Guernsey Stamps Philatelic Bulletin February 2018

GUERNSEY STAMPS AND COLLECTABLES

FEBRUARY 2018 VOL 10 No 15

LUNAR NEW YEAR: YEAR OF THE DOG ENDANGERED SPECIES: BLACK RHINOCEROS GUERNSEY POST & GO: BAILIWICK FLOWERS 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WOMBLES STAMPEX VALENTINE EXHIBITION SHEET

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Welcome Happy New Year and welcome to our first Philatelic News of 2018.

As usual we start the year with the latest instalment of our Lunar New Year series: The Year of the Dog, superbly illustrated

by Chrissy Lau. This year our stamps take inspiration from China’s famous Pekingese ‘lion dogs’ that were specifically bred to resemble lions and are highly regarded in Buddhism.

For our first Alderney issue we are thrilled to be able to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the publication of The Wombles, which were written by Alderney based author, Elisabeth Beresford, who wrote over 20 Wombles books. The Wombles’ motto, Make Good Use of Bad Rubbish, and their passion to recycle were ahead of their time and captured the imagination of children everywhere.

Our Endangered Species issue reverts back to our usual miniature sheet format and features the Black Rhinoceros. Despite its name, the black rhino is actually grey in colour, and smaller than its white relative.

Despite conservation and anti-poaching efforts, which has resulted in numbers increasing, the black rhino remains classified as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List, with poaching for their horns posing a constant threat to their survival.

We will, once again, be attending StampEx in February and, along with the above issues, we’ll be launching our next Post & Go pictorial issue ‘Bailiwick Flowers’. Its abundance of beautiful flora and fauna makes Guernsey a real haven for a whole host of different and rare species which bloom throughout the Bailiwick - some that you won’t find anywhere else in the British Isles. The stamps will be available from our stand and from our head office Envoy House kiosk (GG02) in Guernsey.

GUERNSEY PHILATELIC BUREAU AWARDED CUSTOMER SERVICE ACCOLADE In a philatelic first, we are very proud to announce that we have recently been awarded the prestigious UK Customer Service Excellence accolade, having passed the stringent criteria with flying colours.

The award assessor praised the bureau’s… e.g. level of customer focus / dedication / motivation and desire to delight customers – please outline areas where you were singled out for praise / what has been noted in the assessor’s report.

Established by the Cabinet Office, the award looks in great depth at those areas considered to be a priority for customers, with particular focus on delivery, timeliness, information, professionalism and staff attitude. Emphasis is also given to developing customer insight, understanding of the customer experience and robust measurement of service satisfaction.

Led by customer services manager Dean Le Clerc, our team provided extensive evidence to the assessor to show that we have a thorough understanding of our business, our customers and our products. We also developed process maps and offered suggestions to refine these processes and implement changes when required.

The award assessor was more than satisfied that the bureau’s customer service meets the requirements of Customer Service Excellence. The award is valid for three years, with surveillance visits taking place each year.

This is a superb team effort and a real endorsement of our commitment to the delivery of excellent customer service and to continually improving and assessing that service.

We are particularly proud to be the first philatelic bureau to receive this accolade. Well done everyone!

We look forward to seeing you at StampEx and in the meantime please do look at what the rest of our 2018 stamp programme offers.

Philatelic: Dean Le Clerc, Bridget Yabsley, Tricia Symes, Lyn Merrien, Christina Goodwin, Lisa Pemberton.

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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 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 The Royal Philatelic Society London If you wish to join or find out more contact: John Triggs FRPSL Email: jtriggs@cwgsy.net www.rpsl.org.uk 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

2018 STAMP PROGRAMME

GUERNSEY

1 FEBRUARY 2018 LUNAR NEW YEAR: YEAR OF THE DOG 2018 14 FEBRUARY 2018 ENDANGERED SPECIES: BLACK RHINO 2 MAY 2018 EUROPA: BRIDGES 23 MAY 2018 RAF100: 201 SQUADRON (GUERNSEY’S OWN) 1 AUGUST 2018 SEPAC: SPECTACULAR VIEWS 8 NOVEMBER 2018 GUERNSEY CHRISTMAS STAMPS - NUTCRACKER 8 NOVEMBER 2018 STORIES FROM THE GREAT WAR: PART 5 - MEMORIALS 8 NOVEMBER 2018 70TH BIRTHDAY OF PRINCE CHARLES

ALDERNEY 14 FEBRUARY 2018 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WOMBLES 14 FEBRUARY 2018 VALENTINES STAMPEX 2018 EXHIBITION SHEET 23 MAY 2018 65TH ANNIVERSARY, THE QUEEN’S CORONATION 1 AUGUST 2018 ALDERNEY WEEK 8 NOVEMBER 2018 ALDERNEY - CHRISTMAS STAMPS - DICKENS, CHRISTMAS CAROL POST & GO 14 FEBRUARY 2018 GUERNSEY BAILIWICK FLOWERS: SPRING STAMPEX OVERPRINT (TBC) AUTUM STAMPEX OVERPRINT (TBC)

Programme details and issue dates are subject to change without prior notice.

Don’t forget! - Free postage and packing for Standing Order customers.

Please contact the Philatelic Bureau to open your account today.

www.ciss1950.org.uk

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Year of the Dog 2018 NEW ISSUE: Set of six stamps: £4.06 Issue date: 1 February 2018

In 2018, Chinese Spring Festival, also known as Chinese – and Lunar - New Year, begins on 16th February, the second New Moon after the Solstice. It has become one of the world’s most celebrated festivals and is observed not only in Mainland China, but also in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Vietnam and Singapore and other Asian countries.

Each Chinese New Year is characterised by one of 12 animals, which appear in the Chinese zodiac.

2018 is the Year of the Dog and people born under this sign are said to be honest, helpful and have strong integrity. However, communication and stubbornness can also be traits of those born in a Chinese zodiac ‘dog’ year.

In celebration of the Year of the Dog, our collection of stamps takes inspiration from China’s famous Pekingese “lion dogs”, which are statues commonly used as lucky feng shui ornaments.

Each Pekingese dog has been designed with a pattern of scrolls on the head, scroll style tails and large paws.

Our souvenir sheet depicts a Pekingese dog, which proudly holds gold coins on a ribbon to promote fortune and wealth for its owners. Its body is filled with a chrysanthemum pattern, which is often used to decorate Chinese ceramics and textiles and is symbolic of a noble personality.

The first day cover design depicts a playful, energetic Pekingese dog in mid flight, whose body is filled with a pumpkin pattern, which is thought to be linked to ancient Chinese creation myths, as seeds were attributed to producing the first human beings. According to Chinese legend, dogs were also credited with helping humans obtain the first precious grain seeds and when combined together, they are seen as a symbol of fertility.

44p Stamp: The Sitting Pekingese Lion Dog 59p Stamp: Skipping Pekingese Dog 60p Stamp: The Loyal Pekingese Lion Dog 73p Stamp: The Pekingese Lion Dog with the Ball 80p Stamp: The Mother Dog & Pup 90p Stamp: The Fortune Guardian Dogs

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Souvenir Sheet: £4.06

Date of issue Designer

1 February 2018 Chrissy Lau

Printer

Lowe-Martin

Values

44p, 59p, 60p, 73p, 80p, 90p

Process Stamp size S/Sheet Paper Sheets Perforation Cylinder

Offset Lithography 30.5mm deep x 40mm wide 100mm deep x 140mm wide 110gsm unwatermarked PVA Adhesive 10 13.3

Also available: First Day Cover: £5.26 Presentation Pack: £4.96 First Day Cover Souvenir Sheet: £5.26 Sheets of 10: £40.60 Limited Edition Uncut Press Sheet: £26.00 Limited Edition Gold Foil Souvenir Sheet: £95.00

A

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Endangered Species: Black Rhinoceros NEW ISSUE: Miniature Sheet: £3.00 Issue date: 14th February 2018

The black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) is the most well known of the five living rhinoceros species, thanks largely to its highly publicised international conservation drive.

The black rhino faces a variety of threats. The main threat is poaching for the international rhino horn trade. Rhino horn has two main uses: traditional - and more recently, new non-traditional use in Chinese medicine, and ornamental use, such as the horn being used for making ornately carved handles for ceremonial daggers, or Jambiyas worn in some Middle East countries.

Throughout most of the 20th century, the black rhino was the most numerous of the world’s rhino species and is thought to have numbered around 850,000. Relentless hunting of the species and clearances of land for settlement and agriculture drastically reduced numbers and, by 1960, only an estimated 100,000 remained. In the early 1970s, black rhinos were a key target of large scale poaching, which almost eliminated them outside conservation areas and drastically reduced their numbers within national parks and reserves. Between 1970 and 1992, it is thought that around 96% of black rhinos were lost to large-scale poaching, which saw their numbers plummet to a low of about 2,400 individuals.

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Increases in numbers have occurred in countries where investments in conservation programmes have occurred, including monitoring and law enforcement. Four range states, comprising South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Kenya, currently conserve the majority (96.1%) of remaining wild black rhino.

Dehorning has also been adopted in some countries and in 1997, Yemen became a signatory of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), which vastly reduces the demand for rhinoceros horn in the Middle East. By 2001, the continental black rhino population had increased to 3,100, with populations in six of the eight range states increasing. Most individuals are conserved in heavily protected areas.

First Day Cover £4.20 COMMON NAME: BLACK RHINOCEROS SCIENTIFIC NAME: Diceros bicornis TYPE: MAMMAL Presentation Pack £3.90

DIET: HERBIVORES SIZE: HEIGHT AT SHOULDER, 4.5 TO 6 FT WEIGHT: 1,700 TO 3,080 LBS SIZE: RELATIVE TO A 6 - FT MAN

Date of issue Designer Printer Value Process Sheet size Stamp size Paper Perforation Cylinder

14 February 2018 Joel Kirk Cartor Security Printing £3 Offset Lithography 84mm deep x 118mm wide 71.4mm deep x 59.6mm wide 110gsm unwatermarked PVA Adhesive 14 x 14.25 A

CR

Critically Endangered

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50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE WOMBLES NEW ISSUE: Set of six stamps: £4.06 Issue date: 14th February 2018 Local Letter

ALDERNEY

UK Letter

50 years of The Wombles

EUR Letter

ALDERNEY

50 years of The Wombles

ALDERNEY

50 years of The Wombles

50 years of The Wombles

ROW Letter

ALDERNEY

Local Large Letter

ALDERNEY

UK Large Letter

50 years of The Wombles

Elisabeth “Liza” Beresford was born on 6 August 1926 in Paris and educated at St Mary’s Hall and Brighton and Hove High School in England. She is best known as the creator of the furry, pointynosed Wombles from Wimbledon Common.

These wonderful creatures, who were ahead of their time in recycling “things that the every day folks leave behind”, achieved worldwide success, having appeared in a 35-episode BBC television series in the mid-1970s.

Such was the success of the Wombles that huge sacks of fan mail arrived from around the world and Elisabeth found herself taking part in live phone-ins with children, as well as making countless public appearances with The Wombles.

Elisabeth visited the island of Alderney in 1962 and fell in love with its tranquillity and beauty.

She became a full-time resident in 1967 and bought a 300-year-old cottage on the outskirts of St. Anne where she wrote several Wombles books.

Elisabeth lived on Alderney for over 30 years until her death on 24 December 2010.

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ALDERNEY

50 years of The Wombles

Some Wombling facts!

During one promotional tour for the Wombles Elisabeth appeared before an audience of 100 Zulu warriors who showed their appreciation in their traditional manner and pretended to hurl spears at her!

In 2000 the Wombles made a comeback when, dressed in Guards’ uniform complete with bearskin, they took part in the Queen Mother’s birthday parade.

Elisabeth became an MBE in the 1998 New Years’ Honours List. When she went to Buckingham Palace for her investiture, The Queen, who is said to be a fan, spoke to her at length about the Wombles Elisabeth adapted the Wombles stories into a stage show, which enjoyed a run on London’s West End The Wombles, some of the nation’s favourite little pickers, were chosen to front a campaign to Keep Britain Tidy

Sheets of 10: £40.60

Souvenir Sheet: £4.06

First Day Cover Souvenir Sheet: £5.26

Local Letter: Uncle Bulgaria UK Letter: Bungo & Orinoco Local Large Letter: Madame Cholet EUR Letter: Uncle Bulgaria & Cousin Yellowstone ROW Letter: Tobermoy UK Large Letter: Tomsk Date of issue Designer

14 February 2018 Mark Totty

Printer

Southern Colour Print

Values

44p, 59p, 60p, 73p, 80p, 90p

Process Stamp size Paper Sheets Perforation Cylinder

Presentation Pack: £4.96

First Day Cover: £5.26

Offset Lithography 30mm deep x 40mm wide 103gsm unwatermarked PVA adhesive 10 13.33 x 13.60 A

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Stampex Valentine Exhibition Sheet 2018 NEW ISSUE: Miniature Sheet: £1.18 Issue date: 14 February 2018

Sealed with love No one seems to know the true origins of Valentine’s Day, the day upon which we celebrate love all around the world.

Two saints who were both martyred in Rome share the feast day of 14th February, Valentine of Terni in around AD 197 and Valentine of Rome in around AD 496.

Many believe the celebration stems from this latter saint, dating back to the third century AD when Emperor Claudius II banned men from tying the knot, believing married men would make bad soldiers. Thinking this was unfair, St Valentine, arranged marriages for the soldiers in secret but he was caught and sentenced to death. According to legend, he fell in love with his jailer’s daughter and before his execution wrote her a letter signed “Your Valentine”.

The day itself, which is also called Saint Valentine’s Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is thought to originate from an ancient Roman feast day called Lupercalia, celebrated in the middle of February but it later became a Christian celebration too.

Valentine’s Day became further associated with love thanks to Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14th century and by the 18th century it had blossomed into an opportunity for people to show their feelings of love, sending hand-written “valentines” cards, giving flowers, trinkets or sweet treats.

Pre-printed Valentine’s cards started to appear in Georgian Britain and became more massproduced in the early 19th century with the advance of printing techniques.

It was the Victorians who considered it bad luck to sign a Valentine’s card but not all their Valentines were romantic. Insulting cards known as ‘Vinegar Valentines’ went on sale for those who weren’t quite so romantic.

Today Valentines Day is one of the most romantic days of the year, a day popular for wedding proposals, which would no doubt have made St Valentine himself proud!

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First Day Cover: £2.38

FO RE

V

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IN

MY

HEA

RT FR O

Date of issue Designer

Sue Hamon Cartor Security Printing

Values

59p x2

Stamp size M/Sheet Paper Sheets Perforation Cylinder

OU OY ET

14 February 2018

Printer Process

MM

Presentation Pack: £2.08

Offset Lithography 38mm deep x 38mm wide 81mm deep x 128mm wide 110gsm unwatermarked PVA Adhesive 10 13.75 x 14.75 A

Guernsey Post & Go powered by Royal Mail Bailiwick Flowers Products for this issue can be ordered on stock sheet

Products available: B Series Strips: £4.06 First Day Cover: £5.26 Presentation Pack: £4.96 Blank First Day Cover: £1.20 G Series Bailiwick Flowers - Envoy House: £4.56* G Series Bailiwick Flowers - Collectors Set Envoy House: £24.86* * includes 50p admin charge

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Islington Design Centre

14 - 17 February 2018 Guernsey Post Office

Come and say hello at our Guernsey Post stand (no 76).

View our latest stamps and other collectable items.

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

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