30/09/2016
CLOTHED ANIMALS
Published by
LAGOM DESIGN
Designs by
YAGO PARTAL
FAR LEFT – CAT
Ref: 3001
NEAR LEFT – BEAR
Ref: 3003
I have shown previously some of these animal head images with clothing underneath (I seem to remember there was a squirrel, and possibly a goat, and some others – I shall have to have a look now myself). Anyway, here are two more. I love these postcards and they are available now in branches of ‘paperchase’.
There was no posting last night as again I was at Cub Scouts, but I also had to travel afterwards to do a display of postcards to a Philatelic Society (stamp club). I have quickly posted these here today as I am out at a leaving do tonight (so am rushing a bit).
Tomorrow we fly out to Turkey, my first time in this country, so postings will be dependent somewhat on the wifi availability (on arrival, apparently I have to someone about a dongal…if all goes well there will still be regular postings, as I have scanned in a load of postcards to put on). Assuming all goes well then postings will continue – if not, then there may be a delay until I return (I hope not – fingers crossed as I am taking my laptop etc with me to do the webpage).
28/09/2017
JAMES BOND
SIGNED FILM POSTER POSTCARDS
JAMES BOND
‘THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS’
Film Poster Postcard
Published by
CLASSICO SAN FRANCISCO
Ref: 110-098
SIGNED BY
Maryam d’Abo
I am a huge fan of the James Bond films and you can pick up postcards for each and every film in the series. This one here is for the first film to star Timothy Dalton as James Bond.
I have also had the pleasure of meeting a number of the actors who have appeared in these films at signing events and when I do meet them I try and get a postcard signed. This one here has been signed by the actress Maryam d’Arbo who played the character Kara Milovy in this film.
JAMES BOND
‘OCTOPUSSY’
Film Poster Postcard
Published by
CLASSICO SAN FRANCISCO
Ref: 110-096
SIGNED BY
MAUD ADAMS
‘Octopussy’, despite its outrageous name, is one of my favourite Bond movies. This one of course starred Roger Moore as James Bond and had Maud Adams as the titular character ‘Octopussy’ herself.
I met Maud Adams at a Memorabilia Fair at the NEC Birmingham at what was a James Bond signing special event. She has signed and put ‘To Mark’ especially to me. Some collectors do not like to have their name included as it potentially reduces the items future sale price, but, for me these are my souvenirs and I like them signed to me.
JAMES BOND
‘ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE’
Film Poster Postcard
Published by
CLASSICO SAN FRANCISCO
Ref: 110-089
SIGNED BY
GEORGE LAZENBY
George Lazenby only played James Bond in the one film (Sean Connery returned for the next film ‘Diamonds are Forever’). His autograph can be very expensive from dealers but if you meet him at a signing session then they are far more affordable. I found him to be an extremely nice person to, all be it briefly, speak with.
The film ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ is often rated quite highly amongst Bond aficionados and this despite some different tones and the ending, although the ending is what makes this film stand out from many of the others. Although a little stiff, perhaps, I think Lazenby did a reasonable job of playing Bond and it would have interesting to see what he would have made of it with a second film, which sadly, was not to be.
JAMES BOND
‘MOONRAKER’
Film Poster Postcard
Published by
CLASSICO SAN FRANCISCO
Ref: 110-094
SIGNED BY
LOIS CHILES
Moonraker came about as a result of the success of Star Wars and the interest in space related films. Therefore, Bond had to go into space himself. Personally, although I still enjoy it immensely, this is my least favourite Bond movie (although interestingly it is one of my mates favourite Bond films).
Lois Chiles played the hilariously named professor Holly Goodhead (some of the Bond leading ladies had what was intentionally a very, almost ‘Carry On’ film like, rude name).
Although my least favourite Bond film the posters were very good, and this one is a cracker.
Lois Chiles was signing with a gold pen when I met here and she also wrote her character’s name as well. This has also been dedicated to me.
JAMES BOND
‘FOR YOUR EYES ONLY’
Film Poster Postcard
Published by
FILM FREAK PRODUCTIONS (NETHERLANDS)
Ref: FA 529
SIGNED BY
JOHN GLEN
John Glen directed the Bond film ‘For Your Eyes Only’ so when I met him at a signing session I was delighted to find that I had this film poster postcard in my album for him to sign. John dedicated the signature to me and he has a nice bold autograph which looks great on this simple poster design. This is one of my favourites and John Gen really liked the postcard as well.
JAMES BOND
‘THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN’
Film Poster Postcard
Published by
FILM FREAK PRODUCTIONS (NETHERLANDS)
Ref: FA 532
SIGNED BY
BRITT EKLAND
Britt Ekland played another great named Bond female character, Mary Goodnight. This was Roger Moore’s second outing as James Bond and I saw this one at the cinema when it came out (‘Live and Let Die’, which was his first Bond film, was the first Bond film I ever saw, and I saw that at the cinema with my late auntie who was a big Roger Moore fan, which I was, I think, the only reason I got to go with her as she did not want to go on her own). This film featured the amazing car jump stunt where the car turns in the air over the waterway, twisting right round. The stunt is famous and was done in one single shot.
Interestingly, this film also starred Maud Adams in her first Bond appearance, although her character comes to a sticky end in this film.
27/09/2016
THE BEATLES – ANTHOLOGY 1
Published by
SPLASH – MANCHESTER LTD
Ref: X653
This is a lovely piece of artwork which combines segments of images from the early history of The Beatles. The images are taken from their first few years at the Cavern Club and Germany. The Beatles have maintained their collectability and postcards, both contemporary and modern, are still sought after. This one here is a cracker and was bought at the recent Woking Postcard Fair and was worth every penny and more of the 20p I Paid for it.
26/09/2016
ARNOLD PALMER ….. RIP
Arnold Daniel Palmer
10th September 1929 – 25th September 2016
One of the world’s best known and most famous Golfer, nicknamed ‘The King’.
PGA Tour – 62 (5th all time)
EUROPEAN Tour – 2
PGA Tour of Australasia – 2
Champions Tour – 10
Masters Tournament – WON: 1958, 1960, 1962, 1964
U.S Open Championship – WON: 1960
The Open Championship – WON: 1961, 1962
POSTCARD
WALT DISNEY’S
DONALD DUCK
“DONALDS” GOLF GAME
R.K.O. RADIO PICTURE IN TECHNICOLOR
Published by
FABRICATION MD FRANCAISE
MICKEY ET SES AMIS
Ref: D 410
(The number 10/3 appears where the stamp box should be)
26/09/2016
STAR TOURS
WALT DISNEY WORLD
The ‘STAR TOURS’ attraction ride at Walt Disney World in Florida has always been one of my favourites. It is a simulator ride where you are transferred into the world of Star Wars. Initially there was just the one film on the screen and you were taken on a trip into space, but now there is a range of films and you get to travel to a whole range of different planets.
On one of my early trips (2003 I think) I came off the ride and walked into the inevitable, but excellent, gift shop. Whilst looking around, like any real Star Wars fan, and I am a huge fan, I found two superb postcards which are still to this day my favourite Star Wars postcards. These two postcards are depicted here.
HOTH
Explore Beautiful Ice Caverns
Discover The Frozen Beauty
Visit With Native Wildlife
STAR TOURS – THE LEADER IN GALACTIC SIGHTSEEING
The designs are exclusive to the Star Tours attraction and are designed to look like superb holiday promotion posters. The planet Hoth first appeared in the second Star Wars film ‘The Empire Strikes Back’. The creature being ridden in the main illustration on this poster is called a Tauntaun (which all Star Wars fans know), and in the circle bottom right is a Wampa, a ‘yeti’ like creature. Both of these creatures appear in the film.
NABOO
UNDERWATER PARADISE
Deluxe Accommodations
Experience Big Game Fishing on Beautiful Naboo
STAR TOURS – THE LEADER IN GALACTIC SIGHTSEEING
The planet Naboo appeared first in the film ‘Star Wars -The Phantom Menace’ which was the first of the prequel movies. I-nfact I think the under-water film segments of this film are some of the best bits as I loved all the creatures that you got to see. It is perhaps interesting to note that this postcard here was on sale many years before the films on the actual Star Tours Ride were updated to include a variety of planets that are visited, and that Naboo is now included in one segment of these films and it is the one which I think is the best (especially at the end with the ….. no, I shall leave that for you to either know, because you have ridden this, or find out with the same pleasure I did)
FIRST MOON OF ENDOR
Explore the Exotic
Guided Tours by Friendly Natives
Stay in Beautiful Ewok Village
STAR TOURS – THE LEADER IN GALACTIC SIGHTSEEING
Now, if you were paying attention at the start of this posting you will have noticed that I mentioned that I had bought two postcards! Clearly here you have a third. This one was not on sale when I attended, despite it clearly being in exactly the same format. In-fact I believed for many years that there were only the above two cards, an obvious assumption from my point of view as there had been two big stacks of the cards and they seemed to be a set of two… how wrong was I!
Many years later I found myself looking through postcards on another website and up popped this ‘First Moon of Endor’ postcard. Clearly it was the same format as the two I had, but this was the first time I had seen it. I immediately wanted a copy, oh, did I want a copy. I searched eBay and other sites, and I searched through the stock of many modern postcard dealers and, to be honest, I was giving hope of ever seeing an actual copy, but then, two weeks ago one cropped up on eBay from an American seller. But, it was expensive, and the postage was also high…. Is this a card worth about £13? Apparently, it is, but then I had to have it really as I am a big Star Wars fan and a big Disney fan as well and this card combines those two themes excellently (but I still think the Hoth one is the best though).
25/09/2016
THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON
ROYAL MAIL STAMP ISSUE
PHQ/STAMP CARDS
Continuing my ongoing depiction of the Royal Mail stamp issue PHQ Stamp cards I here post the latest set that I have received from my supplier. As with all my cards they come with the relevant stamp applied to the front, and with each cancelled with an appropriate, and different, first day of issue cancellation.
The stamps in this set, a smaller than usual issue of just six stamps, celebrate (or perhaps that should be commemorate as it was a major disaster) the 350th anniversary of the great fire.
The illustrations used here, which are in a comic book strip style, are by the artist John Higgins.
THE GREAT FIRE OF LONDON
Ref: PHQ 420 (1) 9. 16
Sunday, 2nd September 1666 – the fire breaks out
24/09/2016
WOKING POSTCARD FAIR
23RD & 24TH September 2016
Design by John Pulham
Ref: PTAW2
Published by the Postcard Traders Association
This is the second time the Woking fair attendees have been given a free postcard. I really like this one as it has all the hallmarks of a postcard fair postcard, date, location and a nice piece of artwork. This one here is the one I received today on my visit.
I have mentioned the Woking Postcard fair before. It is a bi-annual show and is over two days, a Friday and a Saturday, and on the Saturday they have an extra modern’s postcard area. I have never failed to obtain a substantial stack of postcards from the dealers here, and today was no exception.
The vast majority of postcards from today were, naturally enough for me, television themed. But, Interestingly, I noticed that there were far more European issued television related postcards on offer than I would normally expect to find. Many of these were from the 1960’ and from Holland, mainly, and France. I have no doubt many of these will appear here over future postings.
The next Woking fair dates are the 12th & 13th May 2017
24/09/2016
THE WALKING DEAD
‘ALL OUT WAR’
MIDNIGHT RELEASE PARTY
‘Come celebrate 10 Years of The Walking Dead’
10/09/2013
The Walking Dead graphic novel series has been turned into a very popular and successful television series (which is where my interest comes in). I was previously aware of this particular postcard as I had seen it on eBay, but the cheapest was around £6, and they all had expensive postage as well as they were all from the US (often around £18). So you can imagine my delight to pick this one up at the Woking fair today for 75p.
The postcard advertises the releases dates for the graphic novel series titled ‘ALL OUT WAR’. The dates are listed on the reverse side – see below – along with a nice printed cachet like mark: TEN YEARS – THE WALKING DEAD – 2003 – 2013.
24/09/2016
WICKED
Published by
BOOMERANG
I posted three ‘WICKED’ related postcards a few days ago, but today I found this one at the Fair. So that now makes four ‘Boomerang’ postcards issued for this musical. I have posted this here to go with the previous selection. There is a very detailed block of text on the reverse side – see below.
24/09/2016
BEAMISH
NORTH OF ENGLAND OPEN AIR MUSEUM, BEAMISH, STANLEY, COUNTY DURHAM
Printed by
Larkfield Printing Co. Ltd
Ref: 7
“Pitman bathing in front of a coal fired range in kitchen of about 1890. One of a row of six pit cottages from Francis Street, Hetton-le-Hole, County Durham, now rebuilt at the North of England Open Air Museum, Beamish, Stanley, County Durham”
(Text from reverse side of Postcard)
Many, many years ago I saw this postcard depicted in a catalogue and it stuck in my memory so when I saw it today, for just 15p, I decided to buy it.
24/09/2016
MUSK-OX
COMMONWEALTH INSTITUTE, KENSINGTON HIGH STREET
Ref: CKCOM 07
Printed in Great Britain by
Jarrold & Sons Ltd (Norwich)
“Musk-ox, native only to arctic Canada and Greenland. In Canada they are protected because of their reduced numbers”
(Text from reverse side of Postcard)
Sometimes you just buy a postcard because when you look at it, and you don’t always know why, you have to have it. This postcard, of a stuffed Musk-Ox at the Commonwealth Institute, would have fitted nicely into my childhood ‘Animal’ postcard collection, and I expect it is probably from around that time as well.
24/09/2016
TONY BLAIR MP
ANAGRAM
I’M TORY PLAN ‘B’
Published by
GATHERED IMAGES
Ref: Public Domain PD: 11
Nice ‘Political’ themed postcard from the days of Tony Blair’s government. Interestingly, and amusingly, the anagram does actually work!
This is another postcard which I had previously seen pictured in an old ‘Picture Postcard Magazine’ and which I had been looking for ever since. I bought it today for £1.50, which is around about the correct valuation for this one.
Tomorrow - 23/09/2016 - I will be out spending the night with an old friend from Australia that I have not seen for many many years - it may be a late night so I suspect there may not be a posting, so bare with me.
Saturday - 24/09/2016 I shall be attending the Woking Postcard Fair, where they have a modern postcard fair area. This is a two hour drive away, but it is worth it. I shall post some pictures on the facebook page whilst there and will put some postcards on here when I get back Saturday night. I normally end up buying quite a few postcards at this bi-annual fair as it is one of my favourites. Until then, enjoy tonights posting.
22/09/2016
I MAY BE SITTING DOWN BUT I’LL STILL KICK YOUR ASS
2015 GIO WHEELCHAIR RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIPS
19TH – 21ST AUGUST – SYDNEY OLYMPIC PARK SPORTS CENTRE
FIERCE 4 RUGBY NATIONALS
SIX TEAMS
ONE WINNER.
WHO WILL SURVIVE?
DISABILITY SPORTS AUSTRALIA
Published by
AVANTCARD AUSTRALIA
Ref: #18942
Not much more to say about this postcard release really, except perhaps to say that it is a real cracker. A superb free foreign design which shows how having a disability should not stop a person taking part in sport.
21/09/2016
SOUTHEND – ON – SEA
Published by
SALMON
Cameracolour Post Card
Ref: 2 – 40 – 10 – 05
(SOS MULTI 2401005 – number applied to small bar code sticker attached bottom right side on reverse side of postcard – I assume this was an update bar code and that copies from earlier could be available without this additional bar code sticker)
Could any postcard look more like the typical postcard that most people think a postcard should look like. Possibly made even more typical by being a postcard depicting seaside views. This postcard was bought only a couple of years ago but it has already disappeared from the spinners. Does it have any value? To be honest, No. But I am sure by now you will have noticed that I care little for the value of the postcards in my collection, I care more for their subject matter and usage. Don’t get me wrong, if they are valuable as well I won’t complain, but, for me, who lives in Southend, this card here is a nice local gem of a postcard (it was also very cheap – always a bonus).
REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD
I find this one curious because of the small bar code sticker that has been applied over the printed bar code in the bottom right corner. This is the first time I have come across this on a postcard. I have seen information stickers applied and stickers for changes of text etc, but never a complete bar code update.
21/09/2016
FAR LEFT
WICKED
‘LONDON’S No1 SHOW’
Published by
BOOMERANG MEDIA
“A WICKED AND WONDERFUL VISION OF OZ. – A REMARKABLE KALEIDOSCOPE OF MAGICAL SHOCKS, SURPRISES AND SENSATIONS – ‘WICKED’ WORKS LIKE A DREAM. Nicholas de Jongh, Evening Standard”
(Text from reverse side of Postcard)
The ‘Wicked’ stage musical is one of my daughter’s favourites and for the London showings there have been some wonderful postcards, with the bonus that all three depicted here were initially free (copies from postcard dealers should cost you anywhere between 50p and £1 each).
The musical is based on a novel by Gregory Maguire which came out in 1995 and which was titled ‘Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West. The musical is therefore told from the perspective of the witches of the Land of Oz, who are best known to many from the appearance in the 1939 film ‘The Wizard of Oz’, which was itself taken from the 1900 classic L. Frank Baum story ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’.
NEAR LEFT
WICKED
‘A WIZARD HIT’
Published by
BOOMERANG MEDIA
“A SPELLBINDING EXPERIENCE. FULL OF SUSPENSE, SURPRISES AND HARRY POTTER-STYLE MAGIC – Magic 105.4”
(Text from reverse side of Postcard)
This postcard here depicts the character known as Elphaba (the Wicked Witch of the West). The musical tells the story of Elphaba and her friend Galinda, who later in the story changes her name to Glinda the Good Witch. These unlikely friends are the mainstay of the musicals story.
The musical officially opened on the 10th June 2003 at the Curran Theatre in San Francisco, after previews which had begun back on the 28th May in a pre-Broadway ‘tryout’.
WICKED
‘THE WEST END SENSATION’
Published by
BOOMERANG MEDIA
“A WICKED AND WONDERFUL VISION OF OZ. – A REMARKABLE KALEIDOSCOPE OF MAGICAL SHOCKS, SURPRISES AND SENSATIONS – ‘WICKED’ WORKS LIKE A DREAM. Nicholas de Jongh, Evening Standard”
(Text from reverse side of Postcard)
When the musical moved to London for the first time it began its previews at the Apollo Victoria Theatre from the 7th September 2006, with the official opening on the 27th September. This popular musical thus celebrated its fifth anniversary in 2011 and is still running and has taken bookings up to April 2017.
In 2014 (3rd June) the musical became the 10th longest running show in the West End. Interestingly the London production has slight changes from the US Broadway original production. The London (and later UK, when it went on tour in Sept 2013, finishing up in Salford on 25th July 2015) version has minor dialogue changes and choreography which is tailored a little more to the British Audience. Interestingly these changes later went on to be used in all productions of the musical
20/09/2016
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Postal Stationery Postcard
According to the ‘Higgins & Gage World Postal Stationery Catalogue – Section 18’ this postal stationery card depicted here was issued in 1879 and is a two cents value postal card. Two versions were issued and believe this is the card reference S5b – Two Cents dark blue on light buff card (the other version is blue or pale blue on pale buff card – Ref S5 – although how you tell the difference between ‘pale buff’ and ‘light buff’ I don’t know, so this may be this version).
This copy here was posted to London from New York with the printed postage stamp being cancelled with a NEW YORK ‘4’ Duplex styled cancellation dated 2nd June 1898. The card has also received an arrival date cancel for TOTTENHAM S.O, dated 11th June 1898. The sender has written that they had a splendid passage over and were on their way to Kansas. All in all a nice usage and clear cancels.
20/09/2016
ARRAS
Published by
YVES DUCOURITIOUX
‘Collectionnez les Cartes Fines – Yves Ducourtioux – Sites et monuments”
Ref: No 62637
ARRAS – Place des Heros
When I was in France in early July we visited Arras (see previous posting relating to the ‘Giants of Arras’). Whilst here I came across these two postcards, which are identical in design except for the colouring. On one the map is pale green and the boarder block pale blue, and the ‘Place des Heros’ has been lightly coloured as well. On the other the map is pale blue whilst the boarder block is pale green, but here the image has not been coloured and is black and white. The reverse side of the two postcards are identical.
I do not know why two versions were produced, unless it was to have collectors like me buy two postcards instead of just one – if this was the desired effect, it clearly worked. This is another good example of looking closely at what you are buying as it would have been possible for me to have overlooked one of these thinking I had already seen it.
20/09/2016
SCIENCE MUSEUM
“COSMONAUTS”
When I visited the Science Museum last (see previous postings) I found some postcards in the shop related to an exhibition which was titled ‘Cosmonauts, Birth of the Space Age’ (this exhibition is no longer running). There were three postcards which appealed to me and I depict them here:
COSMONAUTS
VALENTINA VLADIMIROVNA TERESHKOVA
RUSSIAN COSMONAUT – 1963
Ref: 385381
Tereshkova was both a cosmonaut and a politician. She was the first woman to have flown in space. She was one of five finalists, picked from over four hundred applicants, to pilot Vostok 6 on 16th June 1963. She completed 48 orbits of the Earth on a three-day flight.
Prior to becoming a cosmonaut Tereshkova was a textile-factory assembly worker with an interest in skydiving.
As requirement to become a cosmonaut Tereshkova had to be inducted, by honour, into the Soviet Air Force. This also lead to her technically being the first civilian to enter space.
This Russian poster, depicted here, shows Tereshkova in her space helmet with a small red rocket marked up as Vostok 6.
PHOTOGRAPH
13/08/2016
Here in my photograph you can see that this poster is still on display in the main hall. Interestingly, for me, the four framed pictures along the bottom are the original hand painted pages from Eagle comic depicting the comic strip pages for Dan Dare stories. I am a big fan of Dan Dare and these were a delight to see.
COSMONAUTS
YURI GAGARIN
Ref: 385411
Depicted here on this postcard is a postcard design that was issued in the Soviet Union after the spaceflight of cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, the first man in space. It was a major achievement, not without loss, for the Russian’s to place the first man into space. They beat the Americans, which came as a shock to them, and Yuri Gagarin became one of the most famous Russian’s of this period.
COSMONAUTS
YURI GAGARIN’S PILOTS LICENCE
Photographed at the State Historical Museum, Moscow
Ref: 385442
Unfortunately, this exhibition was no longer running when I visited as I would have liked to have seen this item. But at least I was able to buy this postcard which depicts the licence. Being very interested in the history of Space Flight, and those involved, this postcard sits nicely in my collection.
19/09/2016
ROYAL MAIL CANTERBURY
LEYLAND FREIGHTER VEHICLE
“SOLD TO RAISE FUNDS – PROJECT ROMANIA – 1991”
“The photograph overleaf shows one of Canterbury Districts latest 17 ton Leyland Freighter vehicles, bearing Royal Mail’s new corporate livery. Distinctive streamlined wind deflectors and ‘side skirts’ contribute to an improved airflow and reduction in drag – thereby increasing fuel efficiency and road performance. (They were brought into service locally on 24th May 1990)”
THANK YOU VISITING THIS ROYAL MAIL OFFICE
Please accept this souvenir postcard with the compliments of your District Head Postmaster, David Back, as a memento of your visit”
(Text from reverse side of Postcard)
There is a wide range of collectors out there who specialise in Royal Mail official postcards, and especially any that depict the range of Royal Mail’s many vehicles.
This particular postcard here is actually quite a scarce one, and mint copies are valued around £8, which is a lot for what is a fairly modern postcard. But, my copy here is valued nearer £12 because of something that has been applied to the reverse side – see below
REVERSE SIDE OF ABOVE POSTCARD
CACHET:
“SOLD TO RAISE FUNDS – PROJECT ROMANIA – 1991”
As you can see here this copy has a circular black cachet on the left side which reads “SOLD TO RAISE FUNDS – PROJECT ROMANIA – ROYAL MAIL CANTERBURY 1991”. This is a very scarce cachet and adds some considerable value to the postcard, in fact it increases it by a third (from £8 without to £12 with).
19/09/2016
FOUND DAMAGED IN A PILLAR BOX FIRE AT LIVERPOOL
“The Postmaster is very sorry that this packet has been accidentally damaged / delayed (*crossed out*)
In the post”
This postcard was posted by a Mr Garrigan in hopes of winning a competition (the answer was apparently ‘NIJINSKY’ as only Nijinsky won the Triple Crown” – this has been written on the other side of the card). Unfortunately for him the card was damaged in a pillar box fire. The edge top right has been blackened by this fire, so the damage received was not extreme and the postcard appears to have made its journey.
Because of the fire the card has received a purple boxed cachet which reads “FOUND DAMAGED IN A PILLAR BOX FIRE AT LIVERPOOL”. Top left the postal authorities have stuck down a small form – reference P 125H – which apologises for the item being damaged (the full text is included in the title at the top). This small form has been cancelled with a circular LONDON E.C. cancellation dated 22 Nov 1979, London being the point of destination for the card. The stamps have not been cancelled because the small label has been – so they have been drawn through with a pen.
The month on the cancel could give a very good idea of what happened with the pillar box, and clearly fires were a regular issue as they had a cachet especially produced for this. November is of course the month of ‘Fireworks Night’ and kids, it seems, had a fascination with placing lit fireworks into our red post boxes and waiting for the subsequent ‘Bang’. As to whether this was what happened (and I suspect it was – although I once heard a story about a stamp and postal history dealer who would deliberately singe/burn some items of mail and then place these, with an already burnt out firework, into a post box especially to receive a cachet like this one – but these were addressed to himself so that he could sell them on to collectors – this card here is a competition entry postcard so I feel it is a genuine damaged item ), the cachet is a nice addition.
19/09/2016
COLCHESTER & DIST. PS
(Colchester & District Philatelic Society)
For the AEPS (Association of Essex Philatelic Societies) Autumn Rally, held on 3rd November 1979, at Holmewood House School, Lexden, Colchester, the Colchester & District Philatelic Society, who were hosting the event, issued a special postmark postcard. The postcard was designed by Mike Southall, and it was the first in a series of postmark postcard issued by the society. The postcard depicts Colchester postmarks from 1840 to 1894. Two versions were produced, the normal version was printed on white card and, according to the entry in the AEPS Members Handbook, was numbered up to at least No 00774 (Ref: 51.1). The second version was a limited edition print on yellow card (Ref: 51.3) which was especially produced just for the members of the Colchester Philatelic Society and VIP’s attending the show. Depicted here is one of these yellow card versions.