Norvic Philatelics Blog

Small hoard of pre-decimal booklets for sale

2026-10-27T15:45:06.709+00:00

There is always something unexpected lurking in a cupboard, and today it's a group of pre-decimal booklets.

Examples of the booklets found

THE BOOKLETS ARE ALL SOLD - THANK YOU FOR READING.

These booklets were made up from special printings of stamps (and interleaving information pages and covers) usually arranged in se-tenant columns which were assembled in order, then stitched, and guillotined.

As with the very earliest Prestige Stamp books (Stamps for Cooks, Wedgwood) this meant that the perforations were where the guillotine was supposed to fall. Consequently most of the stamp panes had the perforations to some extent trimmed, as this 10p decimal pane.

If you were lucky, and new the sub-postmaster well, you could examine all the stock for these booklets and pick out the good ones. Sadly this group did not get that benefit and most are trimmed to a greater or lesser degree.

The SG Concise Catalogue numbers and booklet values are as follows:

4/6 L67p, L69p, LP45, LP46, LP47, LP49, LP51, LP54. Numbers 46-54 have pictorial covers showing ships

5/- H74, HP36, HP27, HP31, HP34. These have illustrated covers (34 - Philympia)

6.- QP40, QP42 (October & November), QP45

10/- X16p, XP4, XP6, XP7 (4-7 show Explorers)

Also included are nice clean examples of the experimental machine-vended booklets:

1/- E1 (blankcover, vertical pairs of stamps with Tudor watermark and no interleaving), K2 & K3 St Edwards and Multiple Crown watermarks respectively, and 2/- N2 with all inverted watermarks..

Also represented the so-called 'Holiday Booklets' with contents aimed at holiday-makers posting postcards at the 2½d rate, and having at least one pane with se-tenant 2½d and ½d stamps.

A glance at the catalogue reveals that many of these are very common, especially the early booklets costing only 1 or 2 shillings (5/10p).

The best of the bunch are H74 catalogued at £32 but with mixed perforations, L67p cat £17 which is trimmed at the top, and L79p catalogued £12 each (2 examples one of which has ll panes with inverted watermarks.)

Priced individually at £55, all thirty-two for £50 post paid. And some booklet wrappers thrown in for free - these might be scarcer than some of the booklets! A full list describing the state of the perforations from Good to mixed to poor, is available - please ask.

Leave a comment below if interested and email me at the usual address.

If you particularly want any individual booklets but not the lot, then send an email and we wil hold these until we decide that nobody wants the whole group.

(Also available some early independent Channel Islands booklets - please let me know if interestd.)

Remembrance stamp set of 6 stamps - 11 November 2026

2026-10-27T00:01:00.000+00:00

As usual, Royal Mail are keeping the Christmas designs under wraps until the day of issue - or whatever date their web team decides to release them into their webshop - But we can show the Remembrance issue, issued a week later, before then.

On Armistice Day 2026, Royal Mail is issuing a set of six commemorative stamps to honour the service and sacrifices made by the nation’s armed forces. This year will mark 110 years since the Battle of the Somme in 1916.

Armistice Day - the national day of remembrance – is observed annually to honour the service and sacrifice of those who have lost their lives in conflict and military operations. Marked by acts of reflection across the United Kingdom, including the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph in London, Armistice Day is one of the country's most significant occasions of collective remembrance.

The stamps

6 x 1st class Remembrance stamps issued 11 November 2026
Saluting an RAF flypast; Royal Marines bugler at the Cenotaph; First World War soldier.
Laying of wreaths at Tyne Cot Cemetery; Second World War soldiers; Laying of wreaths at a village war memorial. (Click to enlarge)

Technical details

The six stamps have been designed by Baxter & Bailey using illustrations by Matthew Cook*. They were printed by Cartor Security Printers in litho on gummed paper, perf 14½, size 60 x 30 mm in three sheets of 60 se-tenant pairs vertically as shown above.

* I'm grateful to WhiteKinght over on the Commonwealth Stamps Opinion blog for (a) reminding us that this is the 25th anniversary of the start of the most recent war in Afghanistan, and (b) noting that artist Matthew Cook, is a veteran of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars.

Products

Stamps, first day cover, presentation pack, postcards, framed set, medal cover. (A collector sheet is mentioned but not shown in the information provided to us, and it is not included on the order form.)

Royal Mail explains 'errors' in the information provided; Christmas posting; last chance to buy.

2026-10-23T21:32:22.860+01:00

Readers will be aware that some products have turned out to be not as desribed in pre-release information. We had put this down to poor editing and copy/paste errors from one news release to the next.

We had an email from Royal Mail today explaining the situation:

We apologise for inaccuracies in the printing details published in recent releases.

Collector Sheets are normally printed on self-adhesive paper. However, approval delays over the summer meant that some scheduled press dates were missed. To avoid similar delays to those affecting the Prestige Stamp Books, the Duran Duran and Winnie the Pooh Collector sheets, previously advertised as self-adhesive, were instead switched to gum paper for an earlier delivery date.

Thank you for your patience and understanding.

So there we have it. The publicity information we use is what they intended to do, but the process was changed by the product managers in conjunction with the printers, and it probably came as a surprise to the philatelic department as it did to us.

Christmas posting dates inland

• Friday 18 December - 2nd Class and 2nd Class Signed For 
• Saturday 19 December - Royal Mail Tracked 48® 
• Monday 21 December - 1st Class, 1st Class Signed For and Tracked 24® 
• Wednesday 23 December - Special Delivery Guaranteed®  

Last Chance to Buy

The following stamp issues and related products will go off sale on the 31st December 2026

• Dogs
• Red Arrows
• The Tower of London
• Porridge
• Sir Winston Churchill

Looking further ahead the following stamp issues and related products are expected to go off sale on the 31st March 2027 (subject to final confirmation)

• Peppa Pig
• Dungeons & Dragons
• Spice Girls
• The Who  

PHP Vulnerability

2026-10-22T11:42:40.448+01:00

Users of websites worldwide have been affected by a security vulnerability within a programming language called PHP, which has been used internationally since the 2000s to build websites.

BBC report

If Google's Blogger (which hosts this blog) is affected we would expect Google to take action to limit the ability of hackers to get in. In any case there is no personal data held here except your name if you have used it in comments. If you have a Google account then that is also a different matter.

There are no PHP elements in our website (norphil.co.uk and norvic-philatelics.co.uk) which has been written entirely by me using HTML3 since 1998. I wouldn't know where to start with PHP (or CSS for those who know what that is!)

If our online shop is affected then the host, Freewebstore, will take appropriate action.

The inconsistency in Royal Mai's stamp product designs is the one constant: this time booklet fonts..

2026-10-15T21:24:49.904+01:00

The Booklet of Pooh arrived this morning, the date of issue. One thing that is now confirmed is that the font used on the booklet is not the same as is used on contemporary Christmas and Definitive booklets.

In the picture below, the top booklet shows the pre-October 2016 style. The "4 X" is thicker on the Pooh booklet but still has the closed '4" rather than the open "4" of the last two designs; the "1st" is almost identical.

This was replaced by the one with rounded lettering below, in October 2016.

The November 2025 Queen Victoria (1d black) booklet had the text in a new format again.

Queen Voctoria booklet November 2025.

The definitive booklets with this font appeared gradually in spring of this year with an official distribution in March. This change was ignored when the Winnie The Pooh booklet was produced.

Christmas 2025 font.

Slogan postmarks for October - and interesting postmarks and news

2026-10-13T16:17:49.605+01:00

October had, predictably, started with the British Heart Foundation (BHF) default slogan, and we already have both layouts, mine from Cornwall and RobertW sent one from Medway Mail Centre.

Cornwall Mail Centre 05/10/2026 and Medway 12-10-2026

British Heart Foundation Cornwall Mail Centre 05/10/2026

British Heart Foundation Medway Mail Centre 12-10-2026

In previous Octobers there have been a number of interesting slogans but we have no indication that these will be repeated this year.

UPDATE 17 October. Last minute news reaches me of a new slogan to be used to mark the visit of the Sultan of Oman to United Kingdom.

His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tarik, Sultan of Oman has accepted an invitation from The King to pay a State Visit to the United Kingdom from Tuesday 20th until Thursday 22nd October, 2026.

Their Majesties The King and Queen will host the State Visit at Windsor Castle.

My thanks to PeterD and RobertW for speedily sending these images. Peter's from Gatwick, Robert wih one from each of Bristol and Medway thus giving us both formats.

Welcome His Majesty
Sultan Haitham bin Tarik
Sultan of Oman
State Visit 2026

Sultan of Oman slogan Gatwick Mail Centre 19/10/2026

Sultan of Oman slogans Bristol Mail Centre 19/10/2026 and Medway Mail Centre19-10-2026

Other postmarks and postal markings

Remember, slogan postmarks appearing in October will be added to this post so check here before you spend time scanning and emailing.

A reminder of what these monthly listings are for.

For each month I record the different slogans in use, plus the default slogan that is used when there is nothing else.

For each of these I try to record only one of each of the basic two types, plus any that are reversed on square envelopes, which normally only gives three or four.

Occasionally a slogan appears with different line spacing in the same format.

I do not record multiple versions of the same as any of these unless I later get a much better example of one that I showed purely for the record, but which is otherwise not very clear.

The only exception to this, which doesn't seem to happen much these days, is when a slogan is used well out of time.

I mention this only to avoid readers unnecessarily duplicating what has already been provided.

Pooh - another stamp issue for the bear and friends on 14 October 2026

2026-10-08T00:01:00.000+01:00

Winnie-the-Pooh first appeared on a British stamp in 1979 as one of four stamps marking the United Nations International Year of the Child. More recently Pooh and his friends featured on the 2010 Children's Books Europa set, though why ten stamps were devoted to one set of characters from the books is unclear. Four years earlier, the Animal Tales joint issue with the USPS covered ten different books, but not including Pooh.

I must confess I thought the bear had made more appearances on British stamps, but I suppose the seemingly unending appearances of Paddington might have confused me. Add in Rupert, Alice, Peter Rabbit, and many others, going back to the Greetings Booklets, one could - I hope - be forgiven for losing track.

But it would be difficult to argue against at least the basic premise of this issue as 2026 marks the centenary of the first publication of Winnie the Pooh by A A Milne in 2026. You can read more about the character and the story behind the stores here on our webpage for the 2010 issue.

The new set is illustrated in "the style of E.H. Shephard's original book illustrations "before Pooh got his iconic red shirt". Some may think the red shirt came with Disney, as shown on the PSB's definitive pane shown below, but the red shirt first appeared in 1932 as shown on the Piglet fan sheet when the characters were drawn in colour by Stephen Slesinger, a US comic book pioneer who bought the copyright to Pooh in 1930. After Slesinger's death in 1953, his widow licensed the rights to Disney in return for regular royalties, which is why any first day covers or special handstamps now have to be licensed through The Walt Disney Company.

The stamps

Set of 6 x 1st class Winnie the Pooh stamps issued 14 October 2026.

Miniature Sheet

Miniature sheet of 4 x 1st class Winnie the Pooh stamps issued 14 October 2026.

Technical Details

The set of stamps and miniature sheet is designed by Supple Studio ©Disney. Based on the ‘Winnie the Pooh’ works by A.A. Milne and E.H. Shepard. The 4x x 30 mm stamps were printed by Cartor Security Printers in lithography on gummed paper, in three sheets of 60 in vertical se-tenant pairs, with phosphor bars. The 115 x 89 mm miniature sheet contains three 27 x 37 mm and one 41 x 30 mm (Eeyore) stamps perforated 14 (14½ x 14 mm Eeyore) printed in lithography on gummed paper with all-over phosphor. The Press Sheet contains eight miniature sheets.

Collectors Sheet

The sheet contains 10 first class stamps with four of the stamps included twice, matched with other illustrations as labels. The lithography-printed sheet is self-adhesive.

Update: Reader Chris has commented that this is incorrect, the sheet has PVA gum and so the stamps are (more or less) the same as those in sheets - it is quite likely that the phosphor is differently spaced or the perforations might even be different, but I don't buy them for anyone so I cannot confirm.

Self-adhesive Collectors Sheet

Prestige Stamp Book

The book describes the evolution of the story over a hundred years from the Milne story and Shephard illustrations to the modern Disney renditions.

Four prestige book panes including the set of 6, plus two extra Pooh & Piglet stamps,
miniature sheet and definitive pane containing 1p, 50p, £2, 2 x £1 definitive stamps.
These are ~~should be~~ coded M26L MPIL - but it's very faint!

The PSB and Limited Edition PSB are delayed until 26 November

Commemorative Stamp Book

Continuing the practice of issuing retail-format self-adhesive booklets which are not sold anywhere but the Royal Mail philatelic service. As usual 4x identical 1st class stamps but printed in gravure, rather than lithography.

UPDATE 29 OCTOBER. We haven't seen Cylinder numbers on these non-retail books (as far as I can remember), so my thanks to RW for these photographs. The close-up clearly shows the C1 cylinders used.

Winnie-the-Pooh non-retail booklet with cylinder numbers C1 - cyan, magenta, yellow, black, brown - phosphor isn't visible in the photo.

Fan sheets

The four Fan Sheets are in editions of 5,000 priced at £8 each. Each contains four identical stamps in a relevant background: Winnie-the-Pooh, Piglet, Tigger, and Eeyore.

Products available

Set of 6 stamps, miniature sheet, presentation pack, commemorative booklet, prestige stamp booklet, press sheet of 8 MS, collectors sheet, fan sheets (4), first day covers (3 including the definitive pane from the PSB), limited edition PSB, 50p coinx3 cover (reverse of coins designed by Disney), proof coloured silver and proof gold coin covers Character Packs for set, and MS, limited (5000) edition ingot (£50), framed miniature sheet (£40), framed set (£40).

Australia Post

As the comments make reference to the package issued by Australia Post I thought I would make an exception and show those as well - if only to show collectors of Royal Mail products that things could be worse.

Their Winnie the Pooh 100 Years Stamp Collection is AU$39.99 (£21.05 - plus shipping and import taxes if you choose to buy direct). This is, of course, much cheaper than even a modest selection of Royal Mail's Pooh products. There is also a numismatic cover for AU£59.99.

The Collection contains these four sheets:

Miniature sheet of four unrelated flower stamps with Disney Pooh design on borders.

Gutter sheetlet of four slower stamps with attached Disney Pooh labels and a gutter strip of four more labels

Sheet of 6 self-adhesive MyStamps with designs depicting different Pooh characters.

Sheet of 6 self-adhesive MyStamps* with designs depicting the same Pooh characters.

Readers have commented on this blog about the absence of Kanga, Piglet and Rabbit. The Ozzies on the other hand have omitted the key characters of Owl and Christopher Robin, apart from on the throw-away sheet design (assuming you use the stamps, as some people do.)

* "With MyStamps, you can use our template and your own image to create a truly personalised sheet of 20 stamps. With six shapes on offer, each with a different look and feel, and your choice of postage type and rate, you'll be able to celebrate some of life's memorable moments stamped on your post.

"MyStamps are perfect for sending out birthday or wedding invitations, Christmas cards, or simply adding a personal touch to your mail."

These are similar to the original P-(ersonalised)stamps from Australia and Smilers from the UK, but are more like the Commemorative Sheets (for instance marking the Centenary of the Halley's Comet) that Royal Mail issued. AusPost have made hundreds of such issues featuring all manner of cartoon and sports associations.

Planned but not issued Greetings Booklet: Farm Animals 1995 precursor

2026-10-07T17:53:05.073+01:00

The recent issue of domestic pets reminded me of a Farm Animals issue. Not this one from 2005, but an earlier set which was planned for a Greetings Booklet.

Norvic Philatelics limited edition FDC for 2005 Farm Animals set.

Readers may recall the post back in June of this year about 1995 plans for self-adhesive Priority Service Machin definitives. When he sent me that information MM also sent an information sheet about a booklet of 10 1st class stamps depicting farm animals; the booklet would follow the style of the time with 20 greetings labels

Greetings in Art booklet issued 1995, 10 stamps and 20 labels.

The issue date was to be 31 January 1995, with the stamps designed by Why Not Associates and printed by Walsall Security Printers in litho. The animals depicted appear to be, in order, Dog, Duck, Cat, Sheep, Donkey, Goat, Horse, Chicken, Cow, and Pig.

Click on the image for enlargement

In the event, the January 1995 stamp issue (on 17th) showed five cats, and the Greetings booklet issued in March was Greetings in Art, shown above.

The last of this type of booklets was issued in 1997-8 (19th century flower paintings).

In 1999-2000 the 25-set Millennium series were all square stamps and no more Greetings sets were issued until the silver 'Occasions' set issued as five separate sheets.

Royal Mail eventually returned to the Farm Animals theme 10 years after the initial concept, with stamps designed by by Rose Design using woodcut-style illustrations by Chris Wormell.

2005 Farm Animals stamps printed in gravure by Enschedé.

Woodcut was also the basis of the illustrations used in the Sheep, Pigs and Cattle Post and Go stamps designed by Robert Gillmor.

As with the previously described priority services definitives, nobody knows Royal Mail decided not to proceed with the 1995 set. As far as I know this did not go to the proof stage.

How Royal Mail achieve the perfect handstamp on FDCs - updated

2026-10-05T16:35:59.478+01:00

In a 2019 post I described the system that Royal Mail used to achieve mostly clean and legible handstamps on first day covers and other mail, including a video and GPO-published write up of the process. This is an update of that article.

The handstamps are, for the most part, not handstamps at all, but are applied by foot- and hand-operated machines. (The changeable date designs are still handstamps as far as I know. *)

You can read a detailed description here in our reference area. This is a pdf file, so you can download it, or read it in your web browser, depending on your system settings.

The article is copyright Royal Mail, 1993 & 2007, reproduced by kind permission.

This is the machine which was at Europhilex in 2015

(There is a video of the operation on the 2019 post.)

I've now found a picture of a similar machine which was in use at the British Forces Postal Service HQ in Northholt, NW of London. This obviously isn't identical but the technique is the same as the close-ups show. If readers read the pdf referred to above in conjunction with these pictures it should provide a clearer idea of the operations.

As described in the article there is a camera in the unit which enables the user to see where the postmark will be applied on the cover. The article refers to 'clichés' which has the postmark printed on as a, but the handstamp centres referred to them as 'foils'.

BFPS 'handstamping' machine 2010.

This picture shows the handstamp which is on the machine to be applied to covers taped to the screen to ensure proper alignment. It is similar to this one for BFPS 3107 marking the 69th anniversary of the Battle of Britain 17 September 2009.

BFPS 3017 handstamp

This picture shows one of the pads to which the ink is applied, before transfer to covers, with some foils alongside, presumably ones which have already been used.

Digital Switchover - Possible interruption to service

2026-10-01T11:58:39.954+01:00

Tomorrow out telephone line will be subject to the Digital Switchover.

Many readers in the UK (and France, Australia etc) will have already experienced this with no problems - we don't expect any problem although our last interaction with the telephone system when we moved to this location left us for a month with no landline.

Our 0845 number (which redirects to our geographical number) will remain the same. Eventually we will abandon that and switch to an 07 number but for the time being you will notice no difference if all works as it should.

If anything goes wrong, there will be an interruption where we won't be able to make or receive calls or use our internet connection.

UPDATE - because of our peculiar configuration (there are two lines to the property but only one landline number) it took all morning, but with the technical expertise in the family all is now well!

For sale again: Aerogrammes for collecting or use and this time more organised!

2026-09-30T11:15:00.000+01:00

Firstly I would like to thank everyone who responded to the August offer of aerogrammes. We had many satisfied customers who wanted some to use for postage, some to collect, and some to write messages, especially the thematic ones.

Now, what was unsold before has been supplemented by a dealer stock of a lot more individual titles many pristine in unfolded condition, ideal for use or display.

In addition to the special commemorative pictorial examples there are many different definitive ones, which I have tried to identify accurately in line with Collect British Postal Stationery.

This is a good opportunity to acquire additions to a thematic collection, to surprise friends abroad, or simply to use on parcels for postage as shown previously.

Because this is such a comprehensive selection I have compiled a priced list which can be downloaded here.

The buying process is not the same as before -

Send an email to my usual address with your order and address details (it's ian@norphil.co.uk). At the same time leave a comment on this post [you MUST use a name, not Anonymous] to say that you have sent the email. Blogpost comments always reach the right folder in my inbox: emails sometimes go to spam, and this will avoid my missing them.

Once your comment is published you will know that I have seen it and the email, and I'll answer emails as soon as possible.

As before, bulk purchases of 10 or more NVI aerogrammes will be £1.50 each: these will be our choice but you may indicate a preference for general type - commemorative, definitive, Christmas, Scottish, Welsh, sport etc. We'll try to accommodate these requests,

If you require specific editions they are as priced on the lists with NVIs (definitive or commemorative) being £2 each (discounts for larger quantities).

A reminder that the face value of these is currently £3.60 and will probably rise next April.

Postage is extra and will be advised when we tell you what is available and how to pay.

Many are unfolded, including some of the earliest ones, the Forces, and the more recent. Please let us know if you want them sent unfolded - the most recent ones are 420 x 340 mm and cannot be sent as Large Letters. They will be sent as Small Parcels with a minimum postage of £4 (inland).

The lists only include mint aerogrammes. I also have a bundle of (mainly) first day used - if interested in any, please ask. Many have specific and relevant special handstamps or local postmarks.

If you have any questions, please ask.

I have now had the opportunity to photograph some of the listed stock. Due to their large size they are not suitable for scanning. Click on the image to see them enlarged.

AP21, 26, 28, 30, 31, 40, 42 includes Burns, Golf,

AP 63, 64, 65 - Christmas 1985, Northern Lighthouse Board, Scottish Enlightenment

AP 66, 67, 68 - Christmas1986, Mary Queen of Scots, J M Barrie

AP69,70,71 - Christmas 1987, Year of the Bible, Glasgow Garden Festival

AP72, 73, 82 -Christmas 1988, National Portrait Gallery of Scotland, Wm Henry Playfair

AP83, 84, 85 - Christmas 1989, Forth Railway Bridge, Glasgow European City of Culture

AP86, 87, 88 - Christmas 1990, Rugby World Cup, Gaelic Society Centenary

AP90, 92, 96 - The Nature of Scotland, Christmas 1992, 150th Anniversary Caledonian Curling Club

AP 99, 100, 101 - Robert Louis Stevenson, Alcock & Brown, Regimental Centenries

AP 109, 110, 111 - Christmas 1994, Glasgow School of Art, Youth Olympics

AP 112, 113, 120 - Prehistoric Scotland, Christmas 1995, Scottish Football

AP 135, 136, 137 - English Crafts, Welsh Crafts, Scottish Crafts

AP 131 Christmas 2000, AP 117 Christmas 1997, AP 118 Nature of Scotland

Good news on prices from October 2026

2026-09-29T15:22:27.650+01:00

As has been the custom in recent years Royal Mail has published a new Tariff leaflet which is effective from 5 October 2026. And as was the case last year, it is generally good news for consumers and collectors with most prices unchanged from those published in April. It can be downloaded from their website now. (Thanks to JohnH for alerting me to this new publication.)

Inland Mails

Standard letter and Signed For Letter and Large Letter rates are unchanged. There are small rises for parcels, with the basic small parcel rising from £5.45 to £5.90 for 1st class and from £4.25 to £4.60 for 2nd class. There are similar rises for Signed For parcels.

There are rises in the Tracked 24 and Tracked 48 services often used by online marketplace sellers, who don't want to worry about using stamps for postage. These remain cheaper than the Signed For service for Large Letters (the first weight step is up to 750 g) but a Signed For basic Letter is still slightly cheaper. Whether it is also value for money is up to the user to decide.

The basic Special Delivery service is up from £9.95 to £10.55 for letters up to 100g, and from £10.94 to £11.35 for up to 500g. There are also increases in the premium SD service such as Saturday Guarantee, an the weekday 9am service rises from £53,95 to £58.95 - expensive, but nationwide, so cheaper than flying it yourself and possibly even cheaper than driving at today's diesel prices!

International Mails

Letter and Large Letter prices for all services are unchanged: International Tracked, International Tracked & Signed, Standard (Airmail) and Economy (ostensibly surface). This means that 2 x 1st class stamps still provide the exact postage needed for a standard airmail letter or postcard.

Orkney's ex-Crown post office, operated by UOE, closes without notice.

2026-09-24T16:49:01.806+01:00

Orkney's main post office shuts 'without warning'

The BBC reports that the main post office in Kirkwall, formerly the Crown Office but now operated by UOE, has closed unexpectedly due to staff shortages.

Kirkwall main post office, Orkney, from Google maps, 2014.

London-based Universal Office Equipment (UOE) took over the running of the former Crown Post Office as a franchise last autumn.

The handwritten note posted in the window said: "We are very sorry. UOE and Post Office have made the decision to close this branch until further notice.

"If you have a parcel, currency etc to collect, please contact Post Office directly."

The Post Office said the branch was closed due to staffing issues.

A PO spokesperson apologised for any inconvenience caused and directed customers to alternative branches at Papdale Stores or in Balfour village, despite that being a ferry ride away in Shapinsay.

They added that any parcels inside the branch would be collected by the relevant courier companies.

Betty Muir, who runs the nearest alternative branch in the town's Papdale Stores (8 Hermaness, Kirkwall KW15 1XA), said no prior warning was given and her staff had no time to prepare for the extra customers.

She told BBC Radio Scotland's Around Orkney programme: "The first we knew about it was yesterday morning. We were extremely busy and the girls wondered what on earth was going on because it felt like Christmas.

"You would have thought at least they would have given us some prior warning of what was going to be happening so we could have prepared ourselves for the influx of people."

Mark Kirkbride, who runs Finstown Post Office (Post Office, Finstown KW17 2EL), said the Junction Road branch provided driving licence, foreign currency and passport services.

"It is absolutely key to the whole post office system," he said.

The Post Office spokesperson said: "Kirkwall Post Office [15 Junction Rd, Kirkwall KW15 1DD] has experienced staffing difficulties over a long period of time and now, regrettably, the branch has had to temporarily close.

"We want to thank our partner UOE for helping us to operate this branch on a temporary basis to provide continuity of service to the residents, businesses and tourists in Orkney since last November."

They added: "In the longer term, there are plans to modernise the branch at a new location, and we expect to be able to share further details later this year."

Update 25 September - thanks to Trevor I can provide a short recap on the recent history of the main Kirkwall post office.

13 August 2025 - I’m writing to let you know that we are changing the way we operate Kirkwall Post Office. The branch will soon be operated by an independent franchise retail partner, Universal Office Equipment (UK) Ltd (UOE), and in the short term will remain at their current premises, offering the same wide range of services, and extended opening on Tuesday mornings.

We anticipate this change will happen by November 2025. Over the following months, we will review the right long-term arrangements and premises for Kirkwall Post Office branch. This may either be the existing buildings or a new site very nearby, either with UOE or a different long-term franchise partner. Any proposed move to a new location is unlikely to be before spring 2026 and would be subject to local public consultation in line with our Principles of Community Engagement.

19 September - We are writing further to our previous communication advising changes to the way we operate Kirkwall Post Office and to enable this transition we can now confirm the branch will close on Thursday, 13 November 2025 at 15:00 and will reopen on Friday, 14 November 2025 at 13:00.

10 November - Further to our previous communication the dates for the transition of this branch has changed, the branch will still close on Thursday 13 November 2025 at 15:00 but will now reopen on Saturday 15 November 2025 at 09:00.

14 November - Further to our previous communication, this branch closed on Thursday 13 November 2025 and was due reopen on Saturday 15 November 2025, however due to unforeseen circumstances there is a further delay in the reopening of the branch, we are working hard to restore services as soon as possible and will share further updates once the reopening date have been finalised.

19 November - Due to unforeseen operational reasons this branch currently has reduced opening hours. Our retail partner, Universal Office Equipment, is working hard to restore full opening hours as soon as possible.
The new opening hours: - Monday – Friday 10:00 -15:00, Saturday & Sunday - Closed.

24 November -

The alternative branch identified is the one at Papdale Stores 8 Hermaness, Kirkwall KW15 1XA.

It seems a pity that Post Office Ltd could not retain control of such a remote branch: that would at least have given them the opportunity to temporarily parachute someone in from a bigger branch, say in Edinburgh or Glasgow.

UPDATE 5 OCTOBER

A postmaster from Lerwick in Shetland will be operating the Kirkwall post office from tomorrow, 6th October. (Thanks to Malcolm for spotting this.)

The final issues of 2026 have been announced so it's time to think about next year.

2026-09-21T22:33:00.000+01:00

Royal Mail have now announced the subjects (and told we dealers much of the detail) of the remaining issues this year, and the opening thread in January has now been updated to reflect this.

A brief look at Jersey Post

2026-09-16T10:35:00.000+01:00

We spent the last two weeks on the Channel Island of Jersey and whilst postal matters weren't uppermost in my mind, I did take a few snaps and couldn't help but notice that most of the PO branches I saw were in other retail premises, much like in the UK.

Jersey is an autonomous and self-governing British Crown Dependency. At 45 square miles Jersey is the largest of the Channel Islands. As of 2024, the island had a population of 104,540, with nearly half a million (business and tourist) visitors over the year.

According to Jersey Post there are twelve post offices on the island - including four in St Helier - and I know for a fact that the one in Gorey village (within Morrisons Daily) is closed.

From Jersey Post website Sept 2026; whoever created this Google map put far more information on it, including postboxes and boxes with late collections, but at this level of zoom it doesn't show the post office branches! The website has a list which, like PO UK, zooms to the location when selected.

The Broad Street branch was opened as the General Post Office in 1909.

The Post Office in Broad Street, St Helier, which is a pedestrianised street.

The branch has six self-service kiosks (two of which were down for maintenance). I was told at the counter that none of these dispensed Post and Go stamps, despite Jersey Post (JP) continuing to issue them. (Images now added - sorry for their omission.)

Self-service kiosks at Jersey Post branch at Broad Street St Helier September 2026 (one out of order)

Jersey Post size-guide found adjacent to the Self-Service kiosks.

Union flag stamp issued from Broad Street Post & Go machine 2014

Jersey flag stamp issued at a UK Exhibition site in 2014

The JP philatelic website does indicate that the ones they sell will not have the Broad Streeet inscription. I've emailed JP to ask where P&G stamps are actually sold.

UPDATE 17 September.

I'm advised by a reader that the six kiosks now pictured above (I intended to include them originally) do not dispense P&G stamps but that JE02 is nearby within the quite large shop area! Unhelpfully the person who served me did not mention that, only that the machines I had passed did not sell stamps.

And in reply to a comment about usage of these stamps, I can show two that I used to send a postcard back home. The local rate is 81p, and the UK rate £1.40, so I overpaid at current rates- although these stamps were much cheaper when I bought them back in 2015 from a Jersey machine, probably at Stampex.

Two local rate 2015 Jersey wildlife Post and Go stamps used in September 2026 to the UK.

For at least 10 years JP has been replacing its diesel vehicles with electric versions such as the one shown here in St Helier, and has recently taken on a fleet of mini-vans, but I didn't notice any of those.

Jersey Post Electric van pictured at St Helier 2026 (it's not parked on the pavement, it's in a loading bay).

Jersey boasts the most southerly Post Office in the British Isles, which happened to be the closest to where we were staying. It's located in the M&S Food Store at St Clement and is only open 10-2 (while the shop is open from 8am-8pm). Consequently I never used it, although I did take these photos of the postbox and plaque.

Most Southerly PO in British Isles St Clement Jersey September 2026.

Finally, for now anyway, a few postboxes. Most of the active ones have the cypher and crown highlighted in gold paint, which is a nice touch.

Collections at main boxes are at 6am for same day delivery, 10 am "For today's UK despatch or next working day local delivery", and 4pm "For today's UK despatch". A Saturday collection is at 11 am from which UK mail is not despatched until Monday.

1. Outside Jersey Zoo.

2. Disused box at La Corbière. With it's curled lip someone on #PostboxSaturday (X) likened this to Elvis Presley (Return to Sender?)

3. The only postbox topper I saw. This is outside the branch officially known as Les Quennevais Post Office (St Brelade), although for public transport purposes the area is known as Red Houses. The branch is in the Co-op Locale (address La Route des Quennevais, Jersey JE3 8LL.)

Postbox topper at Les Quennevais Post Office (St Brelade) September 2026.

Jersey Telecom maintains a large number of public telephone boxes which still have working payphones in them, unlike the UK. This is at Green Island Beach, St Clement.

Jersey Telecom, owned by taxpayers, now runs telecoms services in every school, hospital, prison and government building in the three Crown Dependencies of Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man, following the May takeover of Manx Telecom. I was told that they are also eyeing up KCOM (Kingston on Hull) services in the UK, which is up for sale.

There's something you should know: Music Giants XII bumper bundle of Duran Duran memorabilia issued on 17 September 2026

2026-09-10T00:01:00.000+01:00

Music Giants 12 - hard to believe isn't it? This is what WIkipedia has to say about the band:

Duran Duran are an English pop rock band. Formed in Birmingham in 1978 by keyboardist Nick Rhodes, guitarist (later bassist) John Taylor and singer/bassist Stephen Duffy. The band went through several early changes before the band's line-up settled in May 1980 as Rhodes, Taylor, singer Simon Le Bon, guitarist Andy Taylor and drummer Roger Taylor.

And this is what Royal Mail say:

Few bands have defined the sound and style of an era quite like Duran Duran. As pioneers of the New Romantic movement and one of the most influential groups of the 1980s, their blend of innovative pop, striking visual identity, and boundary-pushing music videos helped rewrite the rules of global stardom.

The stamp issue coincides with the start of the band's UK and European Tour in Autumn 2026.

The stamps

Set of 8 x 1st class Duran Duran stamps issued 17 September 2026.

The stamps show the album artwork for Duran Duran, Rio, Ragged Tiger, Notorious, The Wedding Album, Astronaut, Paper Gods, and Future Past. (No acknowledgements available.)

Miniature Sheet

Miniature sheet of 4 x 1st class Duran Duran stamps issued 17 September 2026 - what a mess!

Technical details

The 38 x 35 mm stamps were designed by Royal Mail using existing album cover artwork. They were printed by Cartor Security Printers in lithography in gummed sheets of 48, in se-tenant strips of four, perf 14.

The 180 x 74 mm miniature sheet was designed by True North and printed by Cartor Security Printers in litho on self-adhesive paper. Two stamps are 27 x 37 mm, one 37 x 27 mm perf 14, and one 35 mm square perf 14.5.

The stamps on the MS show posters for the Careless Memories Tour (1981), Sing Blue Silver Tour (1983-4), Astronaut Tour (2005-6), and the Invisible Tour (2025).

This is the first miniature sheet that has a printed image on the rear of the sheet and features the four current band members: John Taylor, Roger Taylor, Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, as seen here on images of the press sheet of 12 miniature sheets (price £86.40)

Prestige Stamp Book

Sadly this once again includes two definitives which we have seen before from PSBs, the 50p and £1, coded M26L MPIL as expected.

A limited edition (3,000) PSB has a red cover as shown and comes in a matching display box. It also includes five special postcards. (£50)

Collector sheet and fan sheets

As with all Collector sheets 10 x 1st class stamps (which means duplicating two of the stamps from the set) and accompanying labels. As expected the stamps are self-adhesive unlike the sheet stamps. Price £19.20

Duran Duran Collector Sheet of 10 self-adhesive stamps

Two Fan Sheets, one for the Invisible Days Tour including four stamps from the miniature sheet, and one for the album Seven and the Ragged Tiger. The sheets are printed in the same way as the original stamps, so now new stamps. The edition is 10,000 of each, individually numbered, priced £10

Products available (if I don't run out of space!)

Set of 8 stamps, miniature sheet, presentation pack, first day covers (2, or 3 if you count the pointless PSB pane cover), prestige stamp book (PSB), limited edition PSB (£50), stamp cards, collector sheet, Fan Sheets (2), press sheet of 12 miniature sheets, medal cover with set of stamps (£25), set and MS on 2 separate 'souvenir carriers' (£7.50), Limited edition silver ingot (£25), framed set & MS (£45), framed set (£40), framed collector sheet (£40), signed framed Invisible Days fan sheet - edition of 25 (£300).

Phew!

Slogan postmarks for September? Maybe - and other interesting postmarks and news

2026-09-01T00:30:00.000+01:00

I am writing this at the end of August as I won't know until the middle of September what has happened during the month.

I expect September to start with the British Heart Foundation (BHF) default slogan, but I this should soon make way for a slogan marking Air Ambulance Week which this year runs from 7-13 September. Postmarks should appear all week until Saturday 12th. Then the BHF slogan should return.

Update 14 September: Thank you to everyone who sent examples of September's slogans, and especially to RW who scoops the jackpot by providing good examples of everything!

1. British Heart Foundation default slogan, both types. Northern Ireland Mail Centre and Norwich Mail Centre both used 2 September.

Both formats of the British Heart Foundation Northern Ireland Mail Centre 02/09/2026 and Norwich Mail Centre 02-09-2026

2. Air Ambulance Week. The slogan is in the format used in previous years. Examples from Tyneside NE/SR Mail Centre and Mount Pleasant Mail Centre.

Support your
Air Ambulance

Air Ambulance Week
September 7th - 13th

Support Your Air Ambulance Mount Pleasant Mail Centre 08-09-2026

Support Your Air Ambulance Tyneside NE/SR Mail Centre 08/09/2026

Royal Mail publicity image on X - I quite like this as it draws attention to the subject.

UPDATE 15 September.

As anybody who has received stamped mail will know we are back to the BHF default this week, but I am expecting the annual Send A Card campaign to get a 'Thinking of you' slogan very soon. The week officially starts on 21 September, which is next Monday, so it is quite likely that the slogan will start on this Friday (18th) - look out for examples, and let's hope we can have a full house as we did for the Air Ambulance.

This was on the PGBuzz website* confirming that campaign which Royal Mail is hoping will be mutually beneficial is instigated by the Greetings Card Association.

* Includes some Royal Mail videos apparently show only on Instagram.

Send A Card
Deliver A Smile for
Thinking of You Week
21-27 September 2026

Two good clear examples from KeithD both on 22nd September. One layout from Chester & N Wales and the other from Glasgow Mail Centre.

Thinking of You Week slogan used at Glasgow Mail Centre 22-09-2026

Thinking of You Week slogan used at Chester & N Wales Mail Centre 22/09/2026

But first on the grid was AnthonyA with one from Gatwick Mail Centre on 18 September

Thinking of You Week slogan used at Gatwick Mail Centre 18-09-2026

Thank you both.

Update 30 September

Thanks to Robert for sending this USPS example of Thinking of You week from Denver Colorado.

Thinking of You Week slogan used at Denver Colorado 14 SEP 2026

Other postmarks and postal markings

Holmbush update - JF has sent an additional example of the Morse-type self-inking-date stamp, with the index letter A, rather than the H shown earlier.

Holmbush Post Office index letter A 'Morse' type SID 24 AUG 2026.

As with all the 'Morse' postmarks it lacks the proper spacing between the letters.

It appears thus .--.---...----..-...-...-.-.

instead of .--. --- ... - --- ..-. ..-. .. -.-.

UPDATE 22 September. A very Worthy addition to the blog, from JF, is this self-inking datestamp (SID) from PILTON in Somerset. (It's the nearest village to Worthy Farm, of Glastonbury Festival fame). The branch is in the village Co-op store, which is squashed between the Village Hall and St Mary's Lane. The Google streetview photos don't give a good view of the post office.

Pilton (Somerset) SID 15 September 2026

Coincidentally from JW, another SID , from West Pilton, Edinburgh. The Pennywell branch post office shut down around 2 years ago due to the old building being demolished, and at last it has reopened in a new location.

West Pilton SID 21 September 2026

These are the photos taken by JW, this week.

Pennywell branch post office, Edinburgh 21 September 2026

These are earlier pictures before the old building was knocked down - some appearances suggest parts of it were falling down.

(All pictures can be enlarged by clicking on them.)

Remember, slogan postmarks appearing in September will be added to this post so check here before you spend time scanning and emailing.

A reminder of what these monthly listings are for.

For each month I record the different slogans in use, plus the default slogan that is used when there is nothing else.

For each of these I try to record only one of each of the basic two types, plus any that are reversed on square envelopes, which normally only gives three or four.

Occasionally a slogan appears with different line spacing in the same format.

I do not record multiple versions of the same as any of these unless I later get a much better example of one that I showed purely for the record, but which is otherwise not very clear.

The only exception to this, which doesn't seem to happen much these days, is when a slogan is used well out of time.

I mention this only to avoid readers unnecessarily duplicating what has already been provided.

Holiday time again - back in mid-September!

2026-08-28T10:00:00.000+01:00

It is ten years after our epic journey to New Zealand etc - it doesn't seem that long ago, but then available time is filled so much it seems to flash by these days.

So we are having a much shorter break, just two weeks and nowhere near as far.

I'm going to try to avoid anything to do with the business, this (like that last trip) is sharing time, so it is quiet likely that blog comments will not be moderated - please don't repeat them just because they haven't been published.

For the few who still use it, the shop will be closed.

Sometime in September I'll kick-off the aerogrammes offer again, having taken over another wide-ranging quantity of NVI and much earlier issues which are useful for the collector as well as the user. There will be some back to the pre-decimal period, some Forces and some non-stamped versions just for fun.

The Music Giants issue will be revealed on 10 September, and I'll be back the following week so you won't have long to wait before seeing your caustic comments in 'print'.

I did find a relevant set of stamps for this post.

Slogan postmarks for August? Maybe - and other interesting postmarks and news

2026-08-18T12:09:24.339+01:00

We are a 18 days through August but so far I have had no reports of new slogans. Mind you, with the low amount of stamped mail anyone receives these days - apart from dealers and other collectors - it's hardly surprising that we have had no reports yet, not even for the default British Heart Foundation (BHF) slogan.

Mind you, the BHF slogan may not continue for much longer. John F reports seeing this on Royal Mail's website:

Royal Mail are working in partnership with the charity Missing People to raise awareness of their support services for anyone who may be thinking about disappearing, anyone already away from home, or friends and family with a missing loved one.

Update: John has advised that this partnership has been running for a number of years - although I've never seen any evidence of 'raising awareness' - so it is unlikely that it will replace the BHF slogan.

On which subject I received two today, sadly on the same envelope from Sheffield Mail Centre. Margaret also sent one from Home Counties North, date unclear.

British Heart Foundation slogan Sheffield Mail Centre 17 August 2026

British Heart Foundation slogan Home Counties North ?? August 2026

UPDATE 20 August. I am pleased to say that SS in Canada has now returned from holiday and has sent a couple of items for inclusion here. Out of 11 UK packages only three were postmarked and on one the stamps were pen-cancelled. The other 7 had nothing! Anyway, here is a much clearer BHF slogan from Birmingham Mail Centre on 11/08/2026.

British Heart Foundation slogan Birmingham Mail Centre 11 August 2026

As a reminder of an occasional non-slogan ink-jet postmark, JohnH has sent this one from North & West Yorkshire showing a situation when the machine settings do not produce a slogan, only a summary.

Non-slogan inkjet postmark from North & West Yorkshire, 18/08/2026

Other postmarks and postal markings

At the time of writing I haven't found anything to show here, but in the absence of anything new I shall probably delve into history!

Another one from SS in Canada, who received this package from Wotton Under Edge in Gloucestershire. Nice use of the top three values of the datamatrix Machin stamps and 3 x 20p for the £8.60 up to 100 g rate International Tracked and Signed.

Wotton Under Edge self-inking datestamp 27 July 2026

The post office is in the Co-operative supermarket in Long Street (Google Streetview 2025)

A dull day in Wotton Under Edge, outside the post office, July 2025.

Remember, slogan postmarks appearing in August will be added to this post so check here before you spend time scanning and emailing.

A reminder of what these monthly listings are for.

For each month I record the different slogans in use, plus the default slogan that is used when there is nothing else.

For each of these I try to record only one of each of the basic two types, plus any that are reversed on square envelopes, which normally only gives three or four.

Occasionally a slogan appears with different line spacing in the same format.

I do not record multiple versions of the same as any of these unless I later get a much better example of one that I showed purely for the record, but which is otherwise not very clear.

The only exception to this, which doesn't seem to happen much these days, is when a slogan is used well out of time.

I mention this only to avoid readers unnecessarily duplicating what has already been provided.

The nation's favourite.... Pets? 5 x 2nd, 5 x 1st issued 20 August 2026.

2026-08-13T00:01:00.000+01:00

Conscious that they have issued pet stamps before, Royal Mail have expanded the range from cats and dogs and cats & dogs in one set, to show a range of ten pets including fish, reptiles, rodents and of course a cat and dog (kitten and puppy).

Their write-up:

For centuries pets have held a cherished place in our homes and hearts. From the soothing purr of a cat to the joyful wag of a dog’s tail, animals enrich our lives with companionship, loyalty, and boundless affection. This special stamp issue celebrates the everyday animals that share our lives and shape our stories—whether curled at our feet, perched on a favourite branch, or bustling about in lively tanks and hutches.

Five x 2nd class and five x 1st class stamps feature some of the much loved domestic companions, capturing the unique personality, charm, and character that make pets such treasured members of our families. Beyond their adorable faces, these animals represent comfort, friendship, emotional support, and the simple joys that brighten even the busiest days.

The stamps

2nd class: Rabbit, goldfish, hamster, tortoise, budgerigars.
1st class: Fancy rat, dog, cat, cockatiel, guinea pig.

Technical Details

The 35 mm square stamps are printed in lithography on gummed paper by Cartor Security Printers Ltd in two sheets of 50, perforated 14½. Apparently no third-party design studio was involved, it was just a case of book the photographer for 'bring your pet to work day'.

Update: I find that the FDC insert provides some more details about the images used: The Cockatiel is © cynoclub/iStock/Getty Images Plus; goldfish is © Life on White/Alamy Stock Photo; all others © Warren Photographic Ltd.

Products available

Set of 10 stamps, first day cover, presentation pack, stamp cards, framed set (£40)

UPDATE:

It's been pointed out on Postcrossing and by Linn's Stamp News that the same goldfish previously appeared in the USPS Pets set in August 2016. It's available on the Shutterstock image website.

Four of the USPS Pets stamps issued in August 2016

As an aside, and in response to Comments about stamps fro Fujeira, I'll just show these which were not unathorised trash but which are actually postally used from the FPO. Some Fujeira is very collectable, especially on cover.

Hoard of aerogrammes found - ideal for social writing or for putting on parcels.

2026-08-07T10:44:40.748+01:00

Aerogrammes have not been issued by Royal Mail for many years but they can still be used.

Originally they could be purchased singly, or in packs of 10, or promotional packs of 6, some of which contained a surprise pictorial edition behind the five plain ones. I wrote about the inception and early history here. They all had a face value until Christmas 1988; after that most had a non-value indicator although Christmas 1989 was 30p.

Many commemorative editions were issued, mostly by the Scottish Postal Board, and some packs of attractive thematic designs. Christmas editions were also issued, and these and a few others exist in Welsh editions.

Note: All the trains are sold except for a used set. Most of the birds are gone but I still have some odds, no full sets. Many non-illustrated ones still in stock, plus a selection of pictorial and Christmas.

Importantly if you still write real letters to friends abroad - or want to surprise them - these are still valid for normal use. In addition, like any other item of postal stationery they can be fixed to large packets and parcels (see below) and their postage value is currently £3.60.

I have over 150 of these which I can offer for £1.50 each, with further discounts for large quantities. Postage is free in the UK for payment by bank transfer or cheque and subsidised for collectors outside the UK.

Please leave a comment [you MUST use a name, not Anonymous] saying how many you want and if you have any preference for type AND send an email to my usual address with your details (it's ian@norphil.co.uk). Once your comment is published you will know that I have seen it, and I'll answer emails as soon as possible.

Example of 26p aerogramme fixed to a large letter sent to China.

New Royal Mail Stocklist: Reduced memorabilia and End of Sale dates

2026-08-03T11:28:16.391+01:00

My thanks to JohnH for alerting me to the availability of a new stock list which can be downloaded from Royal Mail's website here.

Not so long ago we were told that there would be variable 'off-sale' dates depending on an issue's popularity, with more popular issues staying on sale for longer, while less popular issues could be taken off sale in less than 12 months and others might just stay 'While Stocks Last'.

That doesn't seem to have happened after the initial flurry of announcements and now we're told that all these issues will be going off sale on 31 December 2026. Note that Stamp Souvenirs (= unaddressed FDCs) go off sale at different dates to the stamps, usually a year after the issue date.

Dogs, Dungeons & Dragons, Harry Potter, Peppa Pig, Porridge, Red Arrows, Spice Girls, The Tower of London, The Who, Winston Churchill.

The last Stocklist I kept a copy of was April 2025. This one is markedly different, and confusing - although some changes may be deliberate I suspect they are not all deliberate.

1. The issues in each section (mint Stamps, miniature sheets, presentation packs etc.) are listed alphabetically rather than chronologically.

2. The off-sale dates are shown in the British format, ie 31/12/2026 or 21/05/27 (yes, some have the year in two digits, some in four!) But the issue dates are shown in the US format, ie 11/27/2025 for Queen Victoria or - more confusingly - 5/1/2025 for the Valor and Victory set which was issued in May.

I would normally be able to write "Everything issued in 2023-24 will be off sale at the end of this year except...." but finding the exceptions is slightly more difficult because of these changes. So if you want any of these special issues it might be worth checking - and order well before Christmas to be certain.

3. The definitives are listed in alphabetical order - which means that they are in no sensible order at all because of the descriptions used.

King Charles Definitive full sheet £1.00 x 25

King Charles Definitive full sheet 10p x 25

King Charles Definitive full sheet 1p x 25

King Charles Definitive full sheet 20p x 25

... lead on to...

King Charles Low Value definitives - £1.00

King Charles Low Value definitives - 10p

King Charles Low Value definitives - 1p

Then the October Tariff 2025 trio come before the Tariff 2024 trio, and the Tariff 2025. The best thing would probably be to list them in product code order which would probably be more useful for collectors.

I know people at Royal Mail look here from time to time, so I hope they take this as constructive criticism - what works for them doesn't always work for the people it's intended for, and why change anyway?

Sale!

Some of the products issued for going off-sale at the end of the year are now being offered at reduced prices - not the stamps of course! So the Dogs postcards, listed in the Stocklist at £4.50 are reduced to £2.25 on the website. The other products are mainly gold replicas, framed products, souvenirs, medal & coin covers etc.

Flying in the post - Military Jets, set of 8, MS, etc, issued 30 July 2026

2026-07-23T00:01:00.000+01:00

You could argue, with some justification, that the Royal Air Force has had more than its fair share of stamp issues over the years, but Royal Mail is concentrating here in the evolution of jet aircraft with passenger jets being covered by a set of five in 2002.

Of course 'RAF Jets' means some more repeat visits, notably the Avro Vulcan which gets the full treatment this time. One subject that doesn't specifically get a revisit this time is the Red Arrows.

From Royal Mail

2026 marks a number of important anniversaries in the evolution of Jet Aircraft and Royal Mail is delighted to recognise these key events with a set of commemorative stamps in celebration of some of the British military’s most iconic jet aircraft alongside the story of Sir Frank Whittle and the development of the jet propulsion engine.

This year mark 50 years since the Hawker Siddeley Hawk entered service in 1976, 70 years since the Gloster Javelin and Avro Vulcan entered service in 1956, and 80 years since the de Havilland Vampire first entered service in 1946.

This year is also 30 years since the death of Sir Frank Whittle (1 June 1907 – 8 August 1996) an English engineer, inventor and Royal Air Force officer who is credited with co-creating the jet propulsion engine.

In 2002, Whittle was ranked number 42 in the BBC poll of the 100 Greatest Britons. The Medal Cover in this product range celebrates Sir Frank Whittle’s impressive career.

The Stamps

Set of 8 x 1st class stamps featuring Military Jets issues 30 July 2026

Sheet 1: Gloster Meteor F1, Gloster Javelin FAW9, Hawker Siddeley Hawk T1, Avro Vulcan B2

Sheet 2: De Havilland Vampire FB5, Panavia Tornado GR4, Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer S2B, Lockheed Martin D- 35B Lightning IIÏ

Miniature Sheet

2026 marks 30 years since the death of Sir Frank Whittle, the Pioneer of the Jet Aircraft, who is the focus of our Miniature Sheet. Whittle developed the jet propulsion engine and this Miniature sheet includes four 1st class stamps featuring photographs of him throughout his career.

Military Jet Aircraft: Frank Whittle miniature sheet of 4 x 1st class stamps issued 30 July 2026

Technical details and acknowledgements

The 41 x 30 mm stamps are from Webb & Webb Design Ltd printed in lithography with ordinary gum by Cartor Security Printers in two sheets of 48 perforated 14½x14. The 146 x 74 mm miniature sheet contains 41 x 30 mm stamps perforated 14½x14.

RAF logos are trade marks of the UK Secretary of State for Defence and used under licence. llustrations: Gloster Meteor F1, Gloster Javelin FAW9, Avro Vulcan B2 and Hawker Siddeley Buccaneer S2B © Chris French; Hawker Siddeley Hawk T1, De Havilland Vampire FB5 and Panavia Tornado GR4 © Paul Couper; Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II © Alex Hamilton.

Frank Whittle at RAF Cranwell, c.1925 © Estate of Frank Whittle; Frank Whittle at his desk, c.1945 © IWM TR 3737; Frank Whittle with his WU turbojet, c.1988 © SSPL/Getty Images; Frank Whittle with his research team, 1944 and background image of Frank Whittle using a slide rule, 1944 © James Jarche/Popperfoto via Getty Images

Collector Sheet and 'Fan Sheet'.

This ten stamp Collectors Sheet (£19.20) showcases the stunning illustrations of the set of 8 stamps, plus 2 each of the Gloster Meteor and De Havilland Vampire. The 10 stamps are paired with photographs of the aircraft in flight against a backdrop of a Gloster Javelin FAW7 in flight.

The Avro Vulcan B2 Fan Sheet (£8) celebrates aviation history with the iconic Avro Vulcan B2 —Britain’s revolutionary delta-wing strategic bomber and Cold War legend. The Vulcan B2 embodied power and innovation when it came into service in 1960. This striking sheet includes 4 of the Avro Vulcan B2 1st class stamps and captures the spirit of one of the RAF’s most advanced and unforgettable jet aircraft of its time.

Products available

Set of 8 stamps, miniature sheet, first day covers (2), stamp cards (13), presentation pack, press sheet of 15 miniature sheets, Collector sheet, Fan sheet, medal cover (featuring the ms 25g silver-plated copper proof medallion, limited to 5,000 and priced at £25), framed set (£40), framed and signed enlarged illustration of the Meteor (limited to 200, price £150).

(The Gloster Meteor was previously shown in the Aircraft Designers issue of 1997, the Hawker Siddley Hawk and the Avron Vulcan in the Red Arrows issue of 2024, the Vulcan (shown at the top of this post) in the RAF Centenary set of 2018,

Relaunch of the Postal History of the World blog.

2026-07-19T11:37:03.637+01:00

Five years after I set it up I have made the first substantive post to my World Postal History blog.

Read about the connection between a registered airmail cover from Soviet Russia to England and a famous Hollywood film star.

Exploring Russian language, political place-name changing and industrial development, this story took an unexpected turn.

Closure of more than 50 post offices operated by Morrisons this summer.

2026-07-13T14:09:46.028+01:00

(From the Daily Express 12 July2026)

At least 52 Post Office branches are expected to shut by early October, according to analysis of Post Office consultation documents by Better Retailing. Many of the affected branches are in southern England, although closures are also planned across the UK in locations including York and Glamorgan. The Post Office is understood to be looking for replacement locations so affected communities can still access services.

Morrisons said the affected convenience stores had been unprofitable for some time and were acquired through its McColls £190million rescue deal in 2022.

Avon Drive Post Office, 18 Avon Drive, Bedford, MK41 7AF

Bewdley Post Office, 7 Load Street, Bewdley, DY12 2AF

Blackwater Post Office, 24 London Road, Blackwater, Camberley, GU17 9AA

Brigg Post Office, 8 Wrawby Street, Brigg, DN20 8ER

Burpham Post Office, 214 London Road, Burpham, Guildford, GU4 7JS

Calne Post Office, 21 Phelps Parade, Calne, SN11 0HA

Chalfont St Peter Post Office, 51-55 St Peters Court, Chalfont St Peter, Gerrards Cross, SL9 9QQ

Church Road Post Office, 96 Church Road, Barnes, London, SW13 0DQ

Clerkhill Post Office, Clerkhill Road, Peterhead, AB42 2XE

Coley Park Post Office, 56 Wensley Road, Coley Park, Reading, RG1 6DJ

Crown Wood Post Office, Crown Wood, Bracknell, RG12 0TH

Darras Hall Post Office, 25 The Broadway, Ponteland, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE20 9PW

Defoe Parade Post Office, 3 Defoe Parade, Grays, RM16 4QR

Downend Post Office, 4 Downend Road, Downend, Bristol, BS16 5UJ

Edinburgh Road Post Office, 69-71 Edinburgh Road, Jarrow, NE32 4BB

Fairfax Avenue Post Office, 161 Fairfax Avenue, Hull, HU5 4QZ

Fleet Post Office, 229 Fleet Road, Fleet, GU51 3HH

Goldsworth Park Post Office, 5 Denton Way, Woking, GU21 3LG

Great Baddow Post Office, The Vineyards, Great Baddow, Chelmsford, CM2 7QS

Greystoke Avenue Post Office, 12 Arnside Road, Southmead, Bristol, BS10 6AT

Grove Hill Post Office, 3 Grove Hill Centre, Hemel Hempstead, HP2 6BJ

Hallgrove Post Office, 10 Hallgrove, Welwyn Garden City, AL7 4PH

Hassocks Post Office, 44 Keymer Road, Hassocks, BN6 8AR

Heatherside Post Office, 8 Heatherside Arcade, Heatherside, GU15 1AX

Horley Post Office, Unit 4 Consort Way, Horley, RH6 7AF

Hundredstone Post Office, 53 Glenthorne Avenue, Yeovil, BA21 4PN

Ifield Drive Post Office, Ifield Drive, Crawley, RH11 0DQ

Jansel Square Post Office, 35 Jansel Square, Aylesbury, HP21 7ET

Leominster Post Office, 1-3 South Street, Leominster, HR6 8JA

Locks Bottom Post Office, 336-338 Crofton Road, Orpington, BR6 8NW

Longfield Post Office, 69 Station Road, Longfield, DA3 7QA

Luton Post Office, 214 Luton Road, Chatham, ME4 5BS

Manston Drive Post Office, 3 Snowley Parade, Bishops Stortford, CM23 5EP

Marshalswick Post Office, 29 The Quadrant, Marshalswick, St Albans, AL4 9RE

Montague Avenue Post Office, 53 Montague Avenue, Southampton, SO19 0QB

Murch Post Office, The Parade, Dinas Powys, CF64 4NR

New Ash Green Post Office, 19-21 The Row, New Ash Green, Longfield, DA3 8JB

New Milton Post Office, 75-77 Station Road, New Milton, BH25 6JD

North Parade Post Office, 16-18 North Parade, Chessington, KT9 1QF

Radyr Post Office, 10 Station Road, Radyr, Cardiff, CF15 8AA

Riverview Park Post Office, 4-6 The Alma, Gravesend, DA12 4NG

Rochford Post Office, 14 West Street, Rochford, SS4 1AJ

Shortstown Post Office, North Drive, Shortstown, Bedford, MK42 0TL

Stephenson Square Post Office, 10 Stephenson Square, Walsall, WS2 7DY

Surbiton Post Office, 2-3 Victoria Road, Surbiton, KT6 4JU

Taunton Road Post Office, 135 Taunton Road, Bridgwater, TA6 6BD

Thatcham Post Office, 54-55 The Broadway, Thatcham, RG19 3HP

The Neighbourhood Centre Post Office, 9 The Neighbourhood Centre, Poole, BH17 9DW

The Oval Post Office, 17-19 The Oval, Stevenage, SG1 5RA

West Park Post Office, 444 Crownhill Road, West Park, Plymouth, PL5 2QT

Whipton Post Office, 352 Pinhoe Road, Exeter, EX4 8AJ

Woodthorpe Post Office, 51 Moorcroft Road, York, YO24 2RQ

I'll leave the experts to pick out which - if any- of these have Self-Service Kiosks (SSKs) and then I can make adjustments to the January Post & Go post.

This follows the announcement that Modella Capital's restructuring planes for its TG Jones (ex WH Smith) stores could see the closure of up to 60 stores. Some containing post offices - East Ham, Waltham Cross, Torquay, Hull, Ayr, Middleton and Solihul - are already earmarked for closure.

These are even more likely to have SSKs in as they often followed the closure of Crown or other major urban Post Offices.

Update from Lars Tåders 5 August:

I read with interest and dismay about all the closures of POs by Morrisons. I called in at the PO at Riverview Park on the south eastern corner of Gravesend yesterday and they will shut on Thursday [6th August]. All 3 of the POs near Gravesend that will close have recently been fitted with the new solar powered topped letterboxes, so the decision to close them was probably taken in a panic. I attach a picture of the Riverview Park PO and its letterbox.

Solar powered postbox outside Riverview Park branch at Gravesnd, Kent (picture supplied).

Thank you Lars.