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| Royal Mail backs down over golden postbox in Ben Ainslie's home town | Royal Mail backs down over golden postbox in Ben Ainslie's home town |
| (8 days later) | |
| After an act of goodwilled vandalism, an arrest, a community campaign and some vocal support from the right quarters, the home town of the Olympic sailor Ben Ainslie will finally have its golden moment. | After an act of goodwilled vandalism, an arrest, a community campaign and some vocal support from the right quarters, the home town of the Olympic sailor Ben Ainslie will finally have its golden moment. |
| Royal Mail has decided to honour Lymington with a golden postbox as a lasting tribute to Ainslie's victory, following several days of drama that have gripped local residents. | Royal Mail has decided to honour Lymington with a golden postbox as a lasting tribute to Ainslie's victory, following several days of drama that have gripped local residents. |
| The postal service originally chose a box in Restronguet, Cornwall, where Ainslie grew up and learned to sail. In Lymington, where the Olympian now lives, a bar and restaurant owner, Rob Smith, took matters into his own hands and spraypainted another postbox in a late-night guerrilla act of homage. | The postal service originally chose a box in Restronguet, Cornwall, where Ainslie grew up and learned to sail. In Lymington, where the Olympian now lives, a bar and restaurant owner, Rob Smith, took matters into his own hands and spraypainted another postbox in a late-night guerrilla act of homage. |
| Smith was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and later released on bail, and officials said the sullied box would be restored to its former state. But after a few words of support from the sailor at the centre of the storm, Royal Mail has reversed the decision. | Smith was arrested on suspicion of criminal damage and later released on bail, and officials said the sullied box would be restored to its former state. But after a few words of support from the sailor at the centre of the storm, Royal Mail has reversed the decision. |
| It will remove the car paint that Smith applied in the dead of night on Saturday and repaint the postbox in Royal Mail-approved gold. | It will remove the car paint that Smith applied in the dead of night on Saturday and repaint the postbox in Royal Mail-approved gold. |
| A spokesman, Nick Martens, said: "After speaking with Ben we have agreed to repaint the postbox on Lymington high street at his request, and are delighted to do so. Ben is a local hero in Lymington and now he will be one of the few lucky Team GB gold medallists to have two gold postboxes celebrating his achievement. However, we still highly recommend people leave the painting of postboxes to Royal Mail." | A spokesman, Nick Martens, said: "After speaking with Ben we have agreed to repaint the postbox on Lymington high street at his request, and are delighted to do so. Ben is a local hero in Lymington and now he will be one of the few lucky Team GB gold medallists to have two gold postboxes celebrating his achievement. However, we still highly recommend people leave the painting of postboxes to Royal Mail." |
| Ainslie, a four-time Olympic gold medallist, has lived in the Hampshire coastal town for 12 years and is an honorary life member of the Royal Lymington yacht club. Asked about the postbox at a homecoming event at the club on Tuesday, the sailor said: "Obviously the police didn't really like it but it's really nice the Olympics generated that kind of excitement in the nation. To hear the stories of support around the nation made such a huge difference to us as competitors, it was really very, very special." | Ainslie, a four-time Olympic gold medallist, has lived in the Hampshire coastal town for 12 years and is an honorary life member of the Royal Lymington yacht club. Asked about the postbox at a homecoming event at the club on Tuesday, the sailor said: "Obviously the police didn't really like it but it's really nice the Olympics generated that kind of excitement in the nation. To hear the stories of support around the nation made such a huge difference to us as competitors, it was really very, very special." |
| Ainslie described 51-year-old Smith as a "legend of Lymington", and a Facebook campaign attracted more than 2,000 supporters. One campaigner, Ian Watkins, said Royal Mail had "caved in to the demands of the people", and added: "Lymington is a small town with not many heroes. We are very proud of what Ben has achieved." | Ainslie described 51-year-old Smith as a "legend of Lymington", and a Facebook campaign attracted more than 2,000 supporters. One campaigner, Ian Watkins, said Royal Mail had "caved in to the demands of the people", and added: "Lymington is a small town with not many heroes. We are very proud of what Ben has achieved." |
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