will experience the Blitz and other tumultuous events that occurred during the railway’s working life. Interactive displays provide the opportunity to sort out mail on a simulated travelling post office against the clock, or have a go at controlling the 10km railway line to ensure the trains are routed correctly. They can also see and hear stories of the engineers that worked the line running 22 hours a day.

“Many years of work have gone into The Postal Museum. Now our new home is almost complete, we have the chance to tell our stories to new generations, and for new audiences to find new knowledge and perspectives on human communication and endeavor in a fun, engaging way. Our new home means that we have the potential to do so much more than we have been able to up to now. Our collections, stories and experience can now realise that potential.”

Dr. Adrian Steel, Director, The Postal Museum

Special Stamps2017 will see the release of special stamp collections that celebrate the British contribution to the Star Wars franchise, Songbirds, Windmills and Watermills, Landmark Buildings, Classic Toys from the last 100 years, Ladybird books and the fourth set of stamps in the First World War series.

Post CardsRMG will be taking a look at the Great British tradition of sending post cards.

AirmailTo celebrate the anniversary of the first scheduled airmail flight in 1911 RMG will be launching an online gallery.

Post Office Cats TPM will be looking to revive the old Post Office custom of employing cats to keep mail sacks free from mice by launching its very own cat recruitment programme aimed at raising awareness of the new museum.

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Ladybird books are among the sets of Special Stamps released in 2017

Mail Rail will take visitors on a 15-minute underground ride

The Postal Museum expects to attract 10,000 school visits a year

Royal Mail and the cruciform are trade marks of Royal Mail Group Limited. Post Office and the Post Office logo are trade marks of Post Office Ltd. Annual report on Postal Heritage 2015-2016. © Royal Mail Group Limited 2016. All rights reserved.