Guernsey Stamps News Bulletin June 2021

GUERNSEY STAMPS AND COLLECTABLES

JUNE 2021 VOL 11 No 14

CENTENARY OF THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION PART 2 SARK: DARK SKY ISLAND - GUERNSEY POSTCROSSING 2021

www.guernseystamps.com

Welcome Our summer issues are an eclectic mix of topics.

This summer we mark Sark’s designation as the World’s First Dark Sky Island by the International Dark Sky Association (IDA) with a stunning set of stamps, which feature some amazing shots of its night sky.

There are no cars on Sark and no streetlights to pollute the skies, making for some spectacular stargazing. The SAstroS Observatory, which nestles in the corner of a field in the centre of the island, provides the perfect window to the universe. Here visitors can learn more about the stars, constellations, galaxies and Milky Way and take a look through the Observatory’s permanently mounted telescope.

We also show our support of the worldwide hobby ‘Postcrossing’. When Paulo Magalhães began his Postcrossing project in 2005, he couldn’t have

Centenary of the Royal British Legion - Part 2 Issue date: 15 May 2021

1

GUERNSEY

YEARS £1

1 a

02

0

.2 02 1

Th e

10

FIR

ye

e

gi

Ro

E IC on

GU E

Also available: First Day Cover: £2.20

O SEY P ST O RN yal British L FF

2

ST

DA rs • 1921 - 5. 5 1 Y OF ISSUE

Postcrossing enables people across the world to connect through postcards. Membership remains free and has grown to over 800,000 members, in 215 countries. Over 61 million postcards have been sent since it began.

Postcrossing celebrates its birthday on 14 July and we are delighted to release three stamps featuring iconic Guernsey animals with postcards and the distinctive blue Guernsey post box, which highlight this unique hobby and its achievements.

Best Wishes from Guernsey Stamps

Customer Corner Loyalty Points We have recently promoted our loyalty point scheme, every customer will have received some form of communication about this scheme which we launched back in 2016.

We had a lot of interest and many questions from customers, so in brief here is a quick summary of the scheme.

NEW ISSUE: Single Stamp: £1.00

The Royal British Legion

predicted how well the initiative to connect people all over the world would be received.

Part 1 - 17 February 2021 Part 2 - 15 May 2021 Part 3 - 1 September 2021 Part 4 - 11 November 2021

www.guernseystamps.com

* You must have an online account with Guernsey Stamps to take advantage of loyalty points. * You must log into your online account when ordering to be awarded points. * You can redeem your loyalty points when buying previous issues. * There are discounted loyalty point products and exclusive loyalty point only products which are located in Your Loyalty Points section on your account page on our website. * Anyone can register online and join the scheme. * Perfect for Mailing List customers to manage their orders online and gain loyalty points. * Extra benefit for Standing Order customers who want to place additional orders. Terms and Conditions apply.

Customs Duties in Europe We have had quite a few enquiries about the customs duties now being imposed across Europe. We are very aware on the impact this is having on our customers.

Unfortunately we are unable to prevent these charges at present however, would like to reassure you all that we are looking into the situation and will do our best to found a solution that will benefit us all.

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.ciss.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.

2021 STAMP PROGRAMME GUERNSEY 26 JANUARY 2021 LUNAR NEW YEAR: YEAR OF THE OX 2021 17 FEBRUARY 2021 GUERNSEY DEFINITIVES: BIRDS 17 FEBRUARY 2021 QUARTET: CENTENARY OF THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION PART 1 17 FEBRUARY 2021 CLEMATIS GOLD: C.SARAH ELIZABETH 7 APRIL 2021 EUROPA: ENDANGERED NATIONAL WILDLIFE 21 APRIL 2021 HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN’S 95TH BIRTHDAY 15 MAY 2021 QUARTET: CENTENARY OF THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION PART 2 10 JUNE 2021 SARK: DARK SKIES 10 JUNE 2021 POSTCROSSING 1 SEPTEMBER 2021 QUARTET: CENTENARY OF THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION PART 3 1 SEPTEMBER 2021 SEPAC: OLD MAPS 3 NOVEMBER 2021 GUERNSEY CHRISTMAS 11 NOVEMBER 2021 QUARTET: CENTENARY OF THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION PART 4

ALDERNEY 15 FEBRUARY 2021 50 YEARS OF DECIMALISATION 7 APRIL 2021 UN: INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF FRUITS & VEGETABLES 1 SEPTEMBER 2021 FRANCES HODGSON BURNETT & THE SECRET GARDEN 1 SEPTEMBER 2021 CELEBRATING THE LIFE OF PRINCE PHILIP (TBC) 3 NOVEMBER 2021 ALDERNEY CHRISTMAS POST & GO 17 FEBRUARY 2021 BAILIWICK PLANES POST & GO DECEMBER 2021 CHRISTMAS UNDERPRINT (GG02) TBC

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

Please contact the Philatelic Bureau to open your account today.

Sark: Dark Island Sky Issue date: 10 June 2021

NEW ISSUE: Set of 6 stamps: £5.28

50

Guernsey - Sark: Dark Sky Island

Guernsey - Sark: Dark Sky Island

£1

Guernsey - Sark: Dark Sky Island

70

73

Guernsey - Sark: Dark Sky Island

£1.15

Guernsey - Sark: Dark Sky Island

£1.20

Guernsey - Sark: Dark Sky Island

Sark was designated the world’s first Dark Sky Island in 2011, a title which has attracted stargazers to this little Channel Island from all over the world.

It was at this time that local enthusiasts formed Sark Astronomy Society (SAstroS ), a team eager to share the wonders of the night sky with others.

There are no cars on the island of Sark, no streetlights to pollute the skies and the SAstroS Observatory, built in 2015 and nestled in a corner of a field in the dark centre of the island provides the perfect window to the universe.

Here visitors can learn more about the stars, constellations, galaxies and Milky Way and have a look through the Observatory’s permanently mounted telescope to discover just how many billions of stars and suns there are out there.

The Society hosts annual Starfest celebrations usually in the autumn or spring to mark the beginning and end of winter.

SAstroS may be one of the smallest of all astronomical associations, but it is committed to preserving and protecting the island’s beautiful night sky.

In March 2021, islanders including schoolchildren took part in a big bare-eye star count. They all went outside after sunset and before the moon rose to count the number of stars they could see in the quadrangle formed by the brightest stars in the constellation of Orion, the big constellation which appears like a huge X. Their results will give an indication of how clear Sark’s dark sky is and help astronomers better understand the loss of the night sky due to light pollution.

Many say a trip to the tiny Channel Island of Sark is like stepping back in time but for those who have never seen the Milky Way, stargazing there opens up a whole new world.

50p Stamp: Furthest Point 70p Stamp: Milky Way at Point Robert 73p Stamp: La Coupee £1 Stamp: Milky Way, Jupiter, Saturn, Andromeda over Mer Tower £1.15 Stamp: Comet Neowise £1.20 Stamp: La Seigneurie

www.guernseystamps.com - pre-order 27th May

Prestige Booklet: £21.12

Presentation Pack: £6.18

10.06.21

OFFICE FIR

Sark

ST

RNSEY PO GUE

Island

DAY OF ISS Also available: First Day Cover: £6.48 Sheets of 10: £52.80

ST

UE

Dark Sky

Date of issue Designer Photography

10 June 2021 Mark Totty Ben Fiore & Sue Daly

Printer

Cartor Security Printing

Values

50p, 70p, 73p, £1, £1.15, £1.20

Process Stamp size Paper Sheets Perforation Cylinder

Offset Lithography 30mm deep x 45mm wide PVA Gummed 110gsm 10 13.25 X 13.25 A

Guernsey Postcrossing 2021 Issue date: 10 June 2021

NEW ISSUE: Set of 3 stamps: £2.93

py ossing r

Pos Hap tc

H

Po a p stc p y ro s s i ng

Hap py

Po

stc

ross

ing

We are delighted to celebrate the unique hobby of Postcrossing with three stamps that depict iconic Guernsey animals, along with the island’s distinctive blue post box.

To learn more about how Postcrossing grew into a hobby that engages people all around the world, we caught up with its founder, Paulo Magalhães, to find out how it all began.

Why did you decide to create the Postcrossing project? - I always loved to receive mail – the surprise of finding a postcard in my mailbox is always a happy moment for me. I hoped other people would also be interested in receiving more mail.

That’s where the idea of creating an online platform came from. As I studied computer science, I quickly put together a website to facilitate these exchanges. I hoped that some friends would amuse me by joining it and we would exchange some postcards to test the idea. It turns out there are a lot of people who also love to get a surprise in their mailbox.

Postcrossing has been a huge success. What do you think has particularly captured people’s interest? - In a time where it is so easy to instantly send messages to others with a push of a button, they have become more easily ignored and forgotten about. However, postcards still bring meaningful messages that are truly appreciated.

When someone puts the time and effort into picking the perfect card, handwrites a nice message, stamps and posts it — that shows dedication. Postcards bring a meaningful message across that is not replaceable with all the digital tools we have today. After all, it is the postcard that gets the prime spot on the fridge door!

How do you manage the Postcrossing project? - Its continued growth over the years was completely unexpected and almost hard to keep up with. Slowly I transitioned from a full time job to a part time one for a while, until I finally took the leap and started working on Postcrossing full time. The service remains free and supports itself primarily through adverts on the website.

We are a small team, currently comprised of two full time members and two part time helpers, one in the UK and another one in Australia. We also have the help of volunteers who help run the community forum.

It can be a lot of work at times, but it’s very rewarding to know that it is making so many people smile all around the world.

What are some of the most memorable stories you have heard from postcrossers? - Over the years, a strong community has formed around Postcrossing. Many of our members create connections that go beyond a simple postcard exchange, forming friendships that are often across borders or even continents.

There are countless stories of people who met initially through the serendipity created by a first postcard and have kept in touch since. Some, by regularly exchanging postcards; others by becoming pen pals - and some even meeting in person. There are thousands of international friendships formed through postcards alone and, of course, in 15 years there’s been a few weddings too!

www.guernseystamps.com - pre-order 27th May

First Day Cover: £4.13

Presentation Pack: £3.83

Also available: Sheets of 10: £29.30

UK Letter: Golden Guernsey Goat EUR Letter (20g): Chancre Crab ROW Letter (20g): Herm Puffin

Date of issue Designer

10 June 2021 Two Degrees North

Printer

bpost

Values

UK Letter, EUR Letter (20g), ROW Letter (20g)

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

S

GE PA !

M Y BU DA L O A O ER T V DA ORD & ER E TO N L D IN LAB L I 20 A 20 AV

Guernsey Folder

YEARSE T 202 FOLDER 0 S

2020 Yearset Folders for Guernsey & Alderney

Alderney Folder

Guernsey year-set folder £55.83 Alderney year-set folder £40.70

www.guernseystamps.com