royal mail tour in london

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Most visitors to London will travel on the tube, whether the larger sub-surface lines or the more cramped deep-level lines that give the system its tube nickname. But did you know there is an even smaller underground railway in London? One that was used purely for moving the mail. Mail Rail, as it was known, is no longer used by the Royal Mail but is now open as a tourist attraction as part of the Postal Museum.

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The idea to build a railway under London to move the mail originated in 1911 and was designed as a 6.5 mile route linking key sorting offices. Originally called the Post Office Railway, the line opened in 1927 to move mail between London sorting offices efficiently by avoiding delays due to London road traffic.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE POSTAL MUSEUM AND MAIL RAIL

The postal museum and Mail Rail are not co-located, so it’s important to know where you are heading in order to take your ride on the train, especially as these tickets are timed.

The ride on the mail rail is located just a short walk down Phoenix Place from the Postal Museum itself. You do not catch the train from within the actual postal museum. The building has a large MAIL RAIL sign outside and is easy to find.

Once your tickets have been validated you will descend some stairs to the train platforms and wait for your train time. You will then be seated in the very compact railway carriages which have been converted to carry people from their original use as just for mail. The trains are also now driven by a human; when carrying the mail they were driverless.  

As the tiny train departs the station and heads into the tunnel, you’ll be given a narrated history and guide to the railway. You’ll see the tiny tunnels, branches off those tunnels into other routes the railway used to serve and even a train graveyard where trains no longer needed have been left. The best parts of the tour are at the stations where you’ll stop at a couple during the tour and projectors beam videos onto the platform walls telling the story of how the railway worked. That parts of the video cleverly align with platform features like doors so that people appear to walk out of them is a very nice touch.

At the end of the ride, you’ll exit the train through a small exhibition which shows some of the equipment used on the railway. There is also a mail sorting interactive challenge here where you have to sort the mail in the correct slots while the train is hurtling along. The whole section of this part of the exhibit moves back and forth as you try to sort the mail to simulate the challenges the workers would have faced.

THE POSTAL MUSEUM

The Postal Museum, with its entrance hedge embedded with postboxes (as shown in the header image), shows the history of the Royal Mail and the postal service within the UK. From the origins of the service and famous introduction of stamps, such as the Penny Black, to the equipment that has allowed letters and parcels to be distributed country-wide for over 500 years.

The museum houses examples of royal mail vehicles, including a very impressively restored mail coach, as well as many examples of postboxes and telephone boxes.

Why telephone boxes? Well for many years the GPO (General Post Office) delivered the post and provided telephone services within most of the UK. The museum also has the honour of being the home of the only Victoria Cross awarded to a member of the Post Office Rifles.

PLAN YOUR VISIT TO THE POSTAL MUSEUM AND MAIL RAIL

How to get there.

The Postal Museum and Mail Rail can be found at 15-20 Phoenix Pl, London WC1X 0DL .

The nearest tube stations are Chancery Lane (Circle Line), Russell Square (Piccadilly Line),  King’s Cross St Pancras (Circle, Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan, Northern, Piccadilly and Victoria Lines), and Farringdon (Thameslink, Circle, Hammersmith & City, and Metropolitan lines). All stations are about a 10-15 minute walk to the Postal Museum.

Parking is available less than ten minutes walk away at NCP Car Park London Saffron Hill .

OPENING HOURS

Opening hours are 1000-1700 every day except for the 24th to 25th December.

The Mail Rail ride runs from 1015 to 1635 and takes approximately 15 minutes. We recommend booking in advance as Mail Rail tickets are timed for a specific hour of the day. They can be purchased on the day, but you could have to wait to ride depending on demand.

As the entire exhibition is indoors, aside from the brief walk between the two parts of the attraction, any time of year is a good time to visit and it could be the perfect place to visit on a rainy or cold day.

HOW TO BUY TICKETS & SAVE MONEY ON ADMISSION

Basic admission prices are £17 for adults, £10 for children 3-15 years, £12 for people aged 16-24. Prices are £2 less for disabled people and you can save £1 per ticket by booking in advance , which also guarantees your Mail Ride time.

The Postal Museum is included in the London Pass which can offer savings depending on what else you are doing whilst you are in London.

ACCESSIBILITY

The Postal Museum and Mail Rail exhibits offer step-free access except for the Mail Rail ride itself due to emergency evacuation requirements. A film of what riders will experience is available on the ground floor of Mail Rail.

For full accessibility details please visit the Postal Museum Accessibility page.

IS THE POSTAL MUSEUM AND MAIL RAIL WORTH THE VISIT?

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the Postal Museum and the ride on Mail Rail was interesting. Both to ride on this previously goods only tiny railway but also for the history of how the railway operated and helped keep the post moving across London.

See what others think of this attraction on Trip Advisor .

ADD TO YOUR ITINERARY

“When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life” said Samuel Johnson, so it’s no surprise that there are a plethora of things to do in the UK’s capital city. Here are a few choice selections to whet your appetite.

IN THE AREA

• Charles Dickens Museum  showcases manuscripts and personal items from the famous author displayed in his former home.
• If you want to buy something silver the London Silver Vaults  are the world’s largest retail area for silver in the world with over 30 specialist shops.
• The Foundling Museum   tells the story of the Foundling Hospital. The UK’s first charity home for abandoned children.
• The  British Museum is one of the world’s premier collections of global antiquities including such exhibits as the Rosetta Stone and the Elgin Marbles.
• Visit the famous Platform 9 and 3/4 from Harry Potter at King’s Cross Station.

RELATED ATTRACTIONS IN LONDON

• Philatelists will love the National Philatelic Collection at British Library which contains more than 8 million items stamp related items.
• Visit the London Transport Museum to find out more about the history of transport over and underground in London.
• Once the tallest tower in London, the Post Office Tower, or BT Tower to give its proper name, is a unique looking landmark on the London skyline. Unfortunately, it is no longer open to the public.

RESOURCES | PLAN YOUR TRIP TO LONDON

To book flights, rental cars, accommodations, and activities for your trip, please check out our recommended travel providers, favourite apps and websites. 

These are a few tours we would recommend for your trip to London.

Some of the links in the post above are affiliate links. This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, we will receive an affiliate commission but this does not affect the price to you. Please read our   full disclosure policy here . 

RELATED POSTS

Exploring london in one day ultimate itinerary, london: 101 free things to see, do and experience., day trips from london, guide to visiting london’s tower bridge, guide to visiting the london eye.

The Postal Museum London: Everything You Need to Know (2024) 

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The Mail Rail & Postal Museum London

by Donna Vallance 4 Comments

Table of Contents

The Mail rail museum and the  London Postal Museum  are dedicated to the British postal service. This family-friendly museum sends you on a journey back through time to the start of our first postal service. This is by far one of the most interactive and interesting museums in central London. at the Mail Rail and Postal Museum you can explore the underground network of the post office underground railway. This post office railway took you to Mount Pleasant station in original tunnels under London’s streets. Let’s look at everything you need to know about visiting the  Mail Rail & Postal Museum London.

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Suppose you are looking for somewhere interesting to go in London city why not try the Postal Museum London. The Postal Museum and Railway also known as The Mail Rail in London and is run by the Postal Heritage Trust. The Mail Rail and The Postal Museum London make for an interesting day out. You can ride through the hidden tunnels under the city and discover the history of The Royal Mail. There are many amazing interactive exhibitions and play spaces throughout as well as zones for younger children making it a great day for all. Not only this you learn all about the history of royal mail and the story of postal communication.

Everything you need to know about Riding the Mail Rail and visiting the Postal Museum London

On your way to the postal museum try a walking tour.

On your way to the Postal Museum, why not try a walking tour? You can download one of the Royal Museums’ free walking trails to get from the station to the Postal Museum.

The Postal Museum London has amazing walking trails you can download to make getting to the postal museum more interesting too.

Learn the history of the Mail Rail at the Postal Museum of London

The museum goes into great detail about the history of the Mail rail and the postal service itself. The Mail rail runs underground and you can try it out for yourself.

75 years ago when the rail was first built it started delivering letters; the driverless trains became the first of its kind in the world.

In 1911 plans were made to build an underground tunnel to serve the main sorting offices along the route. Work was started in 1915 and it was finally finished in 1927 and letters were carried from 1928. Thus cutting down the time it took to get post across the city. In 2003 The Postal Museum and Railway was closed due to it being cheaper to run the post by road.

The Mail consists of 22 miles of track with eight stations and at its peak carried 4 million letters a day. Mail rail ran from Mount Pleasent post office and helped deliver the post underground as far as Paddington in the west and Whitechapel in the east.

All Aboard the mail rail!

You can now travel the Mail Rail and experience for yourself what it was like for the workers to be underground. Ride through the hidden tunnels in a custom-built train and discover the history of this heritage.

The ride itself takes approximately 20 minutes and you will be on one of two trains with a clear roof.

Your ticket price gives you a time slot to ride the train. You can put your Bags in lockers on the ground floor or in the cupboards by the side of the platform. You will then board a miniature train and adventure into the world of postal workers. 

Whilst in the tunnel you will see it as it was left and used throughout its working life, it would of been a hive of activity back in the day.

Throughout the ride the train stops and huge film projections are displayed on the tunnel walls. These films detail the journey the mail rail took through the ages since it was opened.

Learn the history of the Mail Rail in the Exhibition.

After your train ride, you can discover the exhibition at the Mail rail museum exhibition. With many interactive exhibits such as controlling the line and original trains to board, it is great fun for kids and adults alike. You will see the equipment used and you can even dress up as a train driver yourself. It is really interesting to learn about the workers their roles and the trains.

‘Sorted’ The play Post area for kids at the Postal Museum London

Before you leave the Rail Mail premises be sure to take any little ones to the “Sorted” play area to let off some steam. They can post letters, sort mail and generally have fun in this interactive area.

The Postal Museum London exhibits

After your postal railway ride on the tiny train, you can experience the exhibits in the museum. The journey in the  postal museum  takes you on a different story learning about the history of the post and where it originated.

The first letters were sent by Henry VIII to keep a close eye on the kingdom. You will see also see uniforms worn by the people that worked the mail and the flintlock pistols they used to protect themselves.

The stunning mail coach dates from around 1800 and is stunning.

The early years of the post system

The post office launched the world’s first postage stamp the  penny black stamp in 1840. It was now a penny to send a letter weighing up to half an ounce anywhere in the country.

As it became easier to send letters, pretty envelopes became very popular and were often designed by authors; there are many of these displayed around in the showcases.

All around the museum are interactive buttons to press with noises and costumes for you to dress up in. You can send telegrams and even pick up an old telephone and listen to extracts of old letters.

You can have great fun watching your letter shoot up a pneumatic tube shoot to the other side of the museum. I wonder if you will get a reply. The level of interaction in the museum is pure genius.

Learn fun facts about post boxes!

Did you know that post boxes were originally Green Pillar boxes?

There are many pillar boxes throughout the museum. But did you know they used to be green? In 1874 they become Red after people said they were dreary and hard to see.

In the Second World War, the tops of the pillar boxes were painted white so that people could see them during a blackout.

Learn all about the Postal service during the war and the telegram boys

Learn about the Royal Mail as it travels through the First World War and the Second. Real lantern slides tell a story while war sirens play in the background.

I loved the old letters and postcards on display. It must have been wonderful the number of letters written years ago that actually meant something.

Many of the mail Motorbikes in the 1930s were ridden by men as young as 16. During the war, these bikes became known as the ‘Angels of Death’ as they had the unhappy task of delivering the news of soldiers killed on the front line.

Find out all about Airmail at the Postal Museum.

With the arrival of Airmail in the 1920s speed was important. Bluepost boxes appeared on the streets in the 1930s which helped advertise Airmail much faster.

There is a large section where you can flick through old postal magazines and see the changes the stamps took through the decades. Up until 1965 most stamps showed the monarch; we then started to see stamps with artwork. Some of the artwork is truly stunning, my favourite being the little Robin Redbreast.

As the museum progresses you start to learn about how the mail works today in the form of short films.

There is an arts and craft workshop for children that runs from 11.00-13.00 and then again from 14.00-16.00. Today’s task was to try sending your own message in a bottle.

The current exhibition space is ‘Writing Home’, exploring the letters sent from people communicating with their family at home and their experiences. The Postal Museum and Railway hold many exhibitions and events so check their website for details.

Postal Museum London souvenir shop

There is plenty of bits and pieces in the shop to tempt you, and a cafe serving coffee snacks and cakes.

The Discovery Room and archives at the Post Office Museum

The Discovery Room holds all of the Hub for all of the museum’s archives. Researchers or students can find lots of information here. Family researchers can find out about relatives who may have worked in the Royal Mail from the archival books. There is a huge electronic tablet on which you can explore the archives of photos, documents and stamps kept by the Royal Mail. The Discovery Centre is a complete learning resource centre for the public.

I hope you enjoyed my tour of The Postal Museum and Railway. For more information and to purchase tickets please see The Postal Museum and Railway website.

Did you know there is a Park in London Called Postman’s Park where Postmen and woman had their lunch? This now holds some amazing heroic plaques on the wall go take a look here

Where is the postal museum london.

The Postal Museum London address is ;

The Postal Museum 15-20 Phoenix Place London WC1X 0DA

How do I get to the Postal Museum London?

The closest underground tube stations are Barbican , Chancery Lane and Kings cross and Russell Square . Most of these stations are less than a mile away and a short walk.

When you arrive the Mail Rail is on the opposite side of the road to the postal museum.

This post originally appeared on Likelovedo.com Royal Mail Rail and was a courtesy visit thanks to The Postal Museum and Railway. These are all my own personal Opinions.

About Like Love London! Welcome to Donna Vallance’s London Uncovered, where we explore the city of London and encounter the charm of its hidden gems! I’m Donna, your guide to the secret corners, untold stories, and delightful discoveries that make London truly extraordinary

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Posted on 28th December 2022 Categories Arts + Culture

By: Author Lauren Kendrick

The Mail Rail: Discovering the Postal Museum’s Secret Mail Tunnel

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Scuttling beneath the streets of London is Clerkenwell’s historic Mail Rail. Once the postal service hub, it is now a unique, interactive ride 21 metres below ground. Here you can climb aboard the miniature train, explore the original tunnels and learn how the postal railway in London began. 

Words by Karen Olney

Now, what if we were to tell you that you can ride a labyrinth of tunnels in a train so small, you’d struggle to swing a cat? And along the way, you will learn everything there is to know about the history of the postal service?

Well, it’s actually a thing. And it’s brilliant.

Way before we could simply ping an email or ‘like’ a Facebook post, the Royal Mail was the social network for civilians. Built in 1927, this underground post office railway revolutionised how post was transported between sorting offices.

Lasting approximately 15 minutes, the Mail Rail at the Postal Museum is a fun and informative way of bringing the history of the postal service to life.

And after your ride, you can cross the road to see more exhibitions at the Postal Museum. 

Why Visit The Mail Rail?

To be fair, learning about the Post Office’s history might not be quite at the top of your bucket list.

But what we love about this experience is just how novel it is.

I mean, when do you ever get to whizz around London in a train so small you can’t scratch your armpits? (Ok, noted this is probably a daily occurrence for some commuters).

Squeeze yourself onboard and begin your journey at the maintenance depot. There isn’t much room, but lockers are nearby for your belongings. Then as the train departs, the glass roof offers a panoramic vision of the tunnels.

Throughout the ride, the train stops to show large projections on abandoned platforms, narrating the Mail Rail’s history through the ages.

Word of warning, though – this is not for those nervous in small spaces. 

After the train ride, you can discover the Mail Rail museum exhibition. There are many hands-on activities, making it great for kids too. Dress up as a train driver in the replica postmasters’ wardrobe or climb onboard an original train.

Bringing little ones? For an added fee, you can take the experience further in the Sorted! play area . This is a fantastic, imaginative play area featuring a mini town where kids can post letters, sort mail and let off some steam. It’s pretty adorable stuff.

Better yet, Mail Rail tickets are not too pricey, and you can easily spend half a day here. If you book online beforehand, adult tickets are £16 and child tickets are £9.

The History of The Mail Rail

Digging into the history of the Mail Rail is far more interesting than missing letters and delayed parcels. We learnt quite a few interesting facts along the way.

Postal Coaches were Targeted by Robbers and…. a Lion

Nowadays, postal workers may encounter the odd grumpy dog, but back then, moving mail on the roads wasn’t for the faint-hearted. Traditionally, drivers delivered mail on coaches and were prime targets for highwaymen.

And it wasn’t just robbers drivers had to avoid. On the Exeter-London route in 1816, a fearsome lion attacked a coach on Salisbury Plain. You can’t fault the postal workers for commitment, though – the mail arrived just 45 minutes late that evening.

The Mail Rail enabled postal workers safety from robbers and wild animals.

In the 1900s London Traffic Was Even Worse

Today, London’s traffic is a nightmare. But back then, it was even slower. In fact, one report, which prompted the construction of the Mail Rail, stated that the speed on London roads would never go above 10kmph.

In the early 1900s, London’s Central Mail Centre was one of the busiest mail centres in the world and needed a helping hand.

Cue the Mail Rail. 

Approved by Parliament, the construction of the post office underground railway began in 1915. It consisted of a network of narrow tunnels criss-crossing over 6 miles and linking six sorting offices with the two mainline stations, Paddington and Liverpool St.

The Mail Rail Was a World First

The London Mail Rail was hailed as the world’s first driverless, electric railway, carrying mail quickly across London.

At its peak, it transported four million letters a day for 22 hours a day. Operators controlled the trains by using a switchboard.

Construction Was Delayed by War

Construction wasn’t easy. The project began in 1915 and was completed on December 3 rd , 1927. 

There were several hiccups along the way. The Treasury paused construction during The First World War, and once it was over, the cost of materials rocketed, meaning work on the Mail Rail tunnels didn’t resume until 1923.

The tunnels still came in handy during wartime, though. They were used to protect art usually housed in the National Portrait Gallery, British Museum and the Tate Gallery.

Doors Officially Closed in 2003

As offices began to relocate to the suburbs and technology developed, the Postal Museum train became economically unviable and was mothballed in 2003.

However, the tunnels remained under light maintenance and opened to the public as a museum in 2017.

Our verdict? London’s post office railway is a stop worth boarding at.

The Mail Rail: Practical Information

Address: The Postal Museum, 15-20 Phoenix Place, London, WC1X 0DA

Opening Times: Wednesday- Sunday 10.00- 17.00

Mail Rail Tickets: Adult (25+) £17, Young Person (16- 24) £12, Child (3- 15) £10. Online discount available.

The Mail Rail: Map 

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Ride mail rail & explore london’s postal museum.

Last updated: 23 June 2023

The Postal Museum and the Mail Rail are the two most recent additions to the ever-expanding list of London historical and cultural attractions. I was lucky enough to get a sneak peak and get up close and personal with an important piece of London’s past that few were aware of… until now.

The ambitious Postal Museum project became a reality after it was unveiled earlier this week. The Postal Museum opens for visitors on Friday 28 July 2017, with the Mail Rail opening on 4 September 2017.

The Postal Museum

Branding itself the “first social network”, the museum aims to bring to life five centuries of the postal service and the impact it had on the entire country.

Converted from an old printing factory, the new museum site incorporates the Mail Rail and The Postal Museum located just near the Royal Mail Mount Pleasant mail sorting centre in Clerkenwell.

Guests pass through the newly created welcome space before entering the surprisingly vast museum which winds visitors through five brightly coloured zones, chronologically stepping through the history of mail.

Between displays, information boards, multimedia exhibits and the knowledgeable staff visitors can get answers to even the toughest questions. Have you ever wondered how mail was delivered during some of the world’s most significant historical events?

How was mail was delivered to soldiers in trenches during WW1?

Did the mail service stop when the bombs rained down on london during the blitz.

There’s even a section on the Titanic where visitors can read about telegrams which were sent in the moments after the fatal iceberg collision. I felt like I was reading a series of tweets because the telegrams were a series of short messages providing updates. Updates that included the collision, the presumption that everything was OK, to the realisation that the Unsinkable Titanic was going to sink… a sobering read during your visit (the original telegrams exist in the museum’s archives but aren’t currently on display).

The hands-on museum provides interactive exhibits for people of all ages.  The use of models and multimedia to tell stories like the lioness that escaped the circus and attacked a Mail Coach, or the history of the Post Horn.  Adults and kids alike can dress up as a postman in the uniforms that have changed over the centuries.  

There’s also a section for the code curious, where they can decipher Morse code at a 1930s writing bureau or write a message and send it through the system of pneumatic tubes that run across the museum’s ceiling.

Ever collect stamps as a kid? Perhaps you were after the rarest of them all.  At The Postal Museum, there’s a priceless intact full sheet of the world’s first stamp, the Penny Black. There are only a few full sheets still in the world today, and they’re all held by The Postal Museum.  

Did you know?

England is the only country in the world that doesn’t need to list its country on the stamp? The monarch’s head is all that’s needed.  So it’s not surprising that the plaster cast of the Queen’s head has been reproduced over 220 billion times! The original is on display.

At a bare minimum, visitors should allow two to three hours for the museum alone.  The combination of activities and fact can keep even the most restless adult entertained for hours.

The Mail Rail

The hotly anticipated Mail Rail, the centrepiece of the Postal Museum experience has finally arrived (opening on 4 September 2017). 

There are a series of subterranean tunnels that you’ve likely never heard of, which criss-cross their way under the city for 22 miles from Paddington to Whitechapel since 1927. In its heydey, the network hub functioned 22 hours a day and employed 220 people of various trades (plumbers, engineers, carpenters and electricians) on hand ready to repair anything on the network before being closed.  

Closing in 2003 after being deemed too expensive to maintain compared to road transport. The Royal Mail railway left behind tracks and tunnels that would lie dormant for decades, and with just 3 remaining staff to maintain the integrity of the tunnels and tracks.  

In contrast to the original purpose of the Mail Rail, from 4 September, the railway will carry visitors along a dedicated track through the tunnels. Audio commentary throughout the glass roofed modern equivalent of a Mail Train, which is not dissimilar to a miniature Tube and will stop at two platforms with audio visual entertainment to provide context and bring the stations back to their 1930s prime.

The tunnels are much narrower than their Tube cousins, with the width of just 7ft in the narrowest part of the tunnel.  That’s an average sized male stretching his arms fingertip to fingertip.  

For riders, two brand new battery-powered “trains” will carry up to 32 passengers on a journey of 1km, 70 feet underground for about 20 minutes.  Given the space constraints, realistically that number will be lowered to about 18 depending on size of riders.   Able to carry up to 300 people per day, tickets will be timed to manage the demand.  

After the Mail Rail ride, visitors will be able to visit the adjacent refurbished former engineers workshop. Display boards tell the history of the vast cavern with spotlighted stories on workers who gave much of their lives to the system.  Original cranes, pulleys and platforms remain, alongside a Victorian pneumatic rail car, the predecessor to Mail Rail.

For those with a competitive spirit, there’s even more hands-on experiences including racing pneumatic cars using wheels. Or for the authentic experience dress up in a dust jacket and cap and sort mail in a replica of a real-life Travelling Post Office complete with shaking floor.

Additional tactile exhibits include shunting mail trains around a model size track and looking into the past on a Timescope which shows what the space looked like before the renovations.

Allow at least an hour for this section to get the most out of the experience.  

This is kids play areas done well.  Two dedicated areas for kids aged 0-8, here you can find everything a budding young postal worker could want in our hands-on mail-themed play space.

Interactive opportunities for kids to play postman in a mini neighbourhood, or weigh and sort mail in the office.  Use pulleys, chutes, slides and trolleys to sort parcels.  

Access to Sorted! is either via a dedicated ticket (£5) or a combined General Admission + Sorted! Ticket (£11.75). Entertainment f or parents is in the form of comfortable seating, a coffee cart, designated toilets and changing facilities, lockers and parking for buggies.  

The Essentials |  The Postal Museum  

• Where: Phoenix Place,  London WC1X 0DA
• Nearest Tube Stations: A good ten minute walk from Russell Square, Chancery Lane or King’s Cross/St Pancras Underground stations.
• Tickets: 

It’s possible to visit The Postal Museum and not ride the Mail Rail.  In my opinion, what’s another fiver for another 20 mins of unique fun. The Postal Museum is open from 28 July 2017 with the Mail Rail starting 4 September 2017. 

Buy your tickets online.

Ready To Book Your Ticket for Mail Rail?

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Comments (36)

[…] London’s Postal Museum – Fun for Adults as well as Kids […]

[…] Stamp It! London’s Postal Museum […]

This does look fun, I’m going to have to tell my Dad about this as well, he used to work for the Royal Mail years ago, so he’ll find it very interesting. Have you been to Postman’s Park in the City, it’s just north of St Paul’s? It’s a small peaceful place, and has quite a moving memorial to Heroic Self Sacrifice.Thanks for sharing

Really fun Janis! It might be nice to surprise him with a ride on the Mail Rail too? Yes of course Postman’s Park is just near St Barts, I really love the memorial tiles. Nice little hidden wonder of London that one 🙂

I love London’s museum scene, so it’s nice to know about two new spots to visit when we head back. Being in Australia, much of our postal history is very tied to the postal culture in London / Britain, and I’m really fascinated by it as my grandfather was a post master for 70 years in Hobart, so we grew up hearing his various stories about how mail delivery had evolved over the years. Every time I watch a war movie I actually do wonder how they got mail to the soldiers, so I’m glad to know the museums answer my nagging questions! Thanks for the heads up about the openings – so awesome that you had the chance for a sneak peak!

Wow Meg, I didn’t know that about your family. Is your grandfather still with us? Maybe you can show him some of the many posts and press releases on the Mail Rail and Postal Museum, it might be of interest. If you’re interested in going, be sure to get your tickets well in advance, they’re being snapped up like hot cakes at a fete!

Thanks for sharing this cool experience! I am ready to book my tickets for the Mail Rail and Postal Museum. I’m always looking for fun, interactive ways to engage my kids in learning – Mail Rail & the museum look like a winner.

Great news Nancy! You’re right, it’s a winner for fun and education. Please give us some feedback on your experience once you’ve visited!

That is a really cool museum. I got hooked on postal museums in Singapore. They have a nice small one with some interesting historical stuff. Stockholm has one too. Obviously, the London one is humongous in comparison. I would love to ride the train :). Thank you for sharing.

Fascinating Elena, I didn’t know about Singapore or Stockholm! Things you learn hey?!

The Postal museum is fascinating. The Mail Rail is something that brings alive the romance of the postal system of the last century. In these days of email and whatsapp communication, the museum would be a fascinating journey into the past.

Absolutely Sandy, an important piece of British history is now available for everyone to experience.

We love learning about history by visiting interactive museums like this! Both of these museums look really neat! The Mail Rail ride looks so interesting–I’d love to get a peek into the tunnels like that. Will have to check both of these spots out!

Great Jenna, let us know if you go, and what you thought of it!

I love that you can take a ride on the mail rail! Seems like such a fun but unique experience!

So unique! I don’t think there’s anything quite like Mail Rail!

I had no idea that this was even a museum. I\’d love to ride the mail rail. Such an interesting part of history!

Yep! The museum just opened Paige, Mail Rail coming in September. There’s still tickets available. *wink wink

I’m ready to book my ticket. The postal museum looks fascinating and a must-do while in London. Seems like a lot of thought was put into the exhibits and stories of the past, like the lioness that escaped the circus and attacked a Mail Coach?! The train ride and visiting the tunnels would be a highlight as well. Thanks for the thorough review.

Please let us know what you think of the museum and Mail Rail if you go Heather. Surely we can’t be the only ones to love it!

Thanks for sharing, that’s a pretty good price! Did you design your own stamp?

I did Michael! Stupidly I didn’t email it to the correct address so I have nothing to show for it. That’s a tip I should include in the post isn’t it? – Be sure to spell your email address correctly!

Looks like a pretty cool experience to ride those little trains! I’m a frequent London visitor but had no idea about this new museum! Thanks for sharing!

Well Kristof if you’re interested there’s still tickets available for the Autumn if you’re planning to be in London then?

So very cool! I’d be in line for the Mail Rail tour on my first day in London. Love the underground areas of urban centers.

Thanks Elaine, best to buy your tickets in advance if you can. London being London things sell out SOOOOO quickly!

This place looks pretty cool. I’m sure it is a lot of fun exploring the postal museum. Thanks for sharing this.

Very cool indeed Indraneil, thanks for your comment 🙂

Wow! this is such a cool place to check out!! i’d love to visit it once in London. Pinning so i don’t forget 🙂

Brilliant Baia, glad you’re able to pin this for later. We love Pinterest too!

Just wow! I\’m a huge history nerd and this looks like an absolute historical paradise. I\’m now dying to visit London just for this museum. Such an incredible trip through the past from the various wars to the Titanic. And completely love that they\’ve branded themselves as the original social media platform. Thanks for sharing this!

I loved the ‘original social media’ concept too, completely original, I’ve not seen that before. Highly recommend the experience Kate if you’re in town, book your tickets early 🙂

Now this I would love to do. But where does the rail go to? I know the old line used to run from Mt Pleasant sorting office (not far from Farringdon) to Paddington I think it was. I am actually interested in this. 😀

I can see you and Clare doing this Danik. The Mail Rail ride is actually a 1km loop so I suppose technically you don’t really go anywhere?! The whole track ran from Paddington to Whitechapel which is pretty darn impressive!

I’m so jealous! I wish the postal museum was around when I lived in London! It sounds like so much fun, and I’m a sucker for nostalgia, I still send hand-written letters.

Come back for a visit Katherine, I’m sure it’ll be standing for a long time to come.

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Postal Museum – Underground mail train ride

Craig’s review… My dad used to be a postman and he liked to tell us that he delivered a letter that didn’t have an address on it, it was just a name – that’s how good he was. And he delivered another letter that didn’t have a name or an address on it. It didn’t even have a letter inside it. It was just an empty envelope. That’s how bloody good he was.

But unless you happen to deliver letters for a living then I’m guessing that a visit to the Postal Museum isn’t exactly at the top of your list of fun things to do in London. But keep reading because there’s something inside here that will definitely make it worth your while… a kilometre-long stretch of underground train track that once carried their clattering mail trains.

Royal Mail exhibition

Before you get to ride the main attraction you have to wander through their exhibition, but fortunately it’s a lot more interesting than you might imagine. (Note: they give you a time slot for the mail train when you enter, so you might end up having to do that first and the exhibition after.)

The story starts off in the days when postmen carried muskets and guns on horse-drawn carriages and did battle with highwaymen and pirates on the sea – not what you were expecting in a postal museum! They’ve also got displays about bi-planes, Penny Farthing post bikes and Penny Black stamps. Then it moves onto WW2 and how the Home Guard kept the post going during the Blitz. They even showcase a few salvaged mailbags from the shipwreck SS Gairsoppa .

The underground mail rail ride

As interesting as the exhibition is, if that was all the museum contained then I wouldn’t recommend it – it’s the underground mail train that makes the place worth visiting. Whilst you’re waiting for your time slot you can take a few photos of the carriages lined up in front of the tunnel and you’ll be surprised at their tiny size – they look like toy trains, like a funfair ride, the kind of ride that trundles around the perimeter of a zoo. You’ve got to remember that they were built to carry mailbags, not people, so they’re not exactly roomy inside.

The sides of the carriage are just six inches from your skin and the tunnel walls are barely six inches from the train. You practically have to sit with a stoop to stop your head bumping against the roof. I hope you don’t suffer from claustrophobia!

Then the driver descends into the turning tunnel and pick up some speed. This is when it starts to sound a lot like the London Underground – you get all the same roars and metallic screeches and flickering lights that you get on the tube, but now you’re screaming past sandbags, wires and pipes just inches from the window.

After a few minutes he stops at an abandoned platform and projects a movie onto the wall so you can learn a little of its history. Then he’s off again into the next tunnel where he slows up and stops for a pretend power-cut. It reminded me of that mine ride in Indiana Jones .

So is it worth a visit? Well it’s certainly quite pricey, but they’re charging you for the mail train ride which is a lot of fun. If you’re too claustrophobic to do that then don’t bother with the rest.

Worth a visit? ★ ★ ★ Value for money? ★ ★ ☆ Good for kids? ★ ★ ☆ Easy to get to? ★ ★ ★

I also recommend… . If you enjoy riding around on trains then check out my review of the Docklands Light Railway

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Dressed to Deliver -- Uniforms at the Postal Museum

Your comments and questions

PWeah We loved it! Who would have imagined that a museum about the postal service would be so much fun! Our nine year old loved the train and thought it was the highlight of our holiday

Fi Museum was boring and mail train was too short. Not worth the high price, the museum should be free and they should charge only for the ride

Pete @Fi the museum interesting but not everybody will be interested in the post, I guess. But how can you not enjoy the train ride? What an atmospheric thrill ride. Because the trains are so small and the tunnels are so narrow it is a thrill ride

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Going underground: The Royal Mail's great London train squeeze

Uber cars, amazon drones pah driverless deliveries from a different age.

Geek's Guide to Britain For the last 13 years, a tiny train tunnel running through the centre of London has remained empty and unused, maintained by just four engineers. But these engineers don’t work for Transport for London or Network Rail – they work for the Royal Mail.

The small gauge tunnel, running for 10.46km (6.5 miles) from Paddington to Whitechapel, 70 feet (21 meters) beneath the ground is the London Post Office Railway, more commonly known as the Mail Rail. From 1927 to 2003, 50 driverless, electric trains shifted 30,000 items each day, running up to every five minutes during peak times, serving eight stations and major sorting office beneath the snarl of urban traffic overhead.

Now, it’s set to become London’s latest tourist attraction, as The Postal Museum and Mail Rail in 2017 to reopen the section that runs underneath Mount Pleasant in Farringdon. Eventually, there’ll be a new museum, café, gift shop and all the trappings, but on the day of El Reg ’s visit, it’s all hard hats and high-vis vests.

A small group of us are getting a guided preview of the Mail Rail attraction, with a tour through the Mount Pleasant depot and its two station platforms. We’re walked through a very small door and down some industrial stairs by Ray Middlesworth, a railwayman since the Mail Rail was still running and still an engineer for Royal Mail.

Below is a fitting room and depot, where Mail Rail trains were loaded, offloaded and repaired when the trains were running. In its heyday, the two-foot, narrow-gauge driverless railway called at eight stations along the way, including the largest at Mount Pleasant. But by the end of its life, the Mail Rail was only stopping at three stations, as sorting offices were moved out of central London to the boroughs.

“The closure was more down to the fact that the offices it served were changing, the process by which mail was processed was changing and the mainline rail trains were no longer going out of Liverpool Street and Paddington than cost,” explained Chris Taft, head of collections at the museum, told me after the tour.

Mail Rail tunnels ran 10.46km (6.5 miles) from Paddington to Whitechape, photo: the Postal Museum and Mail Rail

Despite the decision to close things down, Royal Mail were stuck with underground tunnels. The railway was originally built by order of Parliament - so technically - it belongs to the public. Even though Royal Mail wasn’t using the railway any more, it still had an obligation to keep the tunnels safe and dry and ensure there were no collapses or other potential dangers. Which is how Middlesworth hung onto his job.

Middlesworth worked for more than a decade on the Mail Rail when it was running and has spent the last twelve working with three other engineers on upkeep. Down in the depot, he describes a real camaraderie between the workers, who called themselves railwaymen, working long shifts to cover the almost constant running of the network. The trains operated for 22 hours a day every weekday, with the other two hours used for maintenance work.

“It’s nice to see it being put to use again!” he told The Reg .

The project to turn the Mail Rail into a tourist attraction will give visitors a Postal Museum covering centuries of the Royal Mail’s operation and across the road, the chance to ride the Mail Rail.

“The total project is £22m to open up the Postal Museum, which will be a brand new museum telling the total communication and design story across five centuries. It will explore the need to communicate that people have had and how that’s happened and how it’s changed over the years,” said Taft.

“And then on the opposite side of the road will be Mail Rail, which will be an immersive experience where you can go in and take the train journey and explore the railway through 3D interpretation and audio-visual presentations. And there’ll also be an exhibition space in the former maintenance workshop in the railway. It’ll be a real opportunity to fully explore the railway and the part it played in the much broader story of postal communication.”

Although work has started on the Postal Museum, the station and platforms under Mount Pleasant had – when I visited - been virtually untouched. In the depot, one train, which is an example of one built in 1980, still sat on the tracks. This one had been refitted with small seats and was used during a Christmas party the Royal Mail had for local disadvantaged children a few years ago.

No post today: the first cargo since 2003 in Mail Rail's old tunnels will be tourists, copyright Miles Willis and the Postal Museum

On the walls were a strange combination of new health and safety notices along with old bulletins for rail workers, while paint peeled from the ceiling and ancient-looking yellow loading equipment sat idle.

To get to the platforms, our group headed back up the stairs and then through a section of the Mount Pleasant sorting office, past sacks of post, and down a large industrial elevator. As you walk out, a blue map of the system is displayed - clearly for engineers, not visitors - signposted with a mess of indecipherable acronyms and numbers. And everywhere, on nuts, bolts and iron beams, is stamped “GPO”, lest you forget you’re not in a regular Underground station.

Here, no-one but Middlesworth and the other three engineers maintaining the tunnels have frequented in many years and the Royal Mail will soon have to think about training up some new staff to keep them up.

“The three engineers I started with, they’ve all retired now,” said Middlesworth, “And I’ll be next!“

The Royal Mail’s policy has been to only have engineers who staffed the working Mail Rail come back as maintenance engineers, but those ranks are running out.

Schedules allowed a maintenance window of two hours a day, photo:

the Postal Museum and Mail Rail

“They used to say: once a railwayman, always a railwayman,” said Middlesworth. “But they’ll have to think of something else soon!”

Despite the smaller gauge of the tunnels, the platforms are very much like a rather dishevelled and much older Underground station. Just a (very) small engine for pushing and pulling loading carts is on the tracks and Middlesworth gamely agrees to take it for a little spin up and down to show it off to the visitors. Although clearly in need of some TLC, it’s much easier to see here how visitors will be excited to come down and take a short ride on a small engine.

At the time of my visit, firm plans on what the tourist experience would be like were still being made, with a number of ideas floating around, including making use of 3D scans of the tunnels for apps or augmented reality on the tour.

“We’ve had 3D scans done of the railway and had it digitally mapped, which would allow us to create some sort of augmented reality. But exactly what we’ll do with that depends on where technology goes and funding as well,” Taft explained.

Visitors will do a loop from Mount Pleasant and back for a ride of around 15 to 20 minutes, giving the museum two platforms to refurbish. Another idea that’s been floated is to restore one platform to the 1940s era and another to modern times to give tourists a sense of the history behind the Mail Rail.

Fifty trains shifted 30,000 items each 22-hour day, photo: Postal Museum and Mail Rail

Although the trains didn’t take to the tracks until 1927, construction had started on the project as much as 14 years earlier. A lack of labour and materials during the First World War halted construction, but did give the government a handy place to store precious art and artefacts.

“Construction on it started in 1912, 1913 so by the time of the war, the tunnel was largely complete but the tracks and the electric works hadn’t taken place,” said Taft. “So they used it for storage of paintings and artefacts from important collections in the National Portrait Gallery, the Royal Academy and others.

“During WWII, it carried on with its main function. Postal communication was very important during the war and the ability to move the mail underground was a big advantage,” he added.

The original plan to build the underground railway evolved in 1911 and the contract was given to John Mowlem and Co, to help the Royal Mail avoid the huge delays horse-drawn traffic was causing around the capital. A report that said that London traffic would never allow for speeds of greater than 6mph convinced MPs to sign an Act of Parliament for a railway that could move mail at 40mph under the city.

Most of the line was constructed using the Greathead shield system for tunnelling, with a small amount of hand-mining for connecting the tunnels at the stations. And when it opened, it was the world’s only electric underground railway devoted to transporting the post.

The main line is at a depth of around 70 feet, but the stations are at a much shallower depth, with gradients into the stations to help slow down trains entering and accelerate the ones taking off. Stations had to be closer to the surface to help workers in loading and unloading the millions of pieces of post that were transported every week, a job Middlesworth describes understatedly as “pretty hard work.”

At one point, there were around 220 workers on the Mail Rail, but by April 2003, when Royal Mail announced its closure, that staff was much reduced to cater for just three stations and the cost of keeping the train going had become more than using road transport.

The Postal Museum was not the first to come up with an idea for the disused tunnels in the last decade or so, as Taft explains, although no other plan has gotten this far.

“There have been a number of suggestions over the year, but none of them have really gotten anywhere. There was a suggestion that it could be used as an underground conveyance for shops under Oxford Street for example, as a service tunnel to get goods to and fro.

“There were also suggestions of using it as a sort of conduit for air-conditioning into the Tube, to circulate cold air. That got a little way down the thinking, but eventually it fell by the way side,” he said.

“No ideas really worked out well because the railway is very limited. It only goes to where it goes and it’s very difficult now to find a connection to let it out above ground.”

Today's Mail Rail trains for 20-minute underground trips, copyright Miles Willis and the Postal Museum

In fact, if anything, it’s been a bit of a nuisance at times, as other rail projects like the Tube and Crossrail have has to be factored into their building projects.

“Crossrail has had to work round the Mail Rail tunnels at times… it gets very close to it. But with underground work, you can go under or over things so there are places where Underground lines pass quite close under or over,” said Taft.

The Mail Rail tourist attraction will only use up a section of the line, leased by the Postal Museum from the Royal Mail, to carry around 20 passengers at a time on newly designed miniature trains, commissioned from transport engineering specialist Severn Lamb.

The existing trains, some of which have been sold off to private owners or given to museums, couldn’t be refitted for tourists due to their size. The tube is just a single 2.7m diameter tunnel with two tracks, which then diverges into single-track 2.1m diameter tubes to lead into the station. That makes the driverless trains that run inside pretty small, although they have been used in the past to take people through the tunnels.

Still a major Royal Mail sorting office, Mount Pleasant was a key network station, photo: Gavin Clarke

As well as their small size, which as Middlesworth explains, was partially to give them clearance off the track due to the weight of mail inside, the trains are also driverless. For the visitor attraction, a driver is much more preferable in case of emergencies and to ensure the safety of passengers.

It’s clear that Middlesworth has loved being a railwayman and will be happy to see at least part of the Mail Rail back in operation again when the visitor attraction opens next year. While what will happen to the rest of the track might remain a mystery for now, the Mail Rail tourist ride is already attracting a lot of interest and the museum is confident it will be a hit with visitors.

In our era of IoT hype, with tech firms and their cheerleaders in the Silicon Valley press poring over every piece of Uber car and Amazon drone minutiae, it's re-assuring to know the Brits were there first when it came to driverless vehicles delivering packages - courtesy of the Royal Mail.®

51.524784, -0.114077

By train: Underground to Farringdon is the closest station to Mount Pleasant. By bus: 63, 341, 19 and 38 stop nearby. Entrance for Postal Museum and Mail Rail when it opens is on Phoenix Place.

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Taylor Swift Fan Travels 20 Hours Straight, Discovers Era Concert Cancelled

Like most avid Taylor Swift fans, Jake Woosley was desperate to catch the singer-songwriter's Eras Tour, and he told Newsweek how his 5,000-mile trip to a show ended with some devastating news.

The 27-year-old fashion influencer from Louisville, Kentucky, decided to embark on a journey of a lifetime, to catch Swift's act in Vienna, Austria.

Woosley had traveled with his girlfriend for over 20 hours to attend the highly anticipated Swift concert at Vienna's Ernst Happel Stadium. However, upon arriving at their hotel in Linz, Austria, it was confirmed a suspected terror threat had led to cancellation of the show.

Woosley shared his experience on Instagram , where he recounted the devastating news, but also his relief that necessary safety measures had been taken to safeguard, Swift, her fans and the city.

"We were traveling from Louisville, Kentucky, and our trip was roughly 20 hours long," Woosley, known online as @jake_woosley, told Newsweek . "The first news we heard about the cancellation was actually while boarding the plane from Washington D.C. to Munich, Germany."

It was only later he discovered the seriousness of the situation in Vienna and that there was no chance of the concert going ahead.

"We were devastated at the time to learn the concert was truly canceled," he added.

The Impact of the Eras Tour

The Eras Tour has captivated millions of Swifties worldwide and its string of events and subsequent movie have been a significant cultural and economic force.

Her sell-out performances at Lumen Field, Seattle on 22 and 23 July, 2023, generated seismic activity equivalent to a 2.3 magnitude earthquake. It is thought that the activity was the result of loud fans and a booming sound system. In May, Barclays projected that fans could collectively spend up to £1 billion, which is equivalent to $1,288,620,000.00 , attending the tour in the U.K.

With its grand scale and high demand, the tour which spans multiple continents has had a profound impact on local economies, drawing fans from around the world to cities where concerts would be held. It has become the highest-grossing tour on record, and Swift's economic impact has been dubbed 'Swiftonomics.'

Swift's large fan base has been integral to the success of the tour, with tickets in the U.S. often selling out within minutes and fetching exorbitant prices on resale platforms. Woosley highlighted this in his account, noting that the U.S. resale value was "insane," with prices reaching over $5,000 for obstructed-view seats.

To make his girlfriend's dream of attending one of Swift's concert a reality, Woosley opted to purchase tickets for the Vienna show, where prices were significantly more affordable and where the couple could enjoy a romantic break too.

"I actually bought tickets to the Era's Tour in Vienna as a birthday surprise for my girlfriend who has been a lifelong Swiftie," Woosley said. "The tickets I purchased were floor seats for Vienna night three, and these premium tickets were still less than a single ticket for the Era's Tour in Indianapolis."

However, the Vienna concert was abruptly canceled due to a suspected terror risk, a rare occurrence for the Eras Tour, which has seen only one other cancellation in its long run.

Event organizers in Austria canceled all three of Swift's shows in the European city, following the arrest of two people in Austria. Authorities stated that the two suspects caught were planning attacks inspired by the Islamic State militant group ( ISIS ). A third person was arrested later too.

Despite the disappointment, Woosley and his girlfriend tried to make the best of their trip. They are currently on the last leg of their travels in Italy.

"The concert in Vienna was our first stop, and thankfully, we still made the most of our time in the beautiful city," Woosley shared. The couple went on to explore Vienna, trading friendship bracelets with fellow Taylor Swift fans and meeting people from all over the world.

He added: "Several people even gathered in the streets to sing songs from the Era's Tour setlist but we sadly stayed away because of the potential terrorist threats ."

The Eras Tour, which has been ongoing since March 2023, has left a significant mark on both fans and the economies of the cities it visits. Each concert brings a surge of tourism, with fans flocking to local venues, hotels, and attractions. The sudden cancellation in Vienna, however, left many fans disappointed and residents concerned about their safety.

Woosley's social media video, which was shared to Instagram on August 9, quickly gained traction online, drawing both sympathy and criticism. While many offered support, others expressed less favorable sentiments.

"Well...Maybe listen to better music," one viewer commented, while another added: "Imagine have no personality so you get to Europe and you are upset about Taylor swift."

"Unfortunately, there have also been a lot of spiteful and hateful responses to the video," Woosley said. Despite the polarizing reactions, the overwhelming support from fellow Swifties, and those who do not fall on either side of the fence, have lifted the content creator's mood.

As the Eras Tour continues, the dedication of Swift's fan base remains unwavering, with Woosley's story highlighting the lengths to which fans will go to be part of the global phenomenon. The Eras Tour is set to conclude in December in Vancouver, Canada.

About the writer

Melissa Fleur Afshar is a Newsweek Life and Trends Reporter based in London, United Kingdom.

Her current focus is on trending stories and human-interest features on a variety of topics ranging from relationships, pets, and personal finances to health, work, travel, and family dynamics. She has covered current affairs, social issues, and lifestyle stories extensively.

Melissa joined Newsweek in 2023 from Global's LBC and had previously worked at financial news publication WatersTechnology, tmrw Magazine, The Times and The Sunday Times, Greater London-based radio broadcaster Insanity Radio, and alongside other journalists or producers for research purposes. Since joining Newsweek, Melissa has been especially focused on covering under-reported women's health and social issues, and has spent a large part of her time researching the physical and mental impact of both the contraceptive pill and abusive relationships.

Prior to that, Melissa had been specialized in reporting on financial technology and data news, political news, and current affairs. She has covered data management news from industry giants like Bloomberg and Symphony, alongside the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the U.K economy's 2022-pound sterling crash, multiple National Health Service (NHS) strikes, and the Mahsa Amini protests in Iran.

A show that she produced and presented at the Greater London-based community radio station, Insanity Radio, was awarded 'Best Topical News Show' and the runner up award for 'Best New Radio Show' on the network.

She is a graduate in MA History from Royal Holloway, University of London.

Languages: English, Persian.

You can get in touch with Melissa by emailing [email protected].

You can follow her on X or Instagram at @melissafleura.

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Architectural landmarks such as the   Tower of London ,   Westminster Cathedral , and   Kensington Palace , as well as revived modern buildings like   Tate Modern   and the   Battersea Power Station . Some of the finest theaters in the world, from the   Old Vic   to the rebuilt   Globe . Brown ale, fish’n’chips and weekend markets from Greenwich to Camden.  

Best time to visit London

Spring : The Gulf Stream warms up the city early. Flowers start blooming in February and trees follow with their blossoms in March. The   Chelsea Flower Show   is a major draw in May.  

Summer : The tourist season peaks between mid-July and late August. Music festivals play out in   Somerset House ,   Hyde Park , and   Victoria Park .  

Autumn : Fall kicks off with the   London Design Festival , and the weather stays temperate into late October. Halloween is gaining importance throughout the city, though Guy Fawkes Night—a festival of fireworks and bonfires on November 5 – is more widely celebrated.   Battersea Park , by the Thames, has a great display.  

Winter :   Shopping streets   switch on their festive lights in early December. While some cultural life slows down during the dark, wet winter months,   Kew Gardens   launches its winter fair and skating rink. And Hyde Park hosts a   Winter Wonderland .    

Lay of the land

The Thames River, lined with grand public architecture like   St Paul’s Cathedral , the   London Eye ,   and Westminster (the seat of government), divides the city into north and south. The oldest enclaves lie to the east, around the   City of London , the old financial center also known as the “square mile.” Cultural energy revolves around   Soho ,   Covent Garden ,   Mayfair , Bloomsbury, and the   South Bank , a riverfront strip of modernist theaters and galleries.    

Historically, wealthy residents settled in West London communities like   Belgravia , Kensington, and Chelsea, gravitating to Holland Park and Notting Hill. The picturesque Georgian streets around   Hampstead Heath   have always been popular among literary types, with nature-lovers hiking up   Parliament Hill   for the city view. The neighborhood becomes more fashionable as you descend toward   Primrose Hill , with its pastel-colored townhouses and ivy-clad pub gardens.  

Younger Londoners congregate in East London, in gentrifying working-class neighborhoods like Dalston and Clapton. Postindustrial Hackney Wick has reinvented itself as a hub for live music, clubs, and inventive restaurants. Just over the River Lea is the former Olympic Park, a sports mecca that’s been rewilded and developed with museums and restaurants.  

( 11 must-do experiences in London. )

Getting around London

By public transport:   The   London Underground , or Tube, is an extensive subway network that reaches from Heathrow Airport in the west, to Greenwich, the Olympic Park, and northern suburbs. The system incorporates an above-ground network called the Overground, and the new inter-city Elizabeth Line. Fares start at £2.70 ($3.50) and rise according to distance.   London buses   follow more winding routes between neighborhoods and start at £1.75 ($2.25) with a daily cap at £5.25 ($6.75). Seniors and students 11 and over are eligible for discounts. Children 10 and under travel free. Riders can pay with any contactless card or device, but cash is no longer accepted.

By train:   Trains beyond London are found at larger stations like Paddington, Euston, Liverpool Street, London Bridge, Victoria, and Charing Cross. Riders must purchase tickets ahead of travel at the station or with an app like   Trainline .  

By taxi:   London’s famous   black cabs   can be hailed on the street or booked in advance. Typical fares start at about £7.60 ($9.75) for a mile-long journey. Minicabs, or privately run taxi services, can be booked in advance or hired from a licensed purveyor, found on most main streets. Uber operates throughout the city.    

By boat:   The   Thames Clipper   boat service, now operated by Uber, runs along the Thames between Putney, in southwest London, and Barking, in the east, stopping at Battersea, Westminster, Tate Modern, Tower Bridge, Greenwich, and other piers. Prices start at £5.60 ($7.20) one way, with discounts for children and families. Riders can pay with a contactless card or with the Uber app.

( Going underground: a subterranean tour of London's abandoned tube stations. )

By bike:   Transport for London operates the   Santander bikeshare program , with bike docks in place across the city. A day-pass costs £3 ($3.85) for unlimited 30-minute rides; payment can be made through the   app   or at a docking terminal.   Lime operates an e-bike- and scooter-share program. Vehicles are GPS-equipped and located via the   app ; prices vary.    

By car:   Only confident drivers familiar with England’s road laws should operate a private car in London. There is a daily £15 ($19.25)   Congestion Charge   in effect for most areas of central London, which must be paid on the day of travel. New   emissions rules   impose additional fees on non-compliant motor vehicles, and “ultra-low-emission zones”   (ULEZ)   make it tricky to enter some neighborhoods during the day.  

By foot:   London neighborhoods are highly walkable, but the distance between them can be vast. Most roads have sidewalks that are well populated into the night. Always look both ways before crossing, even at a green light. Traffic normally comes from the right.  

Know before you go

Diversity:   London is one of the world’s most ethnically diverse cities, with 37 percent of residents born outside London—many from South Asia, West and East Africa, Europe, and the Caribbean. Hundreds of languages are spoken here, and most neighborhoods have a mix of residents.    

LGBTQ+:   The most recent   Open For Business index   gave London a top AAA rating as a “stalwart supporter” of LGBTQ+ inclusion and equality, and its universities rank highly among gay students. Soho is, historically, the LGBTQ+ hub of the city, though gay bars pop up in several neighborhoods, notably in East London and Lambeth.  

( Best hotels for every type of travele r. )

What to read and watch

The most fascinating London-based books and films transport the reader to a specific neighborhood and historical period and focus on its rich diversity.    

Oliver Twist , by Charles Dickens. Tragic, romantic, and surprisingly funny, this classic exposed the underbelly of Victorian London and prevails on high school reading lists everywhere.  

Bridget Jones’s Diary , by Helen Fielding. The titular Jones is a sad, sardonic, desperately funny 20-something single woman working for a London publisher. The book centers on West London while the film adaptation transports most scenes to the southeast. Both will get you in the mood to explore.  

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes , by Arthur Conan Doyle. The book series and the companion TV show Sherlock take place around Baker Street in central London but investigate further afield into Piccadilly, New Scotland Yard, and the Tower of London  

London: The Biography , by Peter Ackroyd. Possibly the greatest contemporary history of the city, the weighty tome reaches back with wisdom and wit through Victorian London to the Plague and the Great Fire.  

Brick Lane , by Monica Ali. This instant classic, published just after the millennium, is an evocative peek into the lives of Bangladeshi immigrants in East London, based firmly in reality.  

Notting Hill , written by Richard Curtis of Four Weddings and a Funeral (and others), this 1990s hit comedy capitalized on the vulnerable charm of Hugh Grant—and the undeniable charm of bohemian London—and inspired generations of tourists to seek out that blue door.  

Rye Lane . Set around the eponymous market in Peckham, South London, this post-Covid romance begins with a meet-cute in   an   gender-neutral   bathroom.  

My Beautiful Launderette . An enduring favorite that introduced a young Daniel Day-Lewis to the world, this romance by Hanif Kureishi was set in South London during the Thatcher years and emerged as one of the first “queer fairytales” to reach a wide audience.

Related Topics

• HISTORY AND CIVILIZATION
• HISTORIC SITES
• PEOPLE AND CULTURE
• CITY GUIDES

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Money blog: Morrisons admits it 'went too far' with self-checkouts - as it changes strategy

Welcome to the Money blog, your place for personal finance and consumer news and tips. Today's posts include Morrisons getting rid of some self-checkouts and a Money Problem on topping up your national insurance. Leave your consumer issue below - remember to include contact details.

Monday 19 August 2024 20:13, UK

• Energy bills to rise 9% this winter - forecast
• Morrisons admits it went too far with self-checkouts
• Kellogg's shrinks size of Corn Flakes

Essential reads

• Money Problem : 'Should I top up my national insurance and could it really get me £6,000 extra?'
• Pay at every supermarket revealed - and perks staff get at each
• Couples on how they split finances when one earns more than other

Tips and advice

• All discounts you get as student or young person
• Save up to half price on top attractions with this trick
• Fines for parents taking kids out of school increasing

Ask a question or make a comment

Morrisons has admitted it "went a bit too far" with self-checkouts.

Chief executive Rami Baitiéh says the supermarket is "reviewing the balance between self-checkouts and manned tills".

Some will be removed.

Mr Baitiéh told The Telegraph : "Morrisons went a bit too far with the self-checkout. This had the advantage of driving some productivity. However, some shoppers dislike it, mainly when they have a full trolley."

The executive also said self checkouts had driven more shoplifting.

What have other supermarkets said about self-checkouts?

In April, the boss of Sainsbury's said customers liked self-checkouts...

That prompted us to ask readers for their thoughts - and we carried out a poll on LinkedIn which suggested the Sainsbury's boss was right...

Asda's chief financial officer Michael Gleeson said last week the technology had reached its limit - and said his firm would be putting more staff on tills.

Northern grocer Booths ditched almost all self-checkouts last year amid customer service concerns.

Over at Marks & Spencer, chairman Archie Norman last year blamed self-checkouts for a rise in "middle-class shoplifting".

But Tesco CEO Ken Murphy is an advocate: "We genuinely believe, at the end of the day, it provides a better customer experience."

The number of drivers visited by bailiffs due to unpaid traffic fines has increased substantially, according to a report.

Four million penalty charge notices (PCNs) were referred to bailiffs in England and Wales in the 2023-24 financial year, it is claimed.

This is up from 2.4 million during the previous 12 months, 1.9 million in 2019-20 and 1.3 million in 2017-18.

Read more ...

Ted Baker is the latest in a string of high-street giants to call in administrators in recent years, with shops set to disappear this week.

But how does it affect you? 

Purchases and returns

You can still buy items online and in store until they close, but you could run into trouble returning them. 

If the retailer stops trading, it may not be able to get your money back to you.

If that is the case, you would have to file a claim with Teneo (Ted Baker's administrator) to join a list of creditors owed money by Ted Baker – and even then there's no guarantee you'd get your money back.

If you have a gift card, you need to use it while you still can.

Credits and debits

You can file a claim with your debit or credit card provider to recover lost funds - but how exactly does that work?

• Credit card:  If you bought any single item costing between £100-£30,000 and paid on a credit card, the card firm is liable if something goes wrong. If any purchase was less than £100, you may still be able to get your money back via chargeback;
• Debit card:  Under chargeback, your bank can try to get your money back from Ted Baker's bank. However, be aware that this is not a legal requirement and it can later be disputed and recalled.

Many retailers boosted wages after living wage/minimum wage changes in spring.

Figures show German discount brands Aldi and Lidl top the list of major UK supermarkets when it comes to staff hourly pay - after Lidl introduced its third pay increase of the year in May to match its closest rival.

Meanwhile, Morrisons is at the bottom of the pack for staff pay outside London, with hourly wages starting at the National Living Wage (£11.44).

How do other companies compare when it comes to pay and benefits? We've taken a look...

Pay: £12.40 an hour outside London and £13.65 inside the M25

Aldi announced in March it was bringing in its second pay rise of the year as part of its aim to be the best-paying UK supermarket.

From 1 June, hourly pay rose from £12 an hour to £12.40 outside the M25 and £13.55 to £13.65 in London. 

Aldi is one of the only supermarkets to give staff paid breaks. It also offers perks such as discounted gym membership and cinema tickets, and financial planning tools. However, there are no cheaper meals, staff discounts or bonus schemes.

Pay:  £12.04 an hour outside London and £13.21 inside the M25

As of 1 July, hourly wages for Asda supermarket staff rose to £12.04 per hour from £11.11, with rates for London staff also going up to £13.21.

As part of the July changes, Asda brought in the option for free later-life care or mortgage advice. The company also offers a pension and a free remote GP service.

Pay:  £12 an hour outside London and £13.15 inside the M25

Co-op boosted its minimum hourly wage for customer team members from £10.90 to £12 nationally as the national living wage rose to £11.44 in April.

For staff inside the M25, rates rose from £12.25 to £13.15.

The perks are better than some. Workers can get 30% off Co-op branded products in its food stores as well as 10% off other brands. Other benefits include a cycle to work scheme, childcare vouchers and discounts on its other services.

Pay:  £11.50 an hour outside London and £12.65 inside the M25

Iceland says it pays £11.50 for staff aged 21 and over - 6p above the minimum wage. Employees in London receive £12.65 per hour.

Staff are also offered a 15% in-store discount, which was raised from 10% in 2022 to help with the cost of living.

The firm says it offers other perks such as a healthcare scheme and Christmas vouchers.

Pay:  £12.40 an hour outside London and £13.65 inside the M25

From June, Lidl matched its rival Aldi by raising its hourly wage to £12.40 for workers outside the M25 and £13.55 for those inside.

Lidl also offers its staff a 10% discount card from the first working day, as well as other perks such as dental insurance and fertility leave. 

Marks and Spencer's hourly rate for store assistants was hiked from £10.90 to £12 for staff outside London and from £12.05 to £13.15 for London workers from April.

The grocer also offers a 20% staff discount after the probation period as well as discretionary bonus schemes and a free virtual GP service.

Pay:  £11.44 an hour outside London and £12.29 inside the M25

Along with many other retailers, Morrisons increased the hourly wage for staff outside the M25 in line with the national living wage of £11.44 in April.

Employees in London receive an 85p supplement.

While it's not the most competitive for hourly pay, Morrisons offers perks including staff discounted meals, a 15% in-store discount and life assurance scheme.

Sainsbury’s

Sainsbury's hourly rate for workers outside London rose to £12 from March, and £13.15 for staff inside the M25.

The company also offers a 10% discount card for staff to use at Sainsbury's, Argos and Habitat, as well as a range of benefits including season ticket loans and long service rewards.

Pay:  £12.02 an hour outside London and £13.15 inside the M25

Since April, Tesco staff have been paid £12.02 an hour nationally - up from £11.02 - while London workers get £13.15 an hour.

The supermarket giant also provides a 10% in-store discount, discounted glasses, health checks and insurance, and free 24/7 access to a virtual GP.

Staff get their pay boosted by 10% on a Sunday if they joined the company before 24 July 2022.

Pay:  £11.55 an hour outside London and £12.89 inside the M25

Waitrose store staff receive £11.55 an hour nationally, while workers inside the M25 get at least £12.89.

Staff can also get access to up to 25% off at Waitrose's partner retailer John Lewis as well as 20% in Waitrose shops. 

JLP (the John Lewis Partnership) gives staff a bonus as an annual share-out of profit determined by the firm's performance. In 2021-22 the bonus was 3% of pay; however, it has not paid the bonus for the past two years.

Dozens of Ted Baker stores will shut for the last time this week amid growing doubts over a future licensing partnership with the retail tycoon Mike Ashley.

Sky News understands that talks between Mr Ashley's Frasers Group and Authentic, Ted Baker's owner, have stalled three months after it appeared that an agreement was imminent.

Administrators are overseeing the closure of its remaining 31 UK shops.

One store source said they had been told that this Tuesday would be the final day of trading.

The housing market experienced a surge in activity following the Bank of England's recent decision to cut interest rates, according to a leading property website.

Estate agents reported a 19% jump in enquiries about properties for sale after 1 August, when compared with the same period last year, research by Rightmove found.

It came after the Bank cut rates for the first time in more than four years from 5.25% to 5%.

The lead negotiator for major train union ASLEF has denied the union sees the new government as a "soft touch" after announcing fresh strikes two days after train drivers were offered a pay deal.

Drivers working for London North Eastern Railway will walk out on weekends from the end of August in a dispute over working agreements.

Lead negotiator Nigel Roebuck said it is a separate issue from the long-running row over pay, which looks likely to be resolved after a much-improved new offer from the government.

Over 40 bottles of fake vodka have been seized from a shop in Scotland after a customer reported "smelling nail varnish".

The 35cl bottles, fraudulently labelled as the popular brand Glen's, were recovered from the shop in Coatbridge, North Lanarkshire.

Officers from the council's environmental health officers and Food Standard Scotland (FSS) sent them for analysis after a customer raised the alarm by saying they smelt nail varnish from one of the bottles.

The bottles were found to be counterfeit.

Britons don't have long left to claim cost of living assistance from the Household Support Fund.

Introduced in October 2021, the scheme provides local councils with funding which can be used to support those struggling most with the rising cost of living.

The vast majority of councils operate their version of the Household Support Fund on a "first come, first serve" basis and will officially end the schemes once the funding has run out in September.

The help provided by councils has ranged from free cash payments, council tax discounts, and vouchers for supermarkets and energy providers.

Who is eligible?

Local authorities were instructed to target the funding at "vulnerable households in most need of support to help with significantly rising living costs" when it was first rolled out.

In particular, councils were guided to make priority considerations for those who: 

• Are eligible but not claiming qualifying benefits;
• Became eligible for benefits after the relevant qualifying dates;
• Are receiving housing benefit only;
• Are normally eligible for benefits but who had a nil award in the qualifying period.

If you do not meet these criteria, you can still contact your local council , with many having broadened their criteria for eligibility.

By Daniel Binns, business reporter

Weapons maker BAE Systems is the big loser on the FTSE 100 this morning, with its shares down almost 3% in early trading.

It comes following reports over the weekend that the German government is planning to scale back aid to Ukraine in its war with Russia – in what would be a blow to the arms industry.

German media said ministers are set to slash support for Kyiv to 6% of current levels by 2027 in their upcoming budget.

However, the government there has rejected the reports and has denied it is "stopping support" to Ukraine.

Whatever the truth, the reports appear to have spooked traders.

Other companies involved in the defence sector, including Rolls-Royce Plc and Chemring Group, are also down more than 2% and 1% respectively on Monday.

It comes amid a slight slump in early trading, with the FTSE 100 down just over 0.2%, although the FTSE 250 is up 0.07%.

Gainers this morning include housebuilders Barratt Developments, up 1.5%, and Redrow Plc, which is up almost 3%.

Barratt said today it intends to push ahead with a planned £2.5bn merger with its rival despite concerns from the competition regulator.

Meanwhile, the price of oil is down amid concerns of weaker demand in China.

Ongoing ceasefire talks in the Israel-Hamas conflict have also raised hopes of cooling tensions in the Middle East, which would help ease supply risks and worries.

A barrel of the benchmark Brent Crude is currently priced at just over $79 (£61).

On the currency markets, this morning £1 buys $1.29 US or €1.17.

Winter energy bills are projected to rise by 9%, according to a closely watched forecast.

The price cap from October to December will go up to £1,714 a year for the average user, Cornwall Insight says.

It would be a £146 rise from the current cap, which is controlled by energy regulator Ofgem and aims to prevent households on variable tariffs being ripped off.

The cap doesn't represent a maximum bill. Instead it creates an average bill by limiting how much you pay per unit of gas and electricity, as well as setting a maximum daily standing charge (which all households must pay to stay connected to the grid).

Ofgem will announce the October cap this Friday.

"This is not the news households want to hear when moving into the colder months," said the principal consultant at Cornwall, Dr Craig Lowrey.

"Following two consecutive falls in the cap, I'm sure many hoped we were on a steady path back to pre-crisis prices. 

"However, the lingering impact of the energy crisis has left us with a market that's still highly volatile and quick to react to any bad news on the supply front.

"Despite this, while we don't expect a return to the extreme prices of recent years, it's unlikely that bills will return to what was once considered normal. Without significant intervention, this may well be the new normal."

Cornwall Insight warned that the highly volatile energy market and unexpected global events, such as the recent escalating tensions in the Russia-Ukraine war, could see prices rise further at the start of the new year.

To avoid this vulnerability, Cornwall Insight said domestic renewable energy production should increase and Britain should wean itself off energy imports.

Kellogg's appears to have shrunk its packets of Corn Flakes. 

Two of its four different pack sizes have reduced in weight by 50g, according to The Sun. 

What used to be 720g boxes are now 670g, while 500g boxes have become 450g. 

The newspaper says the 670g boxes are being sold for £3.20 in Tesco - the same price customers were paying for the larger box back in May. 

The 450g boxes are being sold for £2.19, only slightly less than the previous price of £2.25.

Other supermarkets have similar pricing, although in Morrisons the price has gone down in proportion to the size reduction.

The 250g and 1kg pack sizes remain unchanged. 

Kellogg's has said it is up to shops to choose what they charge, but Tesco said the manufacturer should comment on pricing. 

Sky News has contacted Kellogg's for comment.

A spokesperson is quoted by The Sun: "Kellogg's Corn Flakes are available in four different box sizes to suit different shopper preferences and needs. 

"As the cost of ingredients and production processes increase, it costs us more to make our products than it used to.

"This can impact the recommended retail price. It's the grocer's absolute discretion and decision what price to charge shoppers."

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• WORLD STAMPS

World Stamps

Royal Mail commemorates the Tower of London with new stamps

By David Hartwig

A set of six stamps issued Aug. 13 by Great Britain’s Royal Mail explores the history and traditions of the Tower of London, and four stamps in a souvenir sheet depict some of the most famous prisoners ever held in the tower.

“Over the centuries the Tower of London has played many different roles — from impenetrable fortress to royal residence, menagerie of exotic animals to place of execution, Royal Mint to home of the Crown Jewels,” Royal Mail director of external affairs and policy David Gold said. “These stamps celebrate the myth and legend, ceremony and tradition of one of the most famous buildings in the world.”

The stamps in the set of six are presented in three vertical se-tenant (side-by-side) pairs. The stamps in one pair are valued at the first-class rate (currently £1.35), the stamps in another pair are denominated £2, and the stamps in the third pair are denominated £2.50 (the international standard rate for letters).

The Tower of London, a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames, has stood for nearly a millennium. Initially built by William the Conqueror in 1066, it has served as a royal palace, fortress, prison and more. Today, it is best known as the home of the crown jewels and a symbol of the monarchy.

One of the first-class stamps shows the White Tower, William the Conqueror’s original castle keep. William the Conqueror commissioned the White Tower as a demonstration of Norman power and means to protect London from potential invaders.

A £2.50 stamp in the set shows St. John’s Chapel, another building from this period. Built as a place of worship for William the Conqueror (1027-1087), construction of the chapel was not completed until years after the king’s death.

The other first-class stamp shows members of the Yeoman Warders, the ceremonial guardians of the Tower of London. Popularly known as Beefeaters, the warders have been active for more than 500 years.

One member of the warders serves as Ravenmaster and takes responsibility for the tower’s ravens, one of which is pictured on a £2.50 stamp in the set. While it is not known how long ravens have resided at the tower, we do know they have been there since at least the reign of King Charles II in the 1600s.

The Yeoman Warders have also been responsible for looking after the prisoners in the tower. One of the £2 stamps shows Traitors’ Gate, the waterside entrance through which many prisoners would have entered the tower.

The other £2 stamp shows the Tower Green and the King’s House, which dates back to nearly the formation of the Yeoman Warders.

A souvenir sheet included with the issue provides another image of the Traitors’ Gate in the selvage. Stamps on the sheet show some of the more famous prisoners who served time at the tower during its period as a prison. …

The Tower of London stamps and related products are available online from Royal Mail . Ordering information also is available from Royal Mail, Tallents House, 21 S. Gyle Crescent, Edinburgh, EH12 9PB, Scotland.

To read the complete story about the Tower of London stamps, subscribe to Linn’s Stamp News .

Connect with Linn’s Stamp News: 

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Prince Harry should apologise for slavery, Colombian townsfolk say

‘His ancestors made ours go through terrible times and he can repent to show they don’t agree with what happened’

Prince Harry should apologise for his family’s role in the slave trade, residents of South America’s first “free town” have said.

On the third day of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s quasi royal tour of Colombia, the pair were welcomed to San Basilio’s main square by a group of musicians and children dressed in striking blue and white dresses. 

The Duchess wore head-to-toe white, a sunhat and sunglasses, while Harry wore a blue shirt and beige trousers. 

As they walked into the plaza, the couple stopped to look at the statue of Benkos Bioho, the town’s founder, who is shown reaching out of a stone pillar while clutching a chain. 

Harry and Meghan were then treated to a performance by Kombliesa Mi, a local band famous for “rap of Palenque”. 

A crowd of locals dressed in bright colours filled up the square behind them. 

Ahead of their arrival, locals said they were hopeful Harry would use the moment to apologise for the British crown’s role in the colonial slave trade.

Harry has previously decried the “unjust” system that saw “enslaved people” generate wealth for the Crown, but has stopped short of apologising for his family’s role in the oppressive system.

“I think he does have to [apologise], to free our hearts and our minds and ask for a pardon,” said Segundo Caceres Reyes, 49, president of the town’s local police.

Speaking from outside the force’s turquoise headquarters, he told The Telegraph: “We are in the process of forgiving and forgetting because we know how hard the facts are.”

Hairdresser Elida Canarte Diaz, 33, also said she believes Harry should apologise.

She said: “His ancestors made our ancestors go through terrible times and he can make good faith and repent to show that they don’t agree with what happened before.”

Francia Márquez , Colombia’s vice-president who invited Harry and the Duchess after watching their Netflix documentary , is one of the world’s leading voices in the call for reparations , setting up a national commission to “repair the historical debt owed”.

Ms Marquez said part of her decision to invite the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to Colombia was because she views them as a joint symbol of resistance and two vital voices against injustice.

“The Duke and Duchess came to Colombia…this is Colombia. This is where the roots of our ancestors and our forefathers are from,” she told an audience at the local drum school, which included members of her own family.

“A community like this cannot be displaced.”

She said it was important to preserve Colombian heritage and the art of drumming symbolises freedom for Black communities around the world.

The vice president’s office described the visit to San Basilio de Palenque as a “special meeting to connect with African roots and “to learn about the experiences and living conditions of black, Afro-descendant Raizal and Palenquero peoples in the region”.

Speaking in the town, Harry said: “It feels like we have already seen the whole country.”

He added: “What we are seeing here is everything that is a community, do not forget the message of the vice president, they are stronger together, they are stronger united as one.”

Sussexes praised for ‘breaking protocol’

Tour guide Juan Manuel Márquez Padilla, 37, spoke to the Duke and Duchess during their visit, telling them: “We want racial discrimination to end.”

He told The Telegraph that Harry replied: “We’re working on that.” 

“I liked them because they’re working for human rights,” Mr Padilla added.

Manuel Perez Salinas, the tour guide who showed Harry and Meghan around the town, said he told them about the community’s music, cultural identity, hand crafts and their founder, Benkos Bioho. 

When showing them the statue of the founder, he said he told them: “This is a monument to the liberator of who formed the palenque and led the resistance of the enslaved people to found the first free palenque.”

He praised Harry and Meghan for “breaking protocol” and choosing to visit the town. He said he was not expecting Harry to apologise for the Crown’s role in colonial slavery.

Edwin José Valdés Torres, who played the drums in the band which performed to the couple, said they sang “diverse Africa” which is “about the connection we have with our brothers in Africa”.

He said he was not disappointed Harry did not apologise for the Royal family’s role in colonial slavery, noting “there could be an opportunity to do that later on”.

The Sussexes were treated to a booming reception before hearing about the importance of preserving Cartagena’s Afro-Colombian culture.

The Duke and Duchess also took part in a drum lesson led by the students.

Rafael Ramos, the founder of the school, said: “I love seeing Meghan’s big, big smile — I can tell she’s excited.”

The couple were also given a small handcrafted wooden boat from a student, in honour of the coastal city and its beaches.

While some residents, who are known as Palenqueros, were eager to meet Harry and Meghan, several said they did not even know who they were.

Justo Valdés, 70, the lead singer of the band Son Palenque, was on Saturday morning practising the town’s hymn at the cultural centre to welcome the Duke and Duchess to the town.

“Who is Meghan?” he asked The Telegraph, before going on to ask of which country Harry was a prince.

The small town of about 3,500 people, around 30 miles south of Cartagena, is made up of some 10 roads lined with colourful houses and intricate murals.

Donkeys and chickens roamed the town, while locals set up the sound system in the main square on Saturday morning and prepared for the Duke and Duchess’ arrival.

Others walked around with machetes slung over their shoulders as they prepared to harvest yucca, while some locals bent large branches into an archway that Harry and Meghan were expected to walk underneath.

A group of Colombian soldiers and dozens of police officers were in position across the town ahead of Harry and Meghan’s arrival.

About 3,000 police officers were expected to be deployed throughout Cartagena for their protection, while 250 uniformed officers were assigned to protect Ms Marquez and the Duke and Duchess.

On Friday, Harry and Meghan visited a school and then attended a private lunch hosted by Ms Marquez where they discussed creating safe environments for children around the world

Wearing a striking turquoise blue, sleeveless dress by designer Oscar de la Renta , Meghan addressed the audience in Spanish and said she had been enjoying the trip to the South American country.

The Duke and Duchess’ four-day quasi royal tour started in Bogota on Thursday.

The Colombia trip is the couple’s second DIY “royal tour”, following their Nigeria visit, since they quit their roles as working royals in 2020.

• Prince Harry,
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