New slogan postmarks, and FDCs with slogans

As mentioned earlier, the start of the 2015 Rugby World Cup competiton - and the issue of a set of stamps - was marked by a Royal Mail slogan postmark.    This was preceded by the National Letter Writing Week slogan, and followed closely by one marking the Greeting Card Association’s Thinking of You Week.  

Which didn't leave much time for the Rugby World Cup slogan.  In fact the timing, taking account Royal Mail's declared dates (for delivery) and the (usually earlier) actual dates of use Rugby had only 2-3 days!  Officially

·         National Letter Writing Week was on mail delivered from Monday 14 to Thursday 17th September 
·         The Rugby World Cup postmark was uploaded to the machines on 17th September so that the postmark was on mail delivered on 18th and 19th.
·         Thinking of You was uploaded on 18th so that the postmark is on mail and delivered from Monday 21^st to Thursday 24^th September.
 
Fortunately collectors are getting used to new postmarks for new stamps and are ready with covers to post for the day of issue.

Here are the Medway Mail Centre iLSM and Preston Mail Centre IMP examples, the latter on a 1st class Rugby stamp (thanks to JE for both of these).  Also one from RW from Exeter Mail Centre, with a cds as well.

The first copy of the Thinking of You Week slogan comes from Croydon Mail Centre courtesy of BM.

Although this and the National Letter Writing Week slogans are obviously intended to encourage use of stamps, it's unfortunate that the new stamp issue slogan, also promoting one of the year's biggest sporting events,was squeezed into two days before slogans with a commercial bent.  Perhaps Royal Mail are once again taking payment for promotional slogans as they did for so long.

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