Guernsey Stamps News Bulletin April/May 2020

GUERNSEY STAMPS AND COLLECTABLES

APRIL - MAY 2020 VOL 11 No 8

EUROPA: ANCIENT POSTAL ROUTES: MAIL SHIPS - 250TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF WILLIAM WORDSWORTH ENDANGERED SPECIES: KODOFAN GIRAFFE - 75TH LIBERATION DAY ANNIVERSARY - (QUARTET): BEETHOVEN PART2

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Welcome German occupation during World War II. 2020 is the 75th anniversary of Guernsey’s liberation. To celebrate this landmark there are 75 specially themed events taking place throughout the year, whilst Liberation Day itself will be filled with a wealth of entertainment and activities for all ages. The Liberation of Guernsey on 9 May remains strongly cherished by islanders, who come together each year to thank those who fought during the war, and to celebrate the joy of freedom.

For spring we have two issue dates, 1st April and 2nd May, with the despatch of these being on the 2nd May 2020.

1st April sees the issue of our Europa set entitled ‘Mail Ships’ and is part of the 2020 theme of Ancient Postal Routes. They feature six mail and packet ships that sailed between Guernsey and the United Kingdom.

For Alderney we celebrate 250 years of William Wordsworth, one of the central figures in the English Romantic revolution in poetry. He is remembered as a poet with a profound love of nature and for breaking with traditional poetry through his use of vernacular language, which spoke of and to the common people.

And finally, the next instalment in our Endangered Species series will be released. The Kordofan giraffe is one of the smallest species of giraffe, at five to six metres tall and alarmingly, populations have declined by over 40% in the last three decades. Dr Julian Fennessy, Director of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) warned that giraffes have been ‘undergoing a silent extinction’. Conservationists have stepped up their efforts and are working collaboratively with governments to save them.

On 2nd May, we will release three stamps issues, including the issue of the second of our Quartet series celebrating the 250th Anniversary of the birth of Ludwig van Beethoven. Over the course of the year we will release another two stamps culminating in October with the release of a souvenir sheet and prestige booklet.

We hope you enjoy these issues.

We also commemorate the island’s freedom from

250th Anniversary of Beethoven - Part 2

Issue date: 2 May 2020

NEW ISSUE: Single stamp: £1.00

ST

DA YO

Designer

2 May 2020 The Potting Shed

Printer

Southern Colour Print

Values

£1

Process Stamp size Paper Sheets Perforation Cylinder

Offset Lithography 40mm deep x 30mm wide 103gsm Gummed Stamp Paper 20 13.33 x 13.60

Also available: First Day Cover: £2.20

AY F ISSUE 2 M

250

Date of issue

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Beethoven’s 250th Birthday

20 2

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Guernsey

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£1

Customer Corner And your favourite 2019 stamps are .....

Europa Birds and Remembrance Day Poppy.

Thank you to the many that entered our competition.

The winners of the 2020 Guernsey Calendar and 50th Anniversary packs are: Mr D. Perkins from Derbyshire and Mr G. Patterson from Cheshire.

Congratulations

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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 Email: philatelic@guernseypost.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: 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 Please note: European and International customers can continue to pay using a payment card or via PayPal on our website, sterling cheque drawn on a London Bank or British Postal Order made payable to Guernsey Post Ltd, or remit by Giro to our sterling account.

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

2020 STAMP PROGRAMME GUERNSEY 8 JANUARY 2020 LUNAR NEW YEAR: YEAR OF THE RAT 2020 21 JANUARY 2020 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF BEETHOVEN (PART 1) 1 APRIL 2020 EUROPA: ANCIENT POSTAL ROUTES: MAIL SHIPS 2 MAY 2020 ENDANGERED SPECIES: KORDOFAN GIRAFFE 2 MAY 2020 QUARTET: BEETHOVEN (PART 2) )

2 MAY 2020 75TH LIBERATION DAY ANNIVERSARY 21 JULY 2020 QUARTET: BEETHOVEN (PART 3) 21 JULY 2020 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF RUPERT BEAR 21 JULY 2020 SEPAC: ARTWORK IN THE NATIONAL COLLECTION 28 OCTOBER 2020 QUARTET: BEETHOVEN (PART 4) 28 OCTOBER 2020 GUERNSEY CHRISTMAS

ALDERNEY 21 JANUARY 2020 ALDERNEY DEFINITIVES: ALDERNEY BIRDS 21 JANUARY 2020 SEA LIFE IN THE RAMSAR AREA 1 APRIL 2020 250TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY OF WILLIAM WORDSWOTH 21 JULY 2020 80th ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF BRITAIN 28 OCTOBER 2020 ALDERNEY CHRISTMAS 28 OCTOBER 2020 170TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CONSECRATION OF ST ANNE’S CHURCH POST & GO 12 FEBRUARY 2020 BAILIWICK FISHING BOATS POST & GO MAY 2020 GUERNSEY FLAGS: LONDON 2020 OVERPRINT (GG01) TBC POST & GO MAY 2020 BAILIWICK FISHING BOATS: LONDON 2020 OVERPRINT (GG01) TBC POST & GO SEPTEMBER 2020 AUTUMN STAMPEX OVERPRINT (GG01) TBC POST & GO DECEMBER 2020 CHRISTMAS UNDERPRINT (GG02) TBC

Europa: Ancient Postal Routes: Mail Ships Issue date: 1 April 2020

NEW ISSUE: Set of 6 stamps: £4.70

Guernsey

Mail Ships

Earl of Chesterfield

Guernsey

Alberta

Guernsey

50p

Mail Ships

85p

Mail Ships

Ariadne

Guernsey

Mail Ships

Isle of Guernsey

Before air mail took off in the twentieth century, sending post to the Channel Islands was only possible by sea and crossing the busy Channel could be a dangerous business, not only because of bad weather, but the very real threat of of privateers and shipwrecks too.

The English Government ordered “as a matter of State” the establishment of the Channel Islands Packet Service in 1794 and two identical 50+ foot-long, 80 ton cutters, built in oak started servicing the route from Weymouth to the Channel Islands, a passage scheduled to take 16 hours that sailed alternately every Thursday. The rates of postage were set at 2d. for a single letter, 4d. for a double letter and 6d. for a treble letter.

The construction of steamships in the 1800s provided fast passenger and cargo links with the islands and the services were run by independent operators.

The Post Office would compensate ship owners for any damage to vessels during the crossing, paying out ransom money for the return of those seized by privateers. This was the case in 1811 when a Cherbourg privateer L’Epervier attacked and captured the Earl of Chesterfield on her way to the Channel Islands.

A new railway line into Southampton built by London & South Western Railways (L & SWR), followed by the

68p

95p

Guernsey

Mail Ships

70p

Antelope

Guernsey

Mail Ships

Sarnia

£1.02

establishment of the South Western Steam Packet Company ensured big changes on the cross Channel route in the 1840’s when their steamers started operating out of Southampton.

By 1857 a rail line had reached Weymouth and a new steamship operation on the Channel Island route was launched in direct competition by Great Western Railway (GWR).

Investment in bigger and better vessels reduced journey times for passengers on both routes and in 1899 the Post Office divided the Channel Islands mail service contract between the L&SWR from Southampton and the GWR from Weymouth.

Both companies invested in bigger and faster vessels, improving their passenger and cargo services and reducing journey times and their friendly rivalry on the Channel route continued until the Great War when the ships were needed to support the military.

Armistice saw the return of the mail boats to serve the islands.

Today just over thirty percent of mail is delivered by sea and the rest is transported by air.

www.guernseystamps.com - pre-order 18th March

Sheets of 10: £47.00

Stamp size S/Sheet size Paper Sheets Perforation Cylinder

30mm deep x 42mm wide 100mm deep x 140mm wide PVA Gummed 110 gsm 10

02 0

Offset Lithography, microtext

L2

50p, 68p, 70p, 85p, 95p, £1.02

Process

Also available: O P FI SS U E 1st A First Day Cover: £5.90 Souvenir Sheet: £4.70 Souvenir Sheet Pack Insert: £4.90 Postcards Set of 6: £2.50 Fdi’s and Maxi cards also available on request.

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Cartor Security Printing

Values

SEY POST OF RN

RI

Andrew Robinson

Printer

FIR ST DA

Designer

1 April 2020

E FIC

Date of issue

Presentation Pack: £5.60

GU E

Souvenir Sheet First Day Cover: £5.90

13.25 x 13.5 A

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250th Birth Anniversary of William Wordsworth NEW ISSUE: Set of 6 stamps: £4.70

Issue date: 1 April 2020

We are delighted to mark the 250th anniversary of William Wordsworth’s birth with our commemorative stamps.

Whilst it is well known that Wordsworth’s poetry was inspired by an absorbing love of nature, written among the lakes and mountains of the Lake District where he spent most of his life, we’ve pulled together a few lesser known facts about one of the leading English Romantic poets: School life: Wordsworth attended Cockermouth Free School at the same time as Fletcher Christian, the man who would lead the mutiny on the Bounty in 1789.

University years: Wordsworth studied at St. John’s College, Cambridge, where he developed radical political views.

Influenced by the ideas of the journalist and novelist William Godwin, Wordsworth was an early supporter of the French Revolution.

Anosmia: Wordsworth suffered from this peculiar deficiency, which refers to having no sense of smell, Both Wordsworth’s close friend, the poet laureate Robert Southey (1774-1843) and his nephew Christopher Wordsworth (1807-1885), wrote about his anosmia.

Walking for miles: Wordsworth was a keen walker among the Lakes where he lived for much of his life. The writer Thomas De Quincey believed that the poet had walked up to 180,000 miles during his life.

Family losses: Tragically, Wordsworth lost a number of close family members to illness, including his mother just before his eighth birthday; his father died when he was 13. Later in life, Wordsworth would lose two of his children whilst living in Grasmere, and much later, his daughter Dora.

Childhood home: During the 1930s, William’s childhood home, now called Wordsworth House, was to be pulled down to create a bus garage following the sale by its last occupiers to a transport company. Upon hearing the news, local people rallied together to save the house and were able to gift it to the National Trust, which still cares for it today.

William’s sister: Dorothy is now recognised as a literary figure in her own right, although she never intended to write for publication. She and Wordsworth were close throughout their adult lives, having previously been separated as children.

www.guernseystamps.com - pre-order 18th March

Presentation Pack: £5.60

WO

1770

RD

YEARS 1850

H

250

M

RT

W

20 G UE IL 20 PR

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IR E F ST DAY FIC

PO SEY ST O RN LLIA F

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ISSUE 1ST A OF

Also available: First Day Cover: £5.90 Sheets of 10: £47.00

Date of issue Designer

1 April 2020 Joseph Smith

Printer

Cartor Security Printing

Values

50p, 68p, 70p, 85p, 95p, £1.02

Process Stamp size Paper Sheets Perforation Cylinder

Offset Lithography 45mm deep x 28mm wide PVA Gummed 110g 10 13.5 x 13.25 A

Endangered Species: Kodofan Giraffe NEW ISSUE: Miniature Sheet: £3.00

Issue date: 2 May 2020

The name giraffe comes from the Arabic word ‘zirafah’, meaning the tallest of all. Reaching heights of 17 feet, these gentle giants tower over the animal kingdom.

Recent genetic discoveries have found that there are four distinct species, all native to Africa – the Northern giraffe, Southern giraffe, Reticulated giraffe and the Masai giraffe.

Easily recognisable with their long necks reaching six to seven feet long, patterned bodies and boney stumps on their heads, called ossicones which are made of bone, giraffes are social animals, roaming around in groups called ‘towers’ which are led by an adult male.

To decide who is the strongest, male bulls fight one another, butting their necks and heads. This ‘necking’ ends when one bull admits defeat and walks away.

They forage through Africa’s savannahs and woodlands and spend most of their time eating, guzzling from the acacia tree. Using their very long tongues, which can be as much as 20 inches long, they consume hundreds of pounds of leaves and twigs a week.

They get most of the water they need from the leaves, so they only need to drink every few days.

They are almost always on their feet, sleep standing up and cows give birth by dropping their newborns to the ground. Within half an hour, their calves, already six-feet-tall, are on their feet too and just hours later, they can run.

The latest in our Endangered Species series features the critically endangered Kordofan giraffe. Unfortunately, habitat loss, mining, poaching and civil unrest have all placed it in real danger of extinction and conservationists are calling for everyone to stop overlooking these majestic mammals.

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

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Presentation Pack: £3.90

Did you know?

Giraffes have a circulatory system that beats gravity, they can reach speeds of 31 mph and their spots disperse heat.

Fact File Scientific name: Giraffa Camelopardalis antiquorum

Also available: First Day Cover: £4.20

Diet: Herbivore Average lifespan in the wild: 25 years Size: Males can reach heights of 17ft whilst females are shorter at 14 ft

Date of issue Designer

Size: relatives to a man: Giraffes can grow taller than three adult men

Joel Kirk

Printer

bpost

Values

£3

Process

Weight: 2,600lbs (males) 1,750lbs (females)

2 May 2020

Offset Lithography

Stamp Size

70mm deep x 60mm wide

Sheet Size

84mm deep x 118mm wide

Paper Perforation Cylinder

446 Gummed FSC Securpost 110 GPW 1.1 x 1.667 A

75th Liberation Day Anniversary Issue date: 2 May 2020

NEW ISSUE: Set of 6 stamps: £4.70

50

68

70

85

95

£1

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.02

‘‘Hostilities will end officially at one minute after midnight tonight…And our dear Channel Islands are also to be freed today.’

So many had longed to hear these words, which were broadcast on the airwaves at 15.00hrs on 8 May 1945. In his speech, Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, not only confirmed the end of the war in Europe but also the liberation of the people of Guernsey after five long years.

The occupation of Guernsey began at around 8.30pm on Sunday 30 June 1940, when five Junker troop carriers landed at Guernsey airport. More German troops arrived the following day and that afternoon the German flag was raised. The occupiers installed a garrison, put the locals to work as slave labour and deported resistance fighters to German prisons, some never to return home.

In the week prior to Guernsey’s eventual liberation, Allied military powers had been busy planning the recovery of the Channel Islands from their occupation. On 3 May 1945 a British Military operation, comprised of a coordinated group of British Army units, collectively known as Force 135, were called to “Stand To”. Then, on 8 May, Force 135 received their orders to move to their marshalling camps in Plymouth. The main body of the Force was due to arrive in the Islands on 12 May, although a smaller contingent left for the Channel Islands aboard HMS’ Bulldog and Beagle on the morning of 8 May. Although Victory in Europe (VE Day) was on Tuesday 8 May the German government had not officially sanctioned the surrender of the Channel Islands; the German commander, Admiral Hoffmeier, refused to surrender the Channel Islands until the early hours of 9 May 1945.

At 07.15 on 9 May, on the quarterdeck of HMS Bulldog, Commander of the German Garrison in Guernsey, Generalmajor Siegfried Heine, signed the Instrument of Surrender on behalf of the German Command of the Channel Islands.

Within an hour a British advance party had landed in St Peter Port and the British troops came ashore to euphoric celebration. On the brink of starvation, the people’s suffering was finally over.

75 years on, Liberation Day, which is celebrated annually on 9 May, is a chance for islanders to remember the days of occupation and celebrate their freedom with a wonderful parade and fireworks, and much more besides.

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

Presentation Pack: £5.60

0

AY O F ISS U E

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Also available: Sheets of 10: £47.00

5/ 2

FIRS

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Date of issue

Y POST SE O N

– ICE FF

– GU ER

First Day Cover: £5.90

02

Designer

2 May 2020 Two Degrees North

Printer

bpost

Values

50p, 68p, 70p, 85p, 95p, £1.02

Process Stamp size Paper Sheets Perforation Cylinder

Offset Lithography 30mm deep x 45mm wide 46 Gummed FSC Securpost 110 GPW 10 1.1 x 1.667 A

INTERNATIONAL STAMP EXHIBITION LONDON 2020 Islington Design Centre 2 - 9 May 2020 Guernsey Post Office

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Come and say hello at our Guernsey Post stand (no 145).

View our latest stamps and other collectable items.

We delighted to inform you that Guernsey will be present at the forthcoming London2020 International Stamp Exhibition being held at The Business Design Centre in Islington on the 2-9 May. FREEPOST GU267 Guernsey Philatelic Come and see us on Stand Bureau 145 where you can purchase your Envoy House new issue stamps and first day covers with a London2020 cachet!.

La Vrangue Also on the stand will be our colleagues Jersey Post, Isle of Man St Peter Port Post, AnGuernsey Post (Ireland) and the Faroe Islands Post.

We areChannel lookingIslands to put together a limited edition special GY1 5SS London2020 joint product so watch out for this on the philatelic grapevine in the weeks to come.

Tel: +44 (0)1481 716486 Fax: +44 (0)1481 712082 E-mail: philatelic@guernseypost.com www.guernseystamps.com

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