Alistair Brownlee (1988 - )

Biography

Royal mail painted a post box gold for each Olympian that won a gold medal in the 2012 London Olympics. Alistair Brownlee won the Gold at the Triathlon and his local post box was painted gold to celebrate the victory for Leeds.

Context

There was some controversy regarding the location of Alistair Brownlee’s gold post box as he grew up in Horsforth where the post box is located, but ‘annoying people in Bramhope where the [Brownlee] brothers now live’ (BBC, 2012)

The postbox

Date Erected:
August 2012

Artist:
N/A

Commissioned / funded by:
Royal Mail Group Communications

Format and materials:
Gold- painted EIIR post box

Location:
The post box is situated in New Road Side, Horsforth, Leeds.

Description:
The post box was painted gold under commission of Royal Mail, in contrast to Nicola Adams’ post box there is no plaque on the post box. Shortly after the post box was painted gold, it was vandalised when ‘someone had badly stencilled what appear to be the words “Time to Waste” or “Gone to Waste” on the box in runny black paint’ (Anon., 2012)

Sources

• 'Brownlee postbox row hits Leeds suburbs’. BBC News, 10 August 2012.
• Anon., 2012. Tarnished: Gold postbox for Alistair Brownlee's Olympics triumph is vandalised. The Mirror, 21 August 2012.

[Image by 'Rich Tea' via Wikimedia Commons]