Are you looking for something unusual to do in London during the Christmas holiday?

Michael Robinson, author of Secrets and Celebrations of London, and registered Blue Badge Tourist Guide, recommends the Postal Museum and the Ride Mail Rail, as an unusual experience.

Did you know that King Henry VIII set up the Postal service over five hundred years ago? Why is it called the ‘Postal’ service? When did it become available for the public to use? When were postage stamps first issued? Why are/were some post boxes not red? All of these and many other questions are answered in the museum, which covers the five hundred year history of Britain’s postal service.

The best part, especially for the children is the underground railway system that you can explore. Opened in 1927 and closed in 2003, it used to carry all of the mail to and from the main sorting office above at Mount Pleasant, to different parts of London on specially constructed trains. Today you can relive the experience by travelling on these trains and hearing how the system operated.

The Museum and Ride Mail Rail is open every day 10-5, but closed 24-26 December and 6-12 January.

Michael is available over the Christmas and New Year period for personal tours.

 

Contact Michael