Several collectors have remarked that so far 2014 has had no Generic Smilers Sheets and very few Commemorative Sheets. We can now complete the programme for the rest of the year - special postmarks (if any) for all sheets except Christmas will be shown here as they are announced.
16 October 2014 Commemorative Sheet - Donald Campbell.
It is 50 years since Donald Campbell became the first person to set both water and land speed records in the same year.
Containing 10 x First Class Union Flag stamps, the Commemorative Sheet is packed with key information, images and photos including;
- a timeline of Donald Campbell’s achievements up to and including the Water Speed Record at Lake Dumbleyung, Australia in 1964;
- a summary of his early life and business career prior to becoming a speed record breaker plus a short feature on his father, Sir Malcolm Campbell;
- Technical details of the Bluebird CN7 car and Bluebird K7 boat he developed with Leo Villa for his attempts on the Water Speed Record (WSR) and Land Speed Record (LSR).
- A log of the speeds recorded for both the Bluebird CN7 and Bluebird K7 and where and when they were achieved.
UPDATE 6 October
Two special postmarks have been produced in connection with this anniversary Commemorative Sheet.
13234 can be obtained from the London Special Handstamp Centre, and 13243 from the North of England SHC in South Shields. (Images from the Royal Mail Postmark Bulletin with permission)
Postmarks are actually dated 16th October.
4 November 2014 Christmas Generic Sheet - postmarks for this issue will be on the website.
The self-adhesive sheet contains 8 x 2nd class, 8 x 1st class, 2 x £1.28 and 2 x £1.47 making two complete sets (unlike last year's sheet which had a £2.15 as well, and only one complete set: Royal Mail do listen to comments!)
11 November 2014 World War I Christmas Truce Commemorative Sheet
The Christmas Truce is seen as a symbolic moment of peace and humanity amidst one of the most violent events in modern history. This Commemorative Sheet explores the events that led to the truce, the activities - decorating the trenches with candles, carol singing, exchanging of gifts and the games of football - supported by eyewitness accounts, from both sides, newspaper articles and artefacts.
The 1914 Christmas Truce began on Christmas Eve along the British and German lines around Ypres, Belgium. The impulse to celebrate the holiday season has been traced to several theories. Among these was the fact that the war was only four months old and the level of animosity between the ranks was not as high as it would be later. This was complimented by sense of shared discomfort as the early trenches lacked amenities and were prone to flooding. Also, the landscape, aside from the newly dug trenches, still appeared relatively normal, with fields and intact villages all of which contributed to a degree of civilization to the proceedings.
UPDATE; 4 November
Special postmarks will be available on the day this anniversary Commemorative Sheet is issued.
Ref 13241 will be available from the Midland SHC in Birmingham. 13265-7 will be in use at London SHC at Mount Pleasant. Please note these images are not to scale.
19 November 2014 Lunar New Year - Year of the Sheep Generic Sheet
The fourth in the series, following on from the 2014 Year of the Horse sheet in 2013, Year of the Snake sheet in 2013 and Year of the Dragon sheet in 2012. The sheet features 20 Firework stamps from the Smilers range alongside the five elemental Sheep types Water, Wood, Fire, Earth & Metal, celebrations of Chinese communities from around the UK and imagery associated with the celebrations
UPDATE 4 November
The postmark shown will be in use on 19 November at the London SHC, Mount Pleasant.
1 December 2014 Kuala Lumpur 2014 FIP Exhibition Sheet
This will be the first time Malaysia will have hosted an FIP exhibition and to commemorate the show Royal Mail will issue an Exhibition Sheet on the opening day of show which runs from 1st to 6th December 2014 at Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. The Exhibition Stamp Sheet will feature 20 iconic images relating to the country, including the Convention Centre in which the exhibition is being held, alongside 20 ‘Hello’ 1st Class stamps.
