A brief look at Jersey Post

We spent the last two weeks on the Channel Island of Jersey and whilst postal matters weren't uppermost in my mind, I did take a few snaps and couldn't help but notice that most of the PO branches I saw were in other retail premises, much like in the UK.

Jersey is an autonomous and self-governing British Crown Dependency.  At 45 square miles Jersey is the largest of the Channel Islands. As of 2024, the island had a population of 104,540, with nearly half a million (business and tourist) visitors over the year. 

According to Jersey Post there are twelve post offices on the island - including four in St Helier - and I know for a fact that the one in Gorey village (within Morrisons Daily) is closed.

From Jersey Post website Sept 2026; whoever created this Google map put far more information on it, including postboxes and boxes with late collections, but at this level of zoom it doesn't show the post office branches!  The website has a list which, like PO UK, zooms to the location when selected.

The Broad Street branch was opened as the General Post Office in 1909.

The Post Office in Broad Street, St Helier, which is a pedestrianised street.

The branch has six self-service kiosks (two of which were down for maintenance). I was told at the counter that none of these dispensed Post and Go stamps, despite Jersey Post (JP) continuing to issue them.  

Union flag stamp issued from Broad Street Post & Go machine 2014

Jersey flag stamp issued at a UK Exhibition site in 2014

The JP philatelic website does indicate that the ones they sell will not have the Broad Streeet inscription.  I've emailed JP to ask where P&G stamps are actually sold.  

For at least 10 years JP has  been replacing its diesel vehicles with electric versions such as the one shown here in St Helier, and has recently taken on a fleet of mini-vans, but I didn't notice any of those.

Jersey Post Electric van pictured at St Helier 2026 (it's not parked on the pavement, it's in a loading bay).

Jersey boasts the most southerly Post Office in the British Isles, which happened to be the closest to where we were staying. It's located in the M&S Food Store at St Clement and is only open 10-2 (while the shop is open from 8am-8pm).  Consequently I never used it, although I did take these photos of the postbox and plaque.

Most Southerly PO in British Isles St Clement Jersey September 2026.

Finally, for now anyway, a few postboxes.  Most of the active ones have the cypher and crown highlighted in gold paint, which is a nice touch.   

Collections at main boxes are at 6am for same day delivery, 10 am "For today's UK despatch or next working day local delivery", and 4pm "For today's UK despatch".  A Saturday collection is at 11 am from which UK mail is not despatched until Monday.  

1.  Outside Jersey Zoo.  

2. Disused box at La Corbière.  With it's curled lip someone on #PostboxSaturday (X) likened this to Elvis Presley (Return to Sender?)

 

3. The only postbox topper I saw.  This is outside the branch officially known as Les Quennevais Post Office (St Brelade), although for public transport purposes the area is known as Red Houses. The branch is in the Co-op Locale (address La Route des Quennevais, Jersey JE3 8LL.)

Postbox topper at Les Quennevais Post Office (St Brelade) September 2026.

Jersey Telecom maintains a large number of public telephone boxes which still have working payphones in them, unlike the UK.  This is at Green Island Beach, St Clement.  

Jersey Telecom, owned by taxpayers, now runs telecoms services in every school, hospital, prison and government building in the three Crown Dependencies of Guernsey, Jersey and the Isle of Man, following the May takeover of Manx Telecom.  I was told that they are also eyeing up KCOM (Kingston on Hull) services in the UK, which is up for sale.

 

 

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There's something you should know: Music Giants XII bumper bundle of Duran Duran memorabilia issued on 17 September 2026

Music Giants 12 - hard to believe isn't it?   This is what WIkipedia has to say about the band:

Duran Duran are an English pop rock band. Formed in Birmingham in 1978 by keyboardist Nick Rhodes, guitarist (later bassist) John Taylor and singer/bassist Stephen Duffy. The band went through several early changes before the band's line-up settled in May 1980 as Rhodes, Taylor, singer Simon Le Bon, guitarist Andy Taylor and drummer Roger Taylor.

And this is what Royal Mail say:

Few bands have defined the sound and style of an era quite like Duran Duran. As pioneers of the New Romantic movement and one of the most influential groups of the 1980s, their blend of innovative pop, striking visual identity, and boundary-pushing music videos helped rewrite the rules of global stardom.

The stamp issue coincides with the start of the band's UK and European Tour in Autumn 2026.

The stamps  

Set of 8 x 1st class Duran Duran stamps issued 17 September 2026.

The stamps show the album artwork for Duran Duran, Rio, Ragged Tiger, Notorious, The Wedding Album, Astronaut, Paper Gods, and Future Past.  (No acknowledgements available.)

Miniature Sheet

Miniature sheet of 4 x 1st class Duran Duran stamps issued 17 September 2026 - what a mess! 

Technical details

The 38 x 35 mm stamps were designed by Royal Mail using existing album cover artwork. They were printed by Cartor Security Printers in lithography in gummed sheets of 48, in se-tenant strips of four, perf 14.

The 180 x 74 mm miniature sheet was designed by True North and printed by Cartor Security Printers in litho on self-adhesive paper.  Two stamps are 27 x 37 mm, one 37 x 27 mm perf 14, and one 35 mm square perf 14.5.

The stamps on the MS show posters for the Careless Memories Tour (1981), Sing Blue Silver Tour (1983-4), Astronaut Tour (2005-6), and the Invisible Tour (2025). 

This is the first miniature sheet that has a printed image on the rear of the sheet and features the four current band members: John Taylor, Roger Taylor, Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes, as seen here on images of the press sheet of 12 miniature sheets (price £86.40)

Prestige Stamp Book

Sadly this once again includes two definitives which we have seen before from PSBs, the 50p and £1, coded M26L MPIL as expected. 

A limited edition (3,000) PSB has a red cover as shown and comes in a matching display box. It also includes five special postcards. (£50)

Collector sheet and fan sheets

As with all Collector sheets  10 x 1st class stamps (which means duplicating two of the stamps from the set) and accompanying labels.  As expected the stamps are self-adhesive unlike the sheet stamps. Price £19.20

Duran Duran Collector Sheet of 10 self-adhesive stamps

Two Fan Sheets, one for the Invisible Days Tour including four stamps from the miniature sheet, and one for the album Seven and the Ragged Tiger. The sheets are printed in the same way as the original stamps, so now new stamps.  The edition is 10,000 of each, individually numbered, priced £10 

Products available (if I don't run out of space!)

Set of 8 stamps, miniature sheet, presentation pack, first day covers (2, or 3 if you count the pointless PSB pane cover), prestige stamp book (PSB), limited edition PSB (£50), stamp cards, collector sheet, Fan Sheets (2), press sheet of 12 miniature sheets,  medal cover with set of stamps (£25), set and MS on 2 separate 'souvenir carriers' (£7.50), Limited edition silver ingot (£25), framed set & MS (£45), framed set (£40), framed collector sheet (£40), signed framed Invisible Days fan sheet - edition of 25 (£300).

Phew!

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Slogan postmarks for September? Maybe - and other interesting postmarks and news

I am writing this at the end of August as I won't know until the middle of September what has happened during the month.

I expect September to start with the British Heart Foundation (BHF) default slogan, but I this should soon make way for a slogan marking Air Ambulance Week which this year runs from 7-13 September.  Postmarks should appear all week until Saturday 12th.  Then the BHF slogan should return.

Update 14 September:  Thank you to everyone who sent examples of September's slogans, and especially to RW who scoops the jackpot by providing good examples of everything!

1. British Heart Foundation default slogan, both types.  Northern Ireland Mail Centre and Norwich Mail Centre both used 2 September.

Both formats of the British Heart Foundation Northern Ireland Mail Centre 02/09/2026 and Norwich Mail Centre 02-09-2026

 

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2. Air Ambulance Week.  The slogan is in the format used in previous years.  Examples from Tyneside NE/SR Mail Centre and Mount Pleasant Mail Centre.

Support your
Air Ambulance

Air Ambulance Week
September 7th - 13th

 

Support Your Air Ambulance Mount Pleasant Mail Centre 08-09-2026

Support Your Air Ambulance Tyneside NE/SR Mail Centre 08/09/2026

Royal Mail publicity image on X - I quite like this as it draws attention to the subject.

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UPDATE 15 September.

As anybody who has received stamped mail will know we are back to the BHF default this week, but I am expecting the annual Send A Card campaign to get a 'Thinking of you' slogan very soon. The week officially starts on 21 September, which is next Monday, so it is quite likely that the slogan will start on this Friday (18th) - look out for examples, and let's hope we can have a full house as we did for the airi ambulance.

 

 

 

 

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Other postmarks and postal markings

Holmbush update - JF has sent an additional example of the Morse-type self-inking-date stamp, with the index letter A, rather than the H shown earlier. 

Holmbush Post Office index letter A 'Morse' type SID 24 AUG 2026.

As with all the 'Morse' postmarks it lacks the proper spacing between the letters.

It appears thus  .--.---...----..-...-...-.-.

instead of  .--. --- ... - --- ..-. ..-. .. -.-.   

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Remember, slogan postmarks appearing in September will be added to this post so check here before you spend time scanning and emailing.

A reminder of what these monthly listings are for.

For each month I record the different slogans in use, plus the default slogan that is used when there is nothing else.

For each of these I try to record only one of each of the basic two types, plus any that are reversed on square envelopes, which normally only gives three or four.  

Occasionally a slogan appears with different line spacing in the same format.

I do not record multiple versions of the same as any of these unless I later get a much better example of one that I showed purely for the record, but which is otherwise not very clear.

The only exception to this, which doesn't seem to happen much these days, is when a slogan is used well out of time.  

I mention this only to avoid readers unnecessarily duplicating what has already been provided.

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Holiday time again - back in mid-September!

It is ten years after our epic journey to New Zealand etc - it doesn't seem that long ago, but then available time is filled so much it seems to flash by these days.

So we are having a much shorter break, just two weeks and nowhere near as far.

I'm going to try to avoid anything to do with the business, this (like that last trip) is sharing time, so it is quiet likely that blog comments will not be moderated - please don't repeat them just because they haven't been published.

For the few who still use it, the shop will be closed.  

Sometime in September I'll kick-off the aerogrammes offer again, having taken over another wide-ranging quantity of NVI and much earlier issues which are useful for the collector as well as the user. There will be some back to the pre-decimal period, some Forces and some non-stamped versions just for fun.

The Music Giants issue will be revealed on 10 September, and I'll be back the following week so you won't have long to wait before seeing your caustic comments in 'print'. 

I did find a relevant set of stamps for this post.

 

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Slogan postmarks for August? Maybe - and other interesting postmarks and news

We are a 18 days through August but so far I have had no reports of new slogans.  Mind you, with the low amount of stamped mail anyone receives these days - apart from dealers and other collectors - it's hardly surprising that we have had no reports yet, not even for the default British Heart Foundation (BHF) slogan.

Mind you, the BHF slogan may not continue for much longer.  John F reports seeing this on Royal Mail's website: 

Royal Mail are working in partnership with the charity Missing People to raise awareness of their support services for anyone who may be thinking about disappearing, anyone already away from home, or friends and family with a missing loved one.

Update: John has advised that this partnership has been running for a number of years - although I've never seen any evidence of 'raising awareness' - so it is unlikely that it will replace the BHF slogan.

On which subject I received two today, sadly on the same envelope from Sheffield Mail Centre. Margaret also sent one from Home Counties North, date unclear.

British Heart Foundation slogan Sheffield Mail Centre 17 August 2026

British Heart Foundation slogan Home Counties North ?? August 2026

UPDATE 20 August. I am pleased to say that SS in Canada has now returned from holiday and has sent a couple of items for inclusion here.  Out of 11 UK packages only three were postmarked and on one the stamps were pen-cancelled. The other 7 had nothing!  Anyway, here is a much clearer BHF slogan from Birmingham Mail Centre on 11/08/2026.

British Heart Foundation slogan Birmingham Mail Centre 11 August 2026

As a reminder of an occasional non-slogan ink-jet postmark, JohnH has sent this one from North & West Yorkshire showing a situation when the machine settings do not produce a slogan, only a summary.

Non-slogan inkjet postmark from North & West Yorkshire, 18/08/2026

 

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Other postmarks and postal markings

At the time of writing I haven't found anything to show here, but in the absence of anything new I shall probably delve into history!

Another one from SS in Canada, who received this package from Wotton Under Edge in Gloucestershire.  Nice use of the top three values of the datamatrix Machin stamps and 3 x 20p for the £8.60 up to 100 g rate International Tracked and Signed. 

Wotton Under Edge self-inking datestamp 27 July 2026

The post office is in the Co-operative supermarket in Long Street (Google Streetview 2025)

A dull day in Wotton Under Edge, outside the post office, July 2025.

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Remember, slogan postmarks appearing in August will be added to this post so check here before you spend time scanning and emailing.

A reminder of what these monthly listings are for.

For each month I record the different slogans in use, plus the default slogan that is used when there is nothing else.

For each of these I try to record only one of each of the basic two types, plus any that are reversed on square envelopes, which normally only gives three or four.  

Occasionally a slogan appears with different line spacing in the same format.

I do not record multiple versions of the same as any of these unless I later get a much better example of one that I showed purely for the record, but which is otherwise not very clear.

The only exception to this, which doesn't seem to happen much these days, is when a slogan is used well out of time.  

I mention this only to avoid readers unnecessarily duplicating what has already been provided.

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The nation's favourite.... Pets? 5 x 2nd, 5 x 1st issued 20 August 2026.

Conscious that they have issued pet stamps before, Royal Mail have expanded the range from cats and dogs and cats & dogs in one set, to show a range of ten pets including fish, reptiles, rodents and of course a cat and dog (kitten and puppy).

Their write-up:

For centuries pets have held a cherished place in our homes and hearts. From the soothing purr of a cat to the joyful wag of a dog’s tail, animals enrich our lives with companionship, loyalty, and boundless affection. This special stamp issue celebrates the everyday animals that share our lives and shape our stories—whether curled at our feet, perched on a favourite branch, or bustling about in lively tanks and hutches. 

Five x 2nd class and five x 1st class stamps feature some of the much loved domestic companions, capturing the unique personality, charm, and character that make pets such treasured members of our families. Beyond their adorable faces, these animals represent comfort, friendship, emotional support, and the simple joys that brighten even the busiest days. 

The stamps

2nd class: Rabbit, goldfish, hamster, tortoise, budgerigars.
1st class: Fancy rat, dog, cat, cockatiel, guinea pig.

 

Technical Details 

The 35 mm square stamps are printed in lithography on gummed paper by Cartor Security Printers Ltd in two sheets of 50, perforated 14½.  Apparently no third-party design studio was involved, it was just a case of book the photographer for 'bring your pet to work day'.

Update: I find that the FDC insert provides some more details about the images used:  The Cockatiel is © cynoclub/iStock/Getty Images Plus; goldfish is © Life on White/Alamy Stock Photo; all others © Warren Photographic Ltd.

Products available

Set of 10 stamps, first day cover, presentation pack, stamp cards, framed set (£40)

UPDATE:

It's been pointed out on Postcrossing and by Linn's Stamp News that the same goldfish previously appeared in the USPS Pets set in August 2016.   It's available on the Shutterstock image website.

 

Four of the USPS Pets stamps issued in August 2016

As an aside, and in response to Comments about stamps fro Fujeira, I'll just show these which were not unathorised trash but which are actually postally used from the FPO.  Some Fujeira is very collectable, especially on cover.

 

 

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Hoard of aerogrammes found - ideal for social writing or for putting on parcels.

Aerogrammes have not been issued by Royal Mail for many years but they can still be used.

Originally they could be purchased singly, or in packs of 10, or promotional packs of 6, some of which contained a surprise pictorial edition behind the five plain ones.   I wrote about the inception and early history here.   They all had a face value until Christmas 1988; after that most had  a non-value indicator although Christmas 1989 was 30p.

Many commemorative editions were issued, mostly by the Scottish Postal Board, and some packs of attractive thematic designs.  Christmas editions were also issued, and these and a few others exist in Welsh editions.

Note: All the trains are sold except for a used set.  Most of the birds are gone but I still have some odds, no full sets.  Many non-illustrated ones still in stock, plus a selection of pictorial and Christmas. 

Importantly if you still write real letters to friends abroad - or want to surprise them - these are still valid for normal use.  In addition, like any other item of postal stationery they can be fixed to large packets and parcels (see below) and their postage value is currently £3.60.

I have over 150 of these which I can offer for £1.50 each, with further discounts for large quantities. Postage is free in the UK for payment by bank transfer or cheque and subsidised for collectors outside the UK.  

Please leave a comment [you MUST use a name, not Anonymous] saying how many you want and if you have any preference for type AND send an email to my usual address with your details (it's  ian@norphil.co.uk). Once your comment is published you will know that I have seen it, and I'll answer emails as soon as possible.

Example of 26p aerogramme fixed to a large letter sent to China.

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