The post box outside the Ock Street sorting office used to be a familiar Elizabeth II pillar box — part of a classic cylindrical design stretching back to Victorian times.

Currently, however, it is wrapped in black plastic.

The same thing happened to the Waitrose post box in Abingdon, before Christmas. When it emerged from its wrapping it had gained a solar panel, barcode scanner, and drop-down compartment for parcels, along with a slot for letters.

The change shows how postal trade has moved from letters to parcels as a result of online shopping and returns. Now the Great British post box has a double-purpose. It can take letters, but can also process parcels. This is an entry to City Daily Photo’s February Theme Day – DOUBLE.