Guernsey Stamps News Bulletin October 2019

GUERNSEY STAMPS AND COLLECTABLES

OCTOBER 2019 VOL 11 No 5

50th ANNIVERSARY POSTAL INDEPENDENCE

50th ANNIVERSARY PHILATELIC INDEPENDENCE

www.guernseystamps.com

Welcome The 1st October 2019 sees Guernsey Post and the Philatelic Bureau celebrating our 50th anniversary of Postal Independence.

We are delighted to be issuing a vibrant set of stamps that depict some of the key developments since Guernsey became an independent postal administration on 1 October 1969.

Joe Smith, owner of design studio Mojoe, has created a memorable set of stamps that feature some of Guernsey’s key postal developments since postal independence, from the introduction of Guernsey Post’s blue post boxes to its conversion to an electric delivery fleet.

When the States of Guernsey took over the running of postal services from HM Government in 1969, the island began to design and produce stamps through its own philatelic bureau.

A second commemorative set that highlight the rich variety of topics covered by the philatelic bureau since it was established in October 1969 depicts stamps from a private collection belonging to Guernseyman, Doric Sarre, who began collecting stamps when he was 10 years old. Mr Sarre’s collection spans from 1969 to the present day.

Designed by local design agency, Two Degrees North, the stamp designs incorporate a popular tool used by philatelic collectors, the magnifying glass. Each stamp features a gold foil handle extending to a number 5, which, together with the gold foil circle of the magnifying glass, depicts the number 50 to mark the anniversary year.

We thoroughly enjoyed looking back over the last 50 years in our postal and philatelic history and hope you enjoy our two anniversary issues.

Customer Corner 50 Years of Guernsey Stamps Exhibition Guernsey Post is set to open an exhibition featuring some of its original stamp artwork to mark its 50th anniversary of postal independence this year.

The exhibition is due to open at St James Concert and Assembley Hall, College Street, St Peter Port, on Tuesday 1st October, exactly fifty years to the day since Guernsey obtained its postal independence from the British General Post Office and started designing and issuing its own stamps. All original stamp artwork is housed at Island Archives and a variety will be selected to represent each decade.

Over the decades Guernsey Post’s philatelic bureau has built a global reputation for the quality of its stamps and the diversity of the subjects covered. Design techniques have changed over the years and we rarely receive original artworks from artists now as many choose to finish their artwork digitally so it will be a real treat to showcase some of the earlier artworks.

A treat for stamp collectors, artwork lovers and those with an interest in Bailiwick history, the exhibition features a rich display of artwork and information from the bureau’s archives, with stamps from each decade dating back to 1969 to the present day – including the latest stamps celebrating 50 years of postal independence.

www.guernseystamps.com

Smaller thematic stamp displays showcasing artwork, including the Endangered Species and Great War series, will sit alongside other popular stamp issues such as the 25th Anniversary of the Liberation of the Channel Islands (1970) and the Ford Model T Centenary (May 2008), to name just two.

Boley Smillie, Chief Executive of Guernsey Post comments “We are really proud of the stamps we have issued over the last 50 years which have covered a huge variety of topics from local history to wildlife as well as many events of local and national interest. We hope there is something of interest in the exhibition for everyone.”

The exhibition is open to the public from 2 October and runs through to the end of the month.

Image of first Philatelic News from 1969

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 Email: philatelic@guernseypost.com The Royal Philatelic Society London If you wish to join or find out more contact: John Triggs FRPSL Email: Guern1974@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: Mark Bailey 36 Jerrymoor Hill Finchampstead Workingham Berkshire RG40 4UG www.ciss1950.org.uk

Guernsey Philatelic Society The society meet on regular intervals, for details contact Sue Gamblin.

Email: sjgamblin@cwgsy.net Tel: 07781 113038

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

Please contact the Philatelic Bureau to open your account today.

2019 STAMP PROGRAMME GUERNSEY 22 JANUARY 2019 LUNAR NEW YEAR: YEAR OF THE PIG 2019 13 FEBRUARY 2019 JOHN WILSON ARCHITECT 1 APRIL 2019 EUROPA: NATIONAL BIRDS 29 MAY 2019 200TH ANNIVERSARY: THE QUEEN VICTORIA & PRINCE ALBERT 20 JULY 2019 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MOON LANDING 24 JULY 2019 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF PRINCE CHARLES’ INVESTITURE 24 JULY 2019 SEPAC: OLD RESIDENTIAL HOUSE 1 OCTOBER 2019 50TH ANNIVERSARY - POSTAL INDEPENDENCE (POSTAL) 1 OCTOBER 2019 50TH ANNIVERSARY - POSTAL INDEPENDENCE (PHILATELIC) 30 OCTOBER 2019 GUERNSEY CHRISTMAS STAMPS

ALDERNEY 13 FEBRUARY 2019 120 YEARS: THE SINKING OF THE SS STELLA 29 MAY 2019 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF D-DAY 24 JULY 2019 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF JOHN KEATS ‘ODES TO A.....’

30 OCTOBER 2019 ALDERNEY CHRISTMAS STAMPS 11 NOVEMBER 2019 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF REMEMBRANCE DAY POST & GO 13 FEBRUARY 2019 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GUERNSEY OLD CAR CLUB (GG01 & GGO2) POST & GO 13 FEBRUARY 2019 GUERNSEY FLAGS: SPRING STAMPEX OVERPRINT (GG01) POST & GO 1 APRIL 2019 GOCC: CRUISE SHIP OVERPRINTS POST & GO 9 -11 MAY 2019 GUERNSEY FLAGS: ESSEN 2019 OVERPRINT (GG03) POST & GO 7 -11 SEPTEMBER 2019 AUTUMN STAMPEX: 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF POSTAL INDEPENDENCE (GG01) POST & GO 1 OCTOBER 2019 (GG02) GUERNSEY FLAGS: 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF POSTAL INDEPENDENCE POST & GO 19 DECEMBER 2019 GOCC: CHRISTMAS UNDERPRINT (GG02)-TBC

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

50th Anniversary - Postal Independence NEW ISSUE: Souvenir Sheet: £4.47 Issue date: 1 October 2019

We are proud to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Guernsey’s Postal Independence with a set of vibrant stamps and products that depict some of the key developments since Guernsey became an independent postal administration on 1 October 1969.

For this special issue we caught up with Guernsey Post’s chief executive, Boley Smillie, to glean his views on some of the changes over the years and what the future holds for the business…

“I left La Mare de Carteret School in Guernsey in 1991 and went straight into a postal assistant role with Guernsey Post. This gave me great commercial exposure, as I worked across several areas of the business before progressing into the role of customer services manager during the 1990s and then joining the operational management team in 2003. Seven years later I became chief executive.

“I’ve seen many developments at Guernsey Post over the past 28 years, but perhaps the biggest change has been the reinvention of postal services. During the 1990s, we were a letters business that delivered a few parcels. In response to the changing needs of our customers over the years, we’re now a parcels business that also delivers letters.

“Expectations have changed, too. In the 1980s, I remember taking calls from our customers who were

following up on their postal catalogue orders. We had to politely remind them that the catalogues operated on 28-day delivery timescales. That’s unthinkable in today’s digital age, where the expectation is for next day delivery.

“One of the areas where we’ve seen growth over the last decade has been the online personalised greeting cards sector. Over 95% of ‘print on demand’ greeting cards start life in Guernsey; businesses including Moonpig, Funky Pigeon and Touchnote have their headquarters on the island. In 2006, our first consignment was 100 greetings cards and now, on a busy day, it can be in excess of 250,000 deliveries.

“There’s no doubt that today’s postal services, in Guernsey and across Europe, look very different to how they did 50 years ago. People generally don’t write to one another as they used to do – there are many digital substitutions for that – and bills, payments and bank statements can be accessed online. As a business, we won’t dwell on those changes and instead, we will continue to look at opportunities for growth, such as the online greeting cards sector. We’ve already transformed into a parcel business, so it’s about looking at what else we can offer that will benefit our customers, whilst continuing to focus on doing what we are good at.”

www.guernseystamps.com - pre-order 17th September

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Each stamp contains Microtext, stating the event associated with the design.

First Day Cover: £5.67

Date of issue Designer

1 October 2019 Joseph Smith

Printer

bpost

Values

48p, 65p, 66p, 80p, 90p, 98p

Process Stamp size S/Sheet size Paper Sheets Perforation Cylinder

Offset Lithography, microtext 40mm deep x 40mm wide

Presentation Pack: £5.37

Also available: Souvenir Sheet FDC: £5.67 Souvenir Sheet Pack Insert: £4.67 * Limited Edition Uncut Imperforation Sheet: £15.00 Sheets of 10: £44.70

100mm deep x 140mm wide 445 Gummed FSC Securpost 110 GPW 10 1.1 x 1.667 A

* Not a standing order item

www.guernseystamps.com

50th Anniversary - Philatelic Independence NEW ISSUE: Set of 6 stamps: £4.47 Issue date: 1st October 2019

48p - 1969, 65p - late 70’s - early 80’s, 66p - late 80’s - early 90’s, 80p - mid to late 90’s, 90p - 2000’s, 98p - 2010 onwards We are absolutely delighted to celebrate the 50th anniversary of postal independence with our special ‘stamps on stamps’ issue.

All of the stamps depicted on our commemorative set belong Guernsey businessman, Doric Sarre. We spoke to Mr Sarre to find out more about his collection and how he became involved in philately…

“I started to take an interest in stamp collecting when I was 10 years old. Both my parents were collectors and encouraged me to take up the hobby to help my education. It’s true that you can learn a lot from stamp collecting, as there is such a range of topics and themes covered.

“Family commitments and the demands of life generally meant that I took a break from stamp collecting during my 20s and 30s but during my 40s, I had more time and was drawn back to my hobby. I’m now 76 and stamp collecting has more or less been a lifetime hobby.

“I’ve always lived on Guernsey and I’m proud to say that my collection of over 200,000 stamps includes every mint stamp set released for the Bailiwick of Guernsey.

This includes all the stamps from Guernsey, Alderney, Sark, Herm and Jethou. The oldest stamps in my Bailiwick collection are Guernsey stamps issued during the German Occupation, which depict the Coat of Arms of Guernsey.

“It’s impossible to choose a favourite stamp or collection as they all mean so much to me. I can’t contemplate selling any of the stamps in my collection now unless I have a duplicate set. I used to collect GB stamps but I decided to sell them a few years ago, as I intended to retire but then changed my mind.

“I’m still collecting all of the Bailiwick stamps and I’m particularly looking forward to receiving the 50th anniversary sets celebrating Postal Independence, which have been designed by my grand-daughter.”

www.guernseystamps.com - pre-order 17th September

Presentation Pack: £5.37

First Day Cover: £5.67

Date of issue Designer Printer

1 October 2019 Two Degrees North Southern Colour Print

Value

48p, 65p, 66p, 80p, 90p, 98p

Process

Offset Lithography, gold foil, gloss spot UV, embossing

Stamp size Paper Perforation Sheets Cylinder

36mm deep x 41.35mm wide 103gsm Gummed Stamp Paper 14.44 x 14.51 10 A

Also available: * Limited Edition Gold Replica of Stamp Issued 1.10.1969: £45.00 Sheets of 10: £44.70 * Not a standing order item

www.guernseystamps.com

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS POSTAL INDEPENDENCE

1969 - 2019

ISSUE DA 1 OCTOB TE ER 2019

We are delighted to mark the 50th anniversary of Guernsey’s postal independence with two vibrant stamp issues, one which highlights the rich variety of topics covered by the Philatelic Bureau and secondly, some of the key developments since Guernsey became an independent postal administration on 1 October 1969.

Limited Edition Gold Replica of Stamp Issued 1.10.1969: £45.00 Included in our Philatelic issue, we have a limited edition (300) gold stamp from our very first issue in October 1969. This stamp depicts Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth II and the Guernsey Crest.

Gold stamp will be supplied in a protective capsule and presentation box. This item will be sent registered post £8 / £11

These limited edition items are not standing order products, so please order using the enclosed order form, direct with the philatelic bureau or online.

Imperforate Uncut Press Sheet £15.00 For our postal set we have a limited edition (500) Imperforate Uncut Press Sheet.

www.guernseystamps.com