May 2021 slogan and other interesting postmarks

April continued the mass of slogans that we had in March, starting with the continuation of an old one and a day 1 mistake!  This is the only place where May slogans will be shown, so check back to the beginning of the month before taking time to scan and report.  Also, the Action for Children slogan is the default, should there be any days without new slogans.

The slogan urging electors to Post Early to Vote Early for the 6th May elections was not intended to be used in Northern Ireland as there were no elections there.  Instead the slogan used nationally from (we think) 26 April until 3 May marking the Centenary of Northern Ireland was intended to be used until the end of May at Belfast Mail Centre (Northern Ireland's only MC).

UPDATE from JE: the 'Northern Ireland beyond 100 slogan', this was used UK-wide from 24 to 30 April not from 26 April to 3 May as indicated above. On 1 May, of course, the 'Vote Early' slogan of 22-23 April made its reappearance for 1 day, followed by the Covid-19 Vaccine slogan from 4 to 6 May.

Thanks to JE we can show a clean example of the Voting slogan from Manchester Mail Centre on 01/05/2021.

Post Early to Vote Early slogan, 1 May use in Manchester Mail Centre.

However, the Vote Early slogan was also used at Belfast Mail Centre on 1 May - to the surprise of locals who wanted a copy of the Beyond 100 slogan!  Doubtless this will be corrected and we will see the correct slogan soon.

Thanks to JP for this picture of the Belfast slogan:

Post Early Vote Early slogan mistakenly used at Belfast Mail Centre 01/05/2021

UPDATE 12 May: JE comments:

the key point is that NIMCs IMPs have been programmed to apply the 'Northern Ireland Beyond 100' slogan to letters addressed to BT postcodes, but the current slogan (or default) to letters addressed to all other postcodes.  The reverse applies to IMPs in England and Wales (there are no IMPs in Scottish Mail Centres). For example, on 7 April I sent a letter to Belfast, and this received the 'Northern Ireland Beyond 100' slogan, but covers I posted to myself and to Leeds and Edinburgh received the 'Mental Health Awareness Week' slogan.  Thus two different slogans were in use simultaneously in all IMPs, and JP's cover happened to get the wrong one!

Meanwhile BW in Dublin reports that a letter from JP received the Mental Health Awareness slogan on 8 May, while he was wanting the Beyond 100 - but JE's explanation above shows why he didn't get it.

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UPDATE: A new Covid-19 slogan was introduced yesterday 04/05/2021, thanks to JE for the one from Lancashire & South Lakes, to MM for the Jubilee Mail Centre version, and to KD who first reported it but had an example so poor that he didn't scan it.  

EVERY
COVID-19 VACCINATION
GIVES US HOPE

Every Covid-19 Vaccination Gives Us Hope - three line version from Jubilee Mail Centre and 4-line version from Lancashire and South Lakes 04/05/2021

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UPDATE 10 MAY.  Thanks to JE for the latest slogan, for this year's Mental Health Awareness Week.  Whether or not we know we have been personally affected (and many people don't realise) mental health problems have been exacerbated by the pandemic and successive lockdowns and rule changes.  

This Mental Health
Awareness Week
10-16 May 2021
#ConnectWithNature

Mental Health Awareness Week 2021 postmark slogan Lancashire & South Lakes 07/05/2021

And this is why #ConnectWithNature is the theme: MHF Website.

UPDATE 13 May: the other layout from Norwich Mail Centre 11-05-2021

Mental Health Awareness Week 2021 postmark slogan Norwich 11-05-2021

 

 

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As usual, this is the place for you to record slogan and other interesting postmarks for other collectors and for long-term recording by the British Postmark Society.

I'll try to record everything but if I don't fit yours in it's probably because I didn't have time when I first received your image and then forgot about it as it moved down the email list.  Give me a nudge!

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