Special festive decoration of Frome postbox to honour winning stamp artist

A schoolboy who won Royal Mail’s 2017 Christmas Stamp Design Competition has had a postbox specially designed to mark his success.

The postbox in Scott Road, Frome, was decorated with a specially designed wrap featuring Ted Lewis-Clark’s 1st class stamp. It will remain in place throughout Christmas and the New Year.

Ted said, “I’m very excited about the postbox, and to see my design on it will be very cool!”

Kate Stewart, head of art at Oakfield Academy where Ted is a pupil said, “It’s a wonderful accolade for the school and we are extremely proud of Ted and his achievement. Not only that, but the £1,000 he has won for the art department will benefit all pupils, with proposed workshops with a local artist and new art equipment.”

Since winning the competition Ted has attended Clarence House for a prize-giving presentation by The Prince of Wales and had a postmark applied to millions of items of stamped mail that said: ‘Congratulations Ted Lewis-Clark Winner of Royal Mail’s Christmas Stamp Design Competition 2017’.

Ted also won £1,000 and £1,000 for his school.

Ted’s winning design was one of two chosen from over 200,000 entries received from children aged 4-11 years across the UK in response to the question ‘What does the Christmas season mean to you?’

This is only the fourth time in Royal Mail’s 500-year history that children have designed the Christmas Stamps

Both winning designs of the Christmas 1st class and 2nd class stamps were approved by The Queen.

The 2017 Christmas stamps are on sale now from www.royalmail.com/ christmas2017 by phone on 03457 641 641 and in all Post Offices throughout the UK.

Other Christmas stamps for different postal rates, and a religious-themed issue are also available.