GUERNSEY STAMPS & COLLECTABLES BULLETIN
July 2015 VOL 10 No 2
ALDERNEY FORTS SEPAC: ARTISTS OF GUERNSEY SARK: 450 YEARS AS A FIEF OF THE CROWN
www.guernseystamps.com
New issues
Welcome
Alderney Forts Sepac: Artists of Guernsey Sark: 450 Years as a Fief to the Crown
Welcome to the July issue of our Stamp Bulletin. We are just back from a very busy Europhilex exhibition in London and it was great to see some new faces amongst the familiar faces too. We now have two new Post & Go B-Series overprints available from both the Essen and Europhilex 2015 exhibitions - further details are available in this bulletin.
Guernsey 57
77p
et Bay Moulin Hu uste Renoir
Pierre-Aug
GUERNSEY
The tiny Channel Island of Sark celebrates 450 years as a Fief to the Crown this year. From dragon slaying to pirates and gold mines the fascinating history of Sark is brought to life with a beautifully illustrated set of stamps and miniature sheet. This year’s SEPAC theme is ‘Culture’ and we have chosen to celebrate paintings from a variety of artists who had connections with Guernsey. This striking set includes two very different paintings of Moulin Huet Bay – one by Renoir and one by Naftel. And last but not least our July issue for Alderney features just a small selection of the many historic forts on the island. Some of the forts have undergone work already – including clearing of 70 years’ of scrub growth and debris as part of Alderney’s Living Islands project which is designed to promote Alderney’s incredible wildlife and history.
FORTSé ALDERNEY Fort Houmet Herb
SARK: 450 YE
ARS
62
How to Order By post Complete the order form and send to: Guernsey Philatelic Bureau FREEPOST GU267 Envoy House La Vrangue St Peter Port Guernsey Channel Islands GY1 5SS By phone Please call us on +44 (0) 1481 716486 between 8.30am and 5pm Monday to Friday Online You can also order securely online at www.guernseystamps.com
www.guernseystamps.com
2014 Yearbook A beautiful hardback book containing all stamps, souvenir and miniature sheets of 2014 for both Guernsey and Alderney. This price of the Yearbook is £62.84 - which is the face value of the stamps included. You don’t pay any extra for the book.
FORTHCOMING 2015 STAMP ISSUES* GUERNSEY 6 NOVEMBER 2015 CHRISTMAS STAMPS 11 NOVEMBER 2015 STORIES FROM THE GREAT WAR: PART 2
ALDERNEY 9 SEPTEMBER 2015 HER MAJESTY: THE LONGEST REIGNING MONARCH 6 NOVEMBER 2015 CHRISTMAS STAMPS 10 NOVEMBER 2015 70th ANNIVERSARY OF HOMECOMING
FREEPOST GU267 Guernsey Philatelic Bureau Envoy House La Vrangue St Peter Port Guernsey Channel Islands GY1 5SS Tel: +44 (0)1481 716486 Fax: +44 (0)1481 712082 E-mail: philatelic@guernseypost.com www.guernseystamps.com
Vote for your best Europa Stamp of 2015
For more details please check the back cover!
www.guernseystamps.com
The Royal Philatelic Society If you wish to join or find out more contact: John Triggs, Channel Islands Representative for the Royal Philatelic Society Email: jtriggs@cwgsy.net Tel: 01481 725847 Channel Islands Specialists Society Anyone wishing to join the CISS, buy one of the Society’s excellent publications, or find out more, should write to: Moira Edwards 86 Hall Lane Sandon Chelmsford Essex CM2 7RQ www.ciss1950.org.uk
*Stamp programme subject to change without notice.
Sepac: Artists of Guernsey NEW ISSUE: Set of 6 Stamps: £3.62 Issue date: 22nd July 2015
The French Impressionist painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir spent around a month in Guernsey in the late summer of 1883. During this time he created about fifteen pictures, all showing views of the bay and beach of Moulin Huet, located at the east end of the island’s rocky south coast. The paintings vary in theme, with panoramic views from the track leading down to the bay, scenes with groups of figures among the rocks on the beach and more simplistic sketches of rocks and the sea. Nineteenth century guide books to Guernsey often noted Moulin Huet as the island’s finest scenic attraction, including one which commented: ‘This is a famous resort for artists, many of whom have committed to canvas the lovely and ever-changing aspect its locality presents; while poets too have sung of its charms in language which such scenes alone inspire’. No reference to the island’s agricultural industry or commercial elements appear in Renoir’s paintings, though earlier in his career Renoir had often painted towns and villages in France, including a large canvas exhibited in 1880 depicting mussel gatherers on the Normandy coast. During his time on the island the autumn seaweed harvest and its associated festivities would have taken place, but this event does not feature in any of his work, nor do the picturesque streets or harbour of St Peter Port. At the time of his visit, French traditions for portraying the natural world were very different from the English. French observers tended to focus more on effect and mood, on the ways in which the play of light and weather transformed a scene. Close attention to detail was often sacrificed by the impressionist painters as they sought to recreate personal sensations and overall effect, and indeed Renoir’s views of Moulin Huet pay little attention to the details of flora or rock structure. It is not known what attracted Renoir to Guernsey, but it is evident that the trip was instrumental in the development of his ideas about painting.
www.guernseystamps.com
Sheets of 10: £36.20 First Day Cover: £4.82
Presentation Pack: £4.52
42p Stamp: Moulin Huet Bay 56p Stamp: La Moye Harbour, Le Gouffre 57p Stamp: Cradle Rock & Pea Stacks 62p Stamp: La Saignée, Sark 68p Stamp: Grand Rocques Old Fort 77p Stamp: Moulin Huet Bay
Date of issue
22 July 2015
Designer
Andrew Robinson
Printer
BDT International
Values
42p, 56p, 57p, 62p, 68p, 77p
Process Stamp size Paper
Offset Lithography 28mm deep x 42mm wide 120gsm unwatermarked PVA adhesive
Sheets
10
Perforation
14
Cylinder
A
www.guernseystamps.com
Sark: 450 Years as a Fief to the Crown NEW ISSUE: Set of five stamps: £3.06 Issue date: 22 July 2015 42
GUERNSEY
SARK: 450 YEARS
57
GUERNSEY
SARK: 450 YEARS
62
GUERNSEY
68
GUERNSEY
Sark is the smallest of the four main Channel Islands and, although it lies at the heart of the archipelago and is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey, its history was for centuries quite unconnected to its neighbouring isles. When links were finally forged with another Channel Island it was not with nearby Guernsey but with the more distant Jersey. This bond came about when Helier de Carteret, Seigneur of St Ouen the most westerly parish in Jersey, devised a plan to rid Sark of the French invaders and pirates that used the island as a base for their attacks. He proposed to Queen Elizabeth the First that he establish a permanent settlement on the island and in 1565 the Letters Patent were signed making Sark a Fief of the Crown and Helier its first Seigneur. Sark was divided into forty plots of land, called tenements, and each was assigned to a farming family, most of which came from Jersey. A feudal system whereby the tenants paid a proportion of their yield and other taxes to the Seigneur was founded. Primogeniture ensured that the tenements were never divided and from 1605 each of the forty landowning families had a seat in the island’s government, Chief Pleas.
www.guernseystamps.com
SARK: 450 YEARS
SARK: 450 YEARS
77
GUERNSEY
SARK: 450 YEARS
This system remained pretty much unchanged well into the twentieth century. In 1922 twelve ‘People’s Deputies’ were elected to join the landowners in running Chief Pleas but it wasn’t until 2008 that Sark adopted a completely democratic system. The tenements persist and are still indivisible and the role of Seigneur, currently Michael Beaumont OBE Sark’s 22nd Seigneur, remains though his powers are much diminished. Yet as Sark celebrates 450 years since the appointment of its first Seigneur, life on the tiny island with its strong community, lack of cars and immense natural beauty remains unique in the modern world.
Also available: First Day Cover: £4.26 First Day Cover Miniature Sheet: £4.20 Presentation Pack Miniature Sheet: £3.90
Presentation Pack: £3.96
Sheets of 10: £30.60
Miniature Sheet: £3.00
Date of issue Designer
22 July 2015 Nick Shewring
Printer
Lowe-Martin
Values
42p, 57p, 62p, 68p, 77p, £1, £2
Process Stamp size M/Sheet M/S stamp size Paper Sheets Perforation Cylinder
Offset Lithography 28mm deep x 40mm wide 80mm deep x 110mm wide 38mm deep x 32mm wide & 25mm deep x 40mm wide 110gsm unwatermarked PVA 10 13.3 A
42p Stamp: St Magloire, the Patron Saint of Sark 57p Stamp: Sark in the 15th Century 62p Stamp: The French invasion of Sark 68p Stamp: Le Manoir, home of Sark’s first Seigneur 77p Stamp: Silver and copper mining on Little Sark in the 19th Century
www.guernseystamps.com
Alderney Forts NEW ISSUE: Set of six stamps: £3.62 Issue date: 22nd July 2015
ALDERNEY FORTS
42
Fort Tourgis
ALDERNEY FORTS
ALDERNEY FORTS
56
Fort Clonque
62
Fort Houmet Herbé
ALDERNEY FORTS
Fort Château à l’Etoc
Living Islands is a pioneering tourism and community development project, which focuses on Alderney’s wildlife and history. Launched in 2013, the project was set up with the specific aims of: * protecting the environment and historic buildings; * supporting the local tourism demonstrating the value of heritage;
economy
by
* promoting Alderney’s history and wildlife to local people and visitors; and * improving local biodiversity by encouraging good management of valuable habitats In common with other Channel Islands and many other coastal communities across the British Isles, Alderney is witnessing population decline and new economic challenges. The Living Islands programme aims to help tackle these impacts, and has received significant support from the States and all levels of Alderney’s community. Alderney’s concentration of historic fortifications, such as those depicted across our stamps, are an obvious choice for attracting new visitors whilst inspiring local people about their heritage. These include the Roman fort at Longis Bay, which in Alderney is known as The Nunnery.
www.guernseystamps.com
ALDERNEY FORTS
57
Fort Grosnez
68
ALDERNEY FORTS
77
The Nunnery Roman Fort
Arguably one of the most intact small Roman forts of the Western Empire, it is thought to have been built early in the 4th century AD and appears to have been occupied almost ever since - during the Middle Ages, then by the Tudors before eventually becoming the home of the Governor of Alderney for a time. The second largest of the Victorian forts, Tourgis was designed to accommodate 346 men and mount 33 heavy cannon in five batteries, together with four 13-inch mortars. Following extensive clearance and conservation work, co-ordinated by the Living Islands project, Cambridge Battery has recently been restored and is now open to the public. A second site, at Bibette Head overlooking the harbour entrance, has recently been completed. Strongpoint Biberkopf was one of the most heavily fortified headlands in Alderney during the German Occupation of 1940-45. Living Islands has co-ordinated the drainage, clearance and interior painting of a series of bunkers including anti-tank, beach defence, heavy machine gun, and searchlight bunkers, personnel shelters, and a well preserved concrete-lined trench system. Both sites could not have been completed without the active co-operation of volunteers from Alderney Wildlife Trust, The Alderney Society, and not least, the heavy equipment and operators of the States of Alderney Works Department.
Another important strand of activity has been the development of niche marketing initiatives using social media, a new website: www.alderneylivingislands.com, and the targeting of wildlife and heritage tour operators and journalists. Through the Living Islands initiative, Alderney is raising its profile in these new and growing specialist tourism markets, and bringing some of Britain’s most important historic sites to new audiences. With special thanks to Martin Batt from Alderney Living Islands
Sheets of 10: £36.20
Presentation Pack: £4.52
First Day Cover: £4.82
Date of issue
22 July 2015
Designer
Mark Totty
Photography
Martin Batt
Printer
BDT International
Values
42p, 56p, 57p, 62p, 68p, 77p
42p: Fort Tourgis
Offset Lithography
56p: Fort Clonque
Process Stamp size Paper Sheets Perforation Cylinder
31.3mm deep x 40.64mm wide 120gsm unwatermarked PVA adhesive
57p: Fort Grosnez
10
62p: Fort Houmet Herbé
14 x 15
68p: Fort Château à l’Etoc
A
77p: The Nunnery Roman Fort
www.guernseystamps.com
Guernsey Post and Go Powered by Royal Mail SPRING STAMPEX, LONDON: Set of 6 £3.73
ESSEN, GERMANY: Set of 6 £3.62
B Series overprints available Spring Stampex, London 18th - 21st February Essen, Germany 7th - 9th May Europhilex, London 13th - 16th May Post & Go Exhibition strips will also be available from Autumn Stampex, London 16th - 19th September 2015 B Series strips will be available to pre-order from the bureau & on our website nearer the date.
www.guernseystamps.com
EUROPHILEX, LONDON: Set of 6 £3.62
Sark, the Jewel of the Channel Islands
Illustrated by Nick Shewring for the Jersey Post and Guernsey Post stamp issues
Sark – 450 Years as a fief to the Crown Issue date: 6 August 2015
On 6 August 1565, Helier de Carteret, the Seigneur of the Jersey parish of St.Ouen, was granted the island of Sark by Queen Elizabeth I in return for protection against pirates and French invasion. Sark became an inheritable fief with a small population and the De Carterets remained Lords of Sark until 1720. A special Miniature Sheet featuring the De Carteret Coat of Arms with a backdrop of the family’s historic Jersey residence, St.Ouen’s Manor, commemorates the 450th anniversary of the grant. Also available as a First Day Cover and Presentation Pack.
Visit the website to see our full range and to order online.
www.jerseystamps.com Email: stamps@jerseypost.com Tel: +44(0) 1534 516320 www.facebook.com/jerseystamps @JerseyStamps
Free postage and packing for Standing Order customers Open your account today
TAKE A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE WITH OLD TOYS WITH THE 2015 EUROPA STAMP COMPETITION
In a digital growing world, it is becoming more common for children to grow up playing video games and watching television. This year’s EUROPA competition theme brought back many nostalgic memories on the toys which played a role for many Europeans growing up. The classical teddy bear, toy cars or rag dolls are favourites amongst children; some were even handcrafted toys and authentic pieces of art which inspired many children’s imagination and creativity. So, philatelic designers delved into a part of Europe’s history between the 30’s and the 80’s, to work on their country’s interpretive designs and create the artworks that we see see on display. View and Vote for Your Favourite EUROPA Stamp Today. View all the beautiful entries and vote for your favourite stamp on: www.posteurop.org/europa2015 The online competition will end on 31 August 2015 and the winning stamps will be announced at the PostEurop Plenary Assembly to be held on 14 October 2015 in Cyprus.
FOR VOTE EY NS GUER www.guernseystamps.com