Isle of Man Stamps & Coins News 164

NEWS Issue Number 164

Spring 2019

In this issue...

D-Day 75th Anniversary • ‘One Small Step’ 50 Years of Lunar Exploration Part 1 • Maritime History II

by John Halsall • Eminent Victorian Engineers • Isle of Man Stamps visit to the Johnson Space Center Mission Control • Last chance to buy and much more…

Welcome to our Autumn 2018 Newsletter As I write, we are looking forward to Easter. I drove across the promenade in Douglas this morning and while the sun was shining, the temperatures for April are very low. I glanced over to the Tower of Refuge and was enthralled by the terrific azure blue of the sea and white horses racing towards the shoreline. We are so extremely lucky to live on such a beautiful Island, come and see us sometime!

Today is also my colleague Paul Ford’s birthday. Paul, who joined Isle of Man Stamps & Coins in 1995, is responsible for co-ordinating all of our stamp designs and in many instances suggests themes for new issues based on his personal research and connections to artists and designers both on and off the Island. Maritime History by John Halsall, who sadly passed away a couple of years ago, is a fine example of where Paul encouraged and helped John to produce beautiful artworks for our part one issue back in 2015, resulting in mutual respect and friendship which didn’t stop as soon as we moved on to our next issue.

In this Newsletter you can see further works by John and on this occasion Paul liaised with the Halsall family. It’s what we do best...

BEN GLAZIER OF GLAZIER DESIGN VISITS NASA JOHNSON SPACE CENTRE MISSION CONTROL In March 2019, designer of our ‘One Small Step’ issue, Ben Glazier, travelled to Houston to visit NASA with Chris Stott of Mansat. They were both welcomed with a true display of Texan American hospitality by George Abbey, the team at NASA, Shuttle Astronaut Dr Bonnie Dunbar and University of Houston Space Law Lecturer Rebecca Bresnik.

After spending time visiting the Kraft Mission Control and the observation gallery of the International Space Station Mission Control room where they presented the new ‘One Small Step’ collection, Ben and Chris were honoured to be invited onto the floor of Mission Control to see the NASA team at work and meet the flight director in charge.

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I would like to thank everyone who completed our recent survey, and for the additional comments and feedback which came directly to me. It has provided us with a picture of what you as a collector of Isle of Man Stamps & Coins would like us to provide as we head towards our 50th Anniversary in 2023.

All good wishes and sincere thanks

Maxine Cannon, General Manager, Isle of Man Stamps & Coins

Mr Abbey gave a personal talk about every Apollo Mission, starting with Apollo 1, where he lost three good friends, and up through all the missions, including a first-hand account of how the team managed to rescue the crew of Apollo 13.

Pictured here is Mark Geyer, George Abbey, Chris Stott and Ben Glazier at Mission Control, Houston.

News Highlights SPRING STAMPEX 2019 Isle of Man Stamps and Coins representatives attend Spring Stampex 2019

Once again, representatives from the Isle of Man Stamps and Coins team were pleased to attend and exhibit at Spring Stampex, which took place at The Business Design Centre in London in February. This year we shared an exhibition stand with Jersey, Guernsey, Anpost and Faroe Islands which proved to be a successful collaboration.

Attendance at the exhibition provides an opportunity to network and meet with key contacts and collectors, and showcase our most recent issues, including the Isle of Man Wildlife collection, which was brilliantly received.

Tony Reynolds commented ‘Stampex always proves to be a busy and enjoyable event, and provides us with a key opportunity to meet our customers in person and find out what they want from us’.

NORMANDY VETERAN PAYS US A VERY SPECIAL VISIT We were truly honoured that CM Normandy Veteran Mervyn Keirsh, his daughter Lynne and Ian Stewart CM Vice Chairman of the Spirit of Normandy Trust made a visit to see us at Stampex to meet with our team and see for themselves the D-Day 75 collection which is issued in support of the Spirit of Normandy Trust.

THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION OF NUMISMATIC SOCIETIES The 2019 Congress of the British Association of Numismatic Societies took place on the Island in April and we were delighted to support the event.

The three day event was packed full of numismatic lectures and included a talk from Dr Kristin Bomholdt Collins, a specialist in Hiberno Manx Viking coinage.

Participants also enjoyed a coach trip to Castletown and spent time at the Manx Museum.

As a provider of Isle of Man coins, it is wonderful to see events like this taking place locally.

Pictured here is John Reiney with the conference cover.

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New Collection Issue Date: 22.04.19

The Isle of Man Post Office is honoured to present a set of eight stamps commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Normandy, which lasted from June 1944 to August 1944 and resulted in the Allied liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany’s control. Our set is a special ‘stamp on stamp’ design and includes the artwork from our 1994 collection.

Codenamed Operation Overlord, the battle began on 6th June 1944, also known as D-Day, when some 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces landed on five beaches along a 50-mile stretch of the heavily fortified coast of France’s Normandy region. The invasion was one of the largest amphibious military assaults in history the Normandy beach landings.

General The Lord Dannatt GCB CBE MC DL, Patron of The Spirit of Normandy Trust said: ‘This was the generation that literally “saved the world”. We owe them nothing less than to salute their courage and honour the memory of those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom.’

We are pleased to share some excerpts from the D-Day archives of the Manx Aviation and Military Museum selected by curator Ivor Ramsden…

Bombardier Jim Edmonds from the Isle of Man recorded his thoughts in his diary on the morning of D-Day as he and his comrades awaited the order to leave England for the Normandy coast:

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6th June 1944 D-Day is here at last! During the hours of darkness the whole camp was awake with the roar of aircraft, outward bound. Never heard anything like it. First reports from German radio saying paratroops dropped in the Seine estuary, and landing craft being engaged off the French coast.

Invasion confirmed by A.H.Q.! 1 o’clock news gave details – 4,000 ships and several thousand other vessels took part. 11,000 aircraft ready for front line use. West Wall pierced. Everything going to plan.

Captain Radcliff Duggan, who had been awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his service during the evacuation of Dunkirk in 1940, was in command of HMS Ben my Chree, the former Isle of Man Steam Packet vessel which had been taken over by the Royal Navy and converted into a carrier for landing craft.

His task in the early hours of D-Day was to land the American 2nd Rangers at the base of steep cliffs at Pointe du Hoc, a promontory which gave a commanding field of fire over the invasion beaches to German guns which were mounted on the top. Despite a heavy swell, the landing was successful. The Rangers scaled the cliffs only to find that the guns had been moved inland and were no longer a threat.

Mona Hardy from Douglas enrolled in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force in October 1941 at the age of 21. With experience of photography and film work her first posting was back home to RAF Jurby’s Photographic Section. She left Jurby after 18 months and at the time of D-Day she was based at RAF Down Ampney, near Cirencester. Her scrap book contains photographs of invasion-striped Airspeed Horsa gliders lined up awaiting the call to action. It also contains pictures of a royal visit to nearby RAF South Cerney where wounded soldiers were landed by ambulance aircraft. One shot shows Her Royal Highness Princess Marina speaking to ambulance crews there whilst another shows Her Majesty Queen Mary speaking to a wounded soldier who had recently been evacuated from Normandy.

Sergeant Norman Clague came from Derby Road in Douglas. Before the war he had worked as a photographer in the town and at the time of the Normandy landings he was a member of the Army Film and Photographic Unit attached to No.6 Commando. It might be imagined that a photographer would have a fairly safe time but Clague and his colleagues

carried out their duties of recording the progress of the war right on the front lines. In fact some of the most frequently-seen footage of British troops landing on Sword Beach on D-Day was taken by Norman Clague who landed with the Commandos, filming whilst under enemy fire.

Sgt Clague was killed by shellfire on 12th June.

He is buried in Ranville War Cemetery.

Flying Officer John Ernest “Sonny” Clague from Port Erin was a Wireless Operator/ Air Gunner with 190 Squadron, Royal Air Force which was based at RAF Fairford. The squadron was equipped with four-engined Short Stirling Mk IV aircraft which were specially adapted for towing gliders and dropping supplies by parachute.

At about 12.30 a.m. on D-Day Flying Officer Clague was in one of the squadron’s 23 Stirlings which were over Normandy, dropping paratroops onto French soil. In the following days they made several more flights over the beachhead, dropping supplies.

Flying Officer Clague’s aircraft was shot down during the battle for Arnhem in September 1944. He was captured and spent the rest of the war in a prisoner of war camp.

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Isle of Man Steam Packet vessels and crew in support of Operation Overlord At the outset of World War II 10 of the Steam Packet’s best ships were commandeered by the Admiralty sadly 4 were lost but throughout the war they made a significant contribution to bring WWII to a conclusion in 1945.

Lady of Mann I Of the three Isle of Man ships that saw action on D-Day, the Lady of Mann had the most eventful record of the war. At Dunkirk, it was estimated that she rescued some 9,000 men during the operation, then later on Operation “Ariel” she rescued 5,000 troops. On D-Day, she was in action again - this time she had been converted to an LSI (H) (Landing Ship Infantry, H-Hand hoisted), carrying six landing assault craft and 500 men. She was also the headquarters ship of the 512th Assault Flotilla, who were responsible for controlling the landings on Juno Beach.

Ben-My-Chree IV A veteran of the Dunkirk operation in which she rescued over 4,000 troops, the Ben-myChree IV worked as a transport vessel plying between the northern ports of Britain and Iceland. Then because of her reputation as a good sea boat and her ability to be extremely stable even in the roughest of waters, she was later fitted out as an LSI (H), capable of carrying six landing craft. On the first day of D-Day she was involved in the landing of the US Army and US Rangers onto the Omaha Beach. After that, she was used as the Headquarters ship for the 514th Assault Flotilla.

Victoria Like the Lady of Mann, the Victoria was heavily involved in D-Day operations. Firstly in the preparation and training off Portland, Dorset, then in the D-Day landings themselves. Fitted out as an LSI (H) she was selected as one of the ships to land assault forces on the beach at Arromanches. This was one of the three British spearheads on the Normandy invasion.

Later the same day, the Victoria was to land US forces on the Utah Beach. Throughout the war, the Victoria was crewed by officers and men of the Merchant Navy and flew the Red Ensign, although the crews of the LSI’s aboard the vessel were RNVR, causing the Admiralty to regard the Victoria as “a bit of a mongrel”.

The Commanders featured on the stamps are: General Dwight D. Eisenhower, US Army, Supreme Commander Allied Expeditionary Forces (SHAEF).

Viking was in service off the French Coast during the D-Day. On 28 June 1944 she was hit by a flying bomb whilst undergoing maintenance in the Surrey Commercial Docks, London.

This stamp-on-stamp presentation, derived from our 50th Anniversary of D Day 1994 commemorative issue depicts the most prominent military leaders of the Allied Forces who formulated plans which marked the start of a long and costly campaign to liberate north-west Europe from German occupation.

Major General Walter Bedell Smith, US Army, Chief of Staff.

Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsey, Royal Navy, Commander Allied Naval Expeditionary Force.

Lt-Gen Omar Bradley, US Army, Commander 1st US Army.

Air Chief Marshall Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory, Royal Air Force, Commander in Chief, Allied Expeditionary Air Force and also in command of the landing phase for Operation Overlord.

General Sir Bernard Montgomery, British Army, Commander 21st Army Group.

Lt-Gen Sir Miles Dempsey, Commander 2nd British Army.

Air Chief Marshall Sir Arthur Tedder RAF, Deputy Supreme Allied Commander.

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SS Viking

The Spirit of Normandy Trust The Spirit of Normandy Trust provide financial assistance for veterans of the three Services who served in Normandy, France during WW2 and their dependants who are in need.

Their aim is to increase the knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the general public concerning those events leading up to and beyond the Normandy Campaign and their historical significance.

The Trust help people of all ages and from all walks of life, are heavily involved in charitable activities and also provide grants to organisations. https://www.awardmedals.com/normandy-75/

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D Please see page 18 for our latest D-Day 75 additions.

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Set Mint XD31 CTO XD81 £8.14

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Presentation Pack XD41 £8.89

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Sheet Set Mint XD66 CTO XD67 £65.12

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First Day Cover XD91 £8.84

Commemorative Sheetlet Mint XD64 CTO XD65 £8.14

TECHNICAL DETAILS Original Artwork:............................ Anthony Theobald Text:. .............................. Ivor Ramsden, Lord Dannatt, ........................................................... IOM Post Office Design:.......................................................EJC Design Printer:...................................................... Lowe Martin Stamp Size:................................................. 40 x 40mm

Colours:...................................................................... 4 Process:........................................... Offset lithography Perforations:..............................................14 per 2cms Paper:....................................... 110gms PVA gummed No. of Stamps:........................................................... 8 Format:.........................................16 stamps per sheet Issue Date:.......................................... 22nd April 2019 7

New Collection Issue Date: 29.04.19

The Isle of Man Post Office presents this landmark issue in the 50th anniversary year of the first manned flight to land on the Moon.

In 1957 the USSR startled the world by launching a manmade satellite, Sputnik, starting the Great Space Race. In 1958 President Eisenhower and the Congress established the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), to further America’s exploration of space. NASA soon announced the Mercury Program with the intent to send a human into space.

On May 5, 1961, four months after John F. Kennedy became president, Alan Shephard became the first American in space, however this was three weeks after cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first human to orbit the Earth. Kennedy needed to be bold and in a speech to Congress stated “I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth.”

The Apollo Program was born and the “Great Adventure” began.

In January 1967, tragedy struck the Apollo Program when three astronauts, Grissom, White and Chafee died during a countdown test. The next manned flight, Apollo 7 was a great success; Apollo 8 took a live TV camera into space and as the astronauts orbited the Moon on Christmas Eve 1968, the world saw a close-up view of the Moon as the three astronauts read from the Bible.

Apollo 9 was the first mission to include both the command and lunar modules and Apollo 10 was the dress rehearsal for the Moon landing. Both were a complete success.

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Two months later, on July 16 1969, Apollo 11 lifted off from the Kennedy Space Center with a crew consisting of Commander Neil Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin. Four days later, on July 20, 1969, Armstrong and Aldrin successfully landed on the Moon - the rest is history.

The United States had achieved Kennedy’s goal of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth before the end of the decade. Apollo 12 in November 1969 was planned to prove the capability to perform precision landings on the surface of the Moon and our beloved Alan Bean, who passed away recently, was the fourth man to walk on the Moon’s surface.

Our stamp issue commemorates the anniversary of the Moon landing, but also all the missions that led up to that one small step. In our stamps we have sought to show you the beauty of space, the Moon and the vehicles that took humanity to the Moon.

Through subtle references and codes on the stamps (and within NASA guidelines) we have included those incredible NASA staff in Mission Control, the astronauts, the programs directors and those who gave their lives.

Our Eight Stamps Stamp One

Stamp Five

Our first stamp features the Moon, the target of the Apollo missions, as well as the names Kennedy, Webb and Gilruth and the famous quote from President Kennedy: “We choose to go to the moon in this decade.”

Our fifth stamp features a view from Apollo 9 of first manned flight of the lunar module in space, the crew names McDivitt, Scott and Schweickart and the quote: “There’s that horizon. Boy, is that pretty!”

Stamp Two

Stamp Six

Our second stamp features the Apollo Mission Control Room, the names Phillips, Low, Kraft and Faget and the quote: “Roger, Tranquility. We copy you on the ground.”

Our sixth stamp features a view from Apollo 10 of the lunar module descending on the dry run rehearsal, the crew names Stafford, Young and Cernan and the quote: “Looking great here. You’re looking beautiful.”

Stamp Three Our third stamp features a view of Florida from Apollo 7, the crew names Schirra, Eisele and Cunningham and the quote: “Look at the sunrise. There you go. That’s the thrill of this business.”

Stamp Four Our fourth stamp features a view from Apollo 8 of the first ‘Earthrise’ seen by humanity, the crew names Borman, Lovell and Anders and the quote from Genesis: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the Earth.”

Stamp Seven Our seventh stamp features the first footprint made by humanity on a body other than Earth, the crew names Armstrong, Aldrin, Collins and the quote: “That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.”

Stamp Eight Our eighth stamp features a view on the surface of the Moon of equipment from Apollo 12 with survey equipment from a previous unmanned Moon mission, the crew names Conrad, Gordon, Bean and the quote: “We knew it was going to be difficult.

We didn’t know how difficult.”

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All images, the Apollo Mission Patches, the Apollo 50 device © NASA, reproduced by kind permission. All rights acknowledged. Text © George Abbey and Benedict Glazier 2019. Mission Patches, the Apollo 50 device © NASA

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Acknowledgements We are very grateful to all those who have helped us, especially Mr George Abbey who worked with NASA during the Apollo missions and was director of the Johnson Space Center during the NASA Shuttle - Mir Program. We also thank planetary scientist David R. Williams, acting head of the NASA Space Science Data Coordinated Archive at Goddard Space Flight Center for his input on Moon location references and all the team at NASA for their help with images and information.

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We dedicate this issue to Alan Bean, fourth man to walk on the Moon, whose paintings were to grace the stamps. We spoke to him at length, but he sadly passed away before the issue could be laid out. The issue was conceived, planned and designed by Glazier Design.

Owner Ben Glazier was born during the Apollo 11 mission; his sister Elizabeth was born during the Apollo 12 mission. Advance planning indeed.

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“The stamps are truly outstanding” George Abbey

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See page 19 for our exclusive George Abbey Signed Cover – just announced!

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“The stamps are such a beautiful commemoration and tribute to the space heroes of our past that risked their lives to achieve some of the greatest accomplishments seen by mankind. They are also a reminder of the heroes whose shoulders on which we will stand as we go back to the Moon!”

Rebecca Bresnik, Lecturer in Space Law at University of Houston, Texas.

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Set Mint XE31 CTO XE81 £8.14 Booklet Pane Mint XE36 CTO XE37 £8.14 First Day Cover XE91 £8.84 Prestige Booklet Mint XE71 CTO XE72 £16.28

TECHNICAL DETAILS Text: .Mr George Abbey, Benedict Glazier Design:...................................................Glazier Design Printer:...................................................... Lowe Martin Process:......................................... Offset lithography Colours:.................................................. 4 plus varnish Paper:........................................110gms PVA gummed

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Presentation Pack XE41 £8.89 Sheet Set Mint XE66 CTO XE67 £97.68 Commemorative Sheetlet Mint XE64 CTO XE65 £10.25

Perforations:............................................. 14 per 2cms Stamp Size:............................................... 40 x 40mm No. of Stamps:............................................................. 8 Format:...................................... 24 stamps per sheet ...............................................................(12 x 2 designs) Issue Date:........................................... 29th April 2019 11

New Collection Issue Date: 18.05.19

Isle of Man Post Office is pleased to present a set of six stamps featuring the paintings of Manx artist and mariner, the late John Halsall with commentary on our rich Island maritime heritage by Manx National Heritage Curator of Social History Matthew Richardson‌ As an island nation the Isle of Man is inextricably linked to the sea. Manx vessels of all sizes have played an enormous role in its history, and are fondly and proudly remembered by its people.

Many thousands of Manxmen (and women) have made their living from the sea, in various capacities, as boatbuilders, fishermen, merchant sailors, or stewardesses.

The Star of India was constructed as the Euterpe, by the Ramsey ship yard in 1863. After a career sailing from Great Britain to India and New Zealand, she became a seaworthy museum ship, home-ported at the Maritime Museum of San Diego in California. She is the oldest such ship still sailing regularly, and also the oldest iron-hulled merchant ship still floating.

The Lady Elizabeth (1879) was not Manx built but was commanded by George Christian Karran of the Karran Fleet, sailing out of Castletown.

The fleet traded all over the world, and the captains took their families with them. Indeed, children were sometimes born on the ships.

Lady Elizabeth ended her days as a wreck in the Falkland Islands.

In the eighteenth century, right through to the beginning of the twentieth century, fishing was a major part of the Manx economy. The Nobby White Heather was built in 1904 by Neakle & Watterson of Peel, and was registered as a fishing boat with port code PL5. She was built for a Peel fisherman called George Gaskill of 7 Patrick Street. The register shows her as having fished for herring and mackerel between 1905 12

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and 1906, with a crew of four men and a boy, in 1907 for cod with lines and in 1908 herring and mackerel. A note on her fishing papers from 1910 shows that her crew were all Peel men.

The ships of the Isle of Man Steam Packet company have a special place in the hearts of the Manx people. The world’s oldest shipping company still in operation, its earliest vessels were paddle steamers, and the last of these was Empress Queen (1897). She was the most powerful paddle steamer ever constructed, and during the First World War she became a troopship. She was lost when she ran aground on the Isle of Wight.

Another Steam Packet ship which took part in the First World War was SS King Orry, built

by Cammell-Laird at Birkenhead in 1913. She became an armed boarding vessel in the North Sea, searching for contraband and enforcing the blockade against Germany. She returned to passenger duties between the wars, but was requisitioned again by the Royal Navy in the Second World War. She was lost to enemy action whilst taking part in the Dunkirk evacuation of 1940.

After the war the fleet was modernised, and in 1976 the Lady of Mann, the last of a series of four side loading car ferries, was acquired by the company. She was constructed by Ailsa Shipbuilding at Troon. After decommissioning in 2005 the Lady of Mann ended her days as a passenger ferry in the Aegean, before being broken up in Turkey in 2011.

John Halsall was born during World War II in Douglas but raised in Laxey. The sea and ships captivated him from his earliest days and one of his first schoolboy paintings found its way into a small frame on his grandmother’s piano.

His father served in the Royal Navy during the war and it was no surprise that John left school at 15 to begin a lifetime of work on the high seas, first and last with the Isle of Man Steam Packet but with nearly 30 years in between as local fisherman and ‘deep sea’ merchant seaman which saw him travel the world carrying cargo as far and wide as Finland and Singapore, Brazil and the Suez Canal.

He saw out the last 20 years of his long working life aboard the famous ships of the Isle of Man Steam Packet passenger and cargo fleet, his last job being rope-man on the piers at Douglas where he first began his life at sea.

John continued to paint his favourite subjects in oil and watercolour right up to his death in 2017: Manx vessels of every variety, harbour views, and, occasionally, the Laxey Wheel. John worked with integrity, conviction and humility and brought his love of the wide open seas indoors, captured in paint. He was very proud to see his paintings on his Maritime History stamp issue of 2015 and the IOM Post Office is very grateful to his family for permission to use his work once more for this collection.

Acknowledgements Our issue would not have been possible without the gracious assistance of the Halsall family who, in memory of John and their mother Sheila, will be making donations to IOM Hospice and the RNLI; charities with which both had close associations that have benefitted from John’s work in the past.

John’s paintings of the Karran Fleet and smaller Manx craft can be seen in the Nautical Museum in Castletown and the Leece Museum in Peel, but it was one of the Island’s grander vessels, The Star of India, that was to provide him with the excuse to travel to San Diego, USA in 2004 when he accepted an invitation from the owners to exhibit his many paintings of the great ship on board, which all sold.

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Set Mint XF31 CTO XF81 £7.74

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First Day Cover XF91 £8.17

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Sheet Set (not illustrated) Mint XF66 CTO XF67 £149.40

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Presentation Pack XF41 £8.22

TECHNICAL DETAILS Images: . ..................................................................... John Halsall Text: ........................................................... Matthew Richardson Printer: .......................................................................Lowe Martin Stamp Size: ..................................................... 42.58 x 28.45mm Colours: ..........................................................................................4 Process: ......................................................... Offset Lithography

Perforations: ............................................................. 14 per 2cms Paper: . .................................................... 110gms PVA Gummed No. of Stamps: ..............................................................................6 Format: ......................................................................Sheets of 20 Date of Issue: ...................................................... 18th May 2019 13 13

New Collection Issue Date: 24.05.19

On the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the birth of HM Queen Victoria the Isle of Man Post Office is delighted to celebrate the great works and inventions of six eminent Victorian engineers.

The Isle of Man’s modest size disguises a huge influence on the historical development of engineering, science and technology today in use in everyone’s daily lives. This stamp issue presents six great engineers and inventors who influenced food manufacture, clothing, naval gunnery, modern machinery, oil shipments and engine fuel injection in original and unique ways now almost forgotten. It is a celebration of what the Isle of Man does well - providing opportunities to develop great people who go on to provide great service to mankind. Each of these great engineers was either born in the Isle of Man or created their ideas whilst living and working here.

Robert Stimpson Chairman of the Isle of Man Victorian Society writes…

William Kennish, born in Maughold

in 1799, completed his apprenticeship in Douglas and joined the Royal Navy in 1821.

He rapidly rose in rank to master carpenter of the Mediterranean fleet, serving on three admirals’ flagships. During his time on the American Station in 1828 he invented the “marine theodolite”, which when combined with his gun breast-plate and quoin, allowed the fire of a warship to be concentrated to a point. The ‘gun commander’ operating this would line up the ship to the target, pull ropes ringing bells

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on each gun deck causing all the guns to be fired. It was the first example of a centralised gun command system, now fitted to every modern warship afloat today. In 2017 he was elected by Tynwald to the Manx Patriot’s Roll of Honour.

John Jonathan Kermode was born

in Peel, and was a pupil of Archibald Knox, developing into a capable artist. John gained a Whitworth scholarship in engineering in the UK and went on to develop fuel injection nozzles which operated by steam or hot air pressure. This forced a spray of fuel oil droplets into the igniters of large marine steam boilers, allowing steam to be generated very quickly. His burners found their way into the boilers for the steam turbines of his great friend George Parsons. They won favour with the admiralty, running HMS Swift at 39 knots in 1907. His inventions of the 1890s have been further perfected and developed into use on tens of thousands of engines worldwide.

John Callow was a miner’s son, born in Laxey in 1856 and started a bakery business in Douglas before leaving to work in Liverpool. His business there grew rapidly and he eventually merged with another baker to form Baker Callow. He invented the ‘straight dough’ process which took hours off the rising time for dough used beforehand and then went on to develop dough cutting machinery which allowed bread production rates to soar. This had the benefit of reducing the cost of bread – a key staple food to the poor of Liverpool. Subsequent developments by others have taken his ideas into the modern computerised bakery era – but the basic principles he developed are still there.

Benjamin Alfred Dobson was born in

Douglas in 1847. His family moved to Bolton, where he developed and ran a very successful textile machinery business called Dobson and Barlow. His inventive improvements were very successful and his machinery was sent worldwide.

He was active in the Bolton Infantry Volunteers, joining as an ensign and rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel, becoming second in command.

He was an alderman and a magistrate from 1880, receiving his knighthood in 1897. He served as mayor of Bolton from 1894 to 1898, the only person to have done so for four terms in office. A statue to commemorate him was raised by public subscription in 1900 and stands to this day in front of Bolton town hall. He is probably the only Manxman with a statue to his memory in the UK!

Charles Greenway was born in Blackburn in 1786 and was a businessman in Douglas (described as “of own means” on census forms), living in Finch Road from the 1830s and importing tea to the Island amongst other interests. He petitioned Sir William Hillary in 1842, along with many others who sought to install a floating breakwater in Douglas bay in order to improve trade and passenger transport.

He was presented to Queen Victoria in 1840 when he patented the ‘free floating’ cage or as he called it the “cradle”, for cylindrical, conical and spherical roller bearings.

This differed from the original cage developed by the horologist John Harrison in his H3 Timepiece of the 1750s which relied on axles to keep the rollers separated.

Greenway’s method was simpler and is now adopted globally – every washing machine, dishwasher and car today has at least one ball-bearing with a cage or cradle fitted into it. It is unlikely he made his fortune from his invention because of how early he thought of it, but it is now a feature of everyone’s daily lives!

Thomas Cummings Gibson was born

in Gateshead, and in 1838 his Newcastle based coal company purchased Ramsey shipyard where they employed hundreds of men. He moved his family to live on the Isle of Man in the 1850s and the business thrived. In 1862 he launched the fast wooden schooner called The Jane which had integral iron tanks with his special vapour seals and it became the first true oil tanker to service American oil fields in Pennsylvania! The following year, he launched the iron hulled ship The Euterpe for passenger traffic to Australia and the Far East.

She was superbly well made, eventually being renamed Star of India and surviving today as the still seaworthy pride of the San Diego Maritime Museum. Thomas Cummings Gibson launched the two greatest ships ever to sail from the Isle of Man! 15

John Williams Clinch was born in

Other notable innovators of the era…

John Rooth, was born in 1846 in

Chesterfield and worked from 1870 in Douglas where he owned shops in Victoria Street and Broadway and was described in the trade directory of the time as a butcher, game and cattle dealer, living at 4 Duke Street. He developed a number of patented stalls for both sea and railway transportation of animals. These provided firm footing and side supports for animals which might otherwise slip, fall or injure themselves during long or rough weather journeys. They were adopted by the British Imperial Board of Agriculture in 1895, where they stated “Mr Rooth’s invention, besides effecting economy in the great cattle trade, is the most humane ever designed”. John was also awarded a Special Gold Medal and Diploma from the Winter Fatstock Show in Dublin, where his inventions were described as “most humane, useful and valuable.”

Manx-born Thomas Cain worked from his machine ship located at The Lake, Douglas.

This is the area occupied today by the railway station, bus depot and supermarket. He provided a wide range of equipment and also built and commissioned other engines elsewhere on the Island. In 1868 he built and commissioned the “Mona-Erin” water wheel for North Foxdale Mine. His main business was steam powered winches and capstans, and he had a strong rivalry with his neighbour William Knox, father of the great Archibald Knox. In 1885 he created a steam powered net hauling machine, fourth in a series of patents he filed over a period of 17 years, showing great versatility from this industrious Manxman.

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Witney, Oxfordshire in 1815 and took up brewing in Douglas in 1868. He transformed the brewery investing the latest equipment and sinking new water wells on the site, providing him with the best possible conditions to develop his range of greatly appreciated products. John developed malt and corn cleaning equipment which sped the process up greatly and simplified it making it more accurate and effective, winning accolades from the Country Brewer’s Gazette for his refrigerated air scrubbing system in use since 1879. This allowed him to produce beers which were safely bottled for over two years and receive accolades even when opened after that time! A true innovator and manufacturer of his cleaning system which was manufactured in the UK.

James Kewley was born in the Isle of Man around 1800 and, in 1816, developed “a device for regulating the temperature by opening or closing of flues, doors or windows”. This was a special thermometer built like a miniature version of a child’s playground see-saw – but with large reservoirs of mercury on each end. As the temperature changed, the mercury moved from one reservoir towards the other, causing the arm to tilt, and James’ device used this movement to operate pulleys and levers to control greenhouse windows. It was a great success, and he manufactured it from his factory at 57½ Gloucester Street, Commercial Road in London.

It was so successful it was featured in a number of gardening encyclopaedias of the 1820s and 1830s.

B

Bob Stimpson

Bob is Chairman of the Isle of Man Victorian Society and also a Fellow of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. He has been involved with patents for most of his professional career, gaining his first whilst working for the UK Ministry of Defence in the 1980s. His name now appears on more than 40 patents gained with Manx companies, which sparked his interest in the Victorian inventors on the Isle of Man. His researches on inventors, stretching as far back as the 1790s have provided the information for this Issue, with the six most influential inventors being selected here. Bob now works for Manx Utilities, an organisation with its own solid foundations in the water and sewer systems pioneered by the Victorians.

“I was delighted to be invited to work with the Isle of Man Stamps & Coins team to advise on the selection of these six subjects and to provide the base images which have been transformed into this remarkable stamp issue” said Bob. “Each stamp tells the story of a modest man who has transformed their profession, resulting in tremendous subsequent developments based on their Manx experiences.”

C

D

A

First Day Cover XG91 £9.27

C

Sheet Set Mint XG66 CTO XG67 £171.40

B

Presentation Pack XG41 £9.32

D

Set Mint XG31 CTO XG81 £8.57

TECHNICAL DETAILS Images: . ..........................................................Andrew Robinson Text: ...................................................................Robert Stimpson Printer: .......................................................................Lowe Martin Stamp Size: ..................................................... 42.58 x 28.45mm Colours: ..........................................................................................4 Process: ......................................................... Offset Lithography

Perforations: ............................................................. 14 per 2cms Paper: . .................................................... 110gms PVA Gummed No. of Stamps: ..............................................................................6 Format: ......................................................................Sheets of 20 Date of Issue: ...................................................... 24th May 2019 17

BRAND NEW Some very special items to add to your collection D-Day 75 Islands Joint Cover XD95 £17.50 We are delighted to announce the second in a series of joint collaborations with our friends in Guernsey, Jersey and Gibraltar Post.

This limited edition collectable of just 1000 copies split between each postal administration is a commemoration and tribute to the men woman and children of our respective nations who endured continuing hardship, sacrifice and uncertainty in 1944 , but whose spirits were lifted when news reached them that Allied Forces had secured a beachhead in Normandy on the 6th June 1944.

Contained within the envelope is a full colour text card containing an explanation of each stamp featured.

Each stamp has a beautifully designed special postmark from each administration dated the 6th June, D-Day. D-Day Manxman Signed Cover XD94 £20.00

Limited to only 500

To honour all Manxmen and women who served their country, we are proud to issue this limited edition special envelope signed

by D-Day veteran Hector Hugh McDonald Duff MM BEM, one of the many from the Isle of Man who was involved in D-Day. The envelope features four stamps, two from the D-Day 75 collection and two from our 2014 Manxman’s Journey issue, and contains a filler card with evocative text written by Hector Duff.

D-Day Limited Edition Commemorative Coin and Sheetlet Gift Pack – Montgomery AI45 £25.00 To mark the official anniversary of D-Day 75 we are proud to announce the issue of a commemorative coin and sheetlet gift pack. Included is Brilliant Uncirculated £2 coin and commemorative sheetlet endorsed

by The Lord Dannatt GCB CBE MC DL, Patron of The Spirit of Normandy Trust. Both are elegantly presented inside a specially designed folder, which is individually numbered and includes a printed certificate confirming the limited edition by Isle of Man Post Office Chairman Julie Edge MHK. The coin has a worldwide mintage of only 9995 and the Sheetlet contains £8.14 in stamps.

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Limited to only 750 worldwide

59 Club Sixty Years Cover PE95 £15.00 The 59 Club is a London based motorcycle club with members all over the world. It started as a Church of England youth club in Hackney Wick by Father John Oates, who, after a visiting the 2i’s coffee bar on Old Compton Street, contacted up and coming rock and roll singer Cliff Richard to perform on the opening night on 2 April 1959. Cut to 2019, and in its 60th year, the Club is proud that it is still operating and has positively influenced British youth and motorcycling culture beyond measure.

To mark the Club’s visit to the TT in their 60th year we are proud to issue this colourful, special limited edition cover. With only 500 available, each features a special postmark which is inspired by the fantastic 59 Club badge which has become an icon of British Motorcycle culture along with an insightful filler card as written by Christian Riou.

Moon landing – George Abbey Signed Cover XE94 £60.00 This wonderful commemorative cover is exclusively signed by former center Director of NASA Johnson Space Center, George Abbey and is individually numbered to show that each is a limited edition of only 500. The deluxe envelope features two stamps from the ‘One Small Step’ collection, cancelled with a unique first day of issue postmark entitled ‘From Mission Control – to the Moon’.

The ultimate piece to mark the 50th anniversary of the Moon landing.

Presented in a wallet

The 75th Anniversary of D-Day Three Coin Collection AI43 £23.50 Three of the most influential people during Operation Neptune and World War II in its entirety, were Winston Churchill, Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery and King George VI. Each of these historical figures played a vital role in the Allied victory and delivering speeches that inspired the nation and boosted morale both in the trenches and on the battlefield.

This complete set of D-Day Brilliant Uncirculated £2 coins features a portrait of each of these historical figures along with a transcript from their famous speeches.

Coins are also available individually, priced at only £8.50 each.

Montgomery £2 Coin AI39 Churchill £2 Coin AI40 King George VI £2 Coin AI41 19

Collections Stock List

Standing Order Dispatch Date: 24.05.19

FREE DELIVERY WORLDWIDE NO QUIBBLE RETURNS POLICY 20

MINT CTO PRICE

Eminent Victorian Engineers Set 1st, EU, Large Letter, £1.85, £2.05, £2.10 XG31 Presentation Pack XG41 First Day Cover - Sheet Set (sheets of 20) XG66 Maritime History Set 1st, EU, Large Letter, £1.35, RoW, £2.05 XF31 Presentation Pack XF41 First Day Cover - Sheet Set (sheets of 20) XF66 One Small Step Part 1 Set 2 x 1st, 2 x EU, 2 x LL, 2 x RoW XE31 Presentation Pack XE41 First Day Cover - Commemorative Sheetlet XE64 Prestige Booklet XE71 Booklet Pane XE36 Sheet Set (sheets of 24) XE66 D-Day 75th Anniversary Set 2 x 1st, 2 x EU, 2 x LL, 2 x RoW XD31 Presentation Pack XD41 First Day Cover - Commemorative Sheetlet XD64 Sheet Set (sheets of 16) XD66

Standing Order Dispatch Date: 12.02.19 Isle of Man Wildlife Set 1st x 5, EU x 1, Large x 2, RoW x 2 Presentation Pack First Day Cover Sheet Set x 4 Sets (sheets of 40) Self Adhesive Booklet Self Adhesive Booklet Pane Variable Value Definitive Set (10 x First Class Values) VVD First Day Cover Europa Sheet (sheet of 10) Europa First Day Cover

Issued 24.05.19 XG81 £8.57 - £9.32 XG91 £9.27 XG67 £171.40 Issued 18.05.19 XF81 £7.47 - £8.22 XF91 £8.17 XF67 £149.40 Issued 29.04.19 XE81 £8.14 - £8.89 XE91 £8.84 XE65 £10.25 XE72 £16.28 XE37 £8.14 XE67 £97.68 Issued 22.04.19 XD81 £8.14 - £8.89 XD91 £8.84 XD65 £8.14 XD67 £65.12

MINT CTO PRICE

XC31 XC41 - XC66 XC71 XC36

Issued 12.02.19 XC81 £8.25 - £9.00 XC91 £8.95 XC67 £33.00 XC72 £5.70 XC37 £2.60

XC32 - XC68 -

XC82 XC93 XC69 XC95

£5.20 £5.90 £8.30 £3.50

“All Aboard Please’ Manx Buses Part Three Set 52p, 83p, £1.25, £1.40, £1.87, £2.02 XA31 Presentation Pack XA41 First Day Cover - Sheet Set (sheets of 16) XA66

Issued 29.01.19 XA81 £7.89 - £8.64 XA91 £8.59 XA67 £157.80

The Year of the Pig Set 52p, £2.02, £2.42, £2.95 Presentation Pack First Day Cover Sheet Set (sheets of 20)

XB31 XB41 - XB66

Issued 22.01.19 XB81 £7.91 - £8.66 XB91 £8.61 XB67 £158.20

Standing Order Dispatch Date: 29.10.18

MINT CTO PRICE

A Beano Christmas Set 1st x 2, EU x 2, £1.25 x 2, ROW x 2 Presentation Pack First Day Cover Sheet Set (sheets of 20) Self Adhesive Sheet Self Adhesive Set Beano Framed Sheetlet Beano Collectors Folder

WP31 WP41 - WP66 WP35 WP32 WP50 WP43

Issued 29.10.18 WP81 £8.00 - £8.75 WP91 £8.70 WP67 £80.00 WP36 £12.48 WP82 £4.16 - £32.50 - £20.00

Standing Order Dispatch Date: 29.10.18 Limited Edition Comic Strip Print Beano Sheetlet Beano Fan Pack Beanotown Post Office “Top Secret Message” Kit Isle of Man Lighthouses 200 Set 52p, £1.53, £2.60, £3.10 Presentation Pack First Day Cover Sheet Set (sheets of 20) Calf of Man Signed Cover Manx Folk Traditions Set 1st, EU, £1.01, £1.40, £1.75, £2.15 Presentation Pack First Day Cover Sheet Set (sheets of 20) Hunt the Wren £2 Coin Hunt the Wren Christmas Card & Coin Gift Pack 70th Birthday of Prince Charles Set 52p, 83p, £1.01, £1.25, £1.75, £2.42 Presentation Pack First Day Cover Sheet Set (sheets of 16)

Standing Order Dispatch Date: 04.08.18 The Anzac Memorials of Rayner Hoff Set 52p, 83p, £1.25, £1.40, £1.75, £2.02 Presentation Pack First Day Cover Sheet Set (sheets of 10) Manx Electric Railway 125th Anniversary Set 1st, EU, £1.25, RoW, £1.87, £1.93 Presentation Pack First Day Cover Sheet Set (sheets of 16) Prestige Booklet Self Adhesive Booklet Pane Europa Sheetlet (10 stamps) Europa First Day Cover Variable Values Definitives Set of 4 Variable Value Definitives First Day Cover Railway Letter Stamps in Folder 2001: A Space Odyssey Set 25p, 30p, 52p, 75p, 83p, £1.40, £1.93, £2.01 Presentation Pack First Day Cover Sheet Set (10 stamps per sheet) Commemorative Sheetlet Framed Commemorative Sheetlet Printers Imperforate Uncut Stamp Sheet (set values) Printers Imperforate Uncut Stamp Sheet (including sheetlet) Stampcards (set of 8) Special 3 Cover Collection – The Trinity (also available individually) Monolith 2001 Black Box Collection Pictorial Sheet Set Imperforate Sheetlet

MINT CTO PRICE

WP60 WP64 WP85

- WP65 -

WP40

- £10.99 Issued 18.10.18 WO81 £7.75 - £8.50 WO91 £8.45 WO67 £155.00 WO94 £22.50 Issued 8.10.18 WN81 £7.66 - £8.41 WN91 £8.36 WN67 £153.20 - £8.50

WO31 WO41 - WO66 - WN31 WN41 - WN66 AI36 AI37 WL31 WL41 - WL66

£100.00 £8.00 £17.50

- £22.50 Issued 26.09.18 WL81 £7.78 - £8.53 WL91 £8.48 WL67 £124.48t

MINT CTO PRICE

Issued 04.08.18 WM81 £7.77 - £8.52 WM91 £8.47 WM67 £77.70 Issued 30.06.18 WK31 WK81 £7.80 WK41 - £8.55 - WK91 £8.50 WK66 WK67 £156.00 WK71 - £15.60 WK36 WK37 £7.80 WK68 WK69 £8.30 - WK95 £3.50 WK33 WK82 £4.68 - WK94 £5.38 WK70 - £22.50 Issued 14.06.18

WM31 WM41 - WM66

WJ31 WJ41 - WJ66 WJ64 WJ50

WJ81 - WJ91 WJ67 WJ65 -

£7.99 £8.74 £8.69 £79.90 £7.99 £35.00

WJ44

-

£250.00

WJ45 WJ39

- -

£250.00 £7.50

WJ97 WJ43 WJ68 WJ70

- £49.99 - £75.00 WJ69 £47.94 - £22.50

21

Last chance to buy - last few items remaining!

300 Years of Freemasonry Sheetlet (Mint) This sheetlet features the six intricately detailed stamps from the 300 Years of Freemasonry collection which have been printed with gold foil highlighting HM Queen’s head and the words ‘Isle’ and ‘Man’. Each stamp features a badge of office for senior officers within the lodge. There are additional discreet references to six important locations at the top of the stamps and other hidden mysteries, including some visible only under UV light.

VH64 £7.61

300 Years of Freemasonry Classic 300 Limited Edition Cover This cover, measuring 162mm x 229mm, features artwork and logos from the Classic 300 along with a full set of the 300 Years of Freemasonry stamps cancelled with a unique postmark dated for Sunday 21st May. It is completed with a filler card with informative issue text written

by Keith Dalrymple, Provincial Grand Master and Alex Downie OBE, Deputy Provincial Grand Master, both of The Provincial Grand Lodge of the Isle of Man. VH95 £10.00

Dr John Taylor Invention and Innovation Album A very special album which celebrates the life and career of innovator Dr John C Taylor OBE. Limited to just 500 copies, this wonderful album includes a signed First Day Cover exclusive to this collection along with his most famous invention, an actual bi-metal kettle switch.

VM45 £40.00 22

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Isle of Man Stamps & Coins, Isle of Man Post Office, PO Box 10M, Douglas, ISLE OF MAN, British Isles, IM99 1PB Telephone: +44 (0)1624 698430

Thank you for your order Isle of Man Stamps and Coins reserves the right to limit the supply of all product lines should the occasion arise where demand exceeds supply. The decision and allocation of available stock rests solely with Isle of Man Stamps and Coins.

23

Thank you!

We were delighted to receive more than 2,000 responses to our 2019 Customer Satisfaction Survey. Our 25 winners have now been randomly selected and notified, but we would like to take this opportunity to thank every person who took the time to answer our questions. The feedback gained is extremely valuable to us and will help us provide a service which best suits your needs.

Please be assured that we have listened to your suggestions and as always, will be working on continuing to improve our products and services. And, of course, thank you for the positive feedback, it really does mean a lot to us!

Here’s just some of your comments…

‘I was impressed with the stamps about soldiers who fought in the 1st World War’ ‘Stamps and covers arrive well packaged & in first class condition’

‘Would like to see more bird stamps’

‘Your staff are a pleasure to deal with’

‘I am very happy with the level of service you offer’

‘Publications are fully informative’

‘ I would like to see more cultural themes’

You suggested – we listened!

Through the survey we have received lots of fantastic ideas and the first one we are taking on board is the introduction of ‘editor’s choice’ which is a brand new newsletter feature whereby our customers can share their collections with others who share their passion. Should you wish to take part and be included in this brand new feature please email stamps@iompost.com. You must be willing to answer a couple of questions about your hobby and share your picture.

Privacy Notice Our privacy notice is available to view at www.iompost.com/privacy.

Should you have any queries please contact the Isle of Man Post Office’s Data Protection Officer on +44 (0)1624 698485 or dpo@iompost.com.

GUARANTEE OF SATISFACTION If you are not completely satisfied with any products we will gladly exchange or refund your money! All we ask is that you return the item to us with proof of purchase within 14 days of receipt.

Isle of Man Stamps and Coins reserves the right to limit the supply of all product lines should the occasion arise where demand exceeds supply. The decision and allocation of available stock rests solely with Isle of Man Stamps and Coins.

Don’t Miss a Single Stamp - Open a Standing Order Account For more information please visit www.iompost.com/standingorder or alternatively contact our team on +44 (0) 1624 698430 who will be pleased to help.