This is the place for all new slogans for September, and any other interesting postal markings that I find or which are reported. August was a totally blank month as far as I am aware - does anybody remember having another such month in the recent past?
Already we have had two new slogans, and two of the illustrations have added twists!
Pride Month revisited. For some reason Preston's Lancashire and South Lakes Mail Centre started off the month going back in time to June when Pride Month 2021 was celebrated. This is one twist, and the example from DP showing its use on 02/09/2021 had the added twist of using a forged 1st class Large Signed For stamp. (Apparently this was not scanned at the PO - so probably dropped in a box - but scanned on delivery.) Note this doesn't have the 'Delivered by Royal Mail' segment.
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| June 2021 Pride Month slogan reused 02/09/2021 at Preston Mail Centre (Lancashire and South Lakes). |
I believe the last line of the postmark indicates machine 131, whereas this one, also from DP later the same day is from machine 151. This is the correct 'supporting child mental health with Action for Children' default. This Christmas stamp is a forgery.
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| Default 'Action for Children' slogan used 02/09/2021 at Preston Mail Centre (Lancashire and South Lakes). |
Update 9 September: My thanks to John Enfield for reminding me yet again about the numbering system on these machines, now corrected above. "The first 3 digits of the bottom line of Integrated Mail Processor cancellations show the machine number. IMPs are numbered in a national series, and Preston has 131, 144 and 151. (The next 2 digits denote the half-hour period of the day in which the item was processed, and the last 5 are a unique item identifier).
"Intelligent Letter Sorting Machines (iLSMs) are numbered locally, and thus the 'Dorset & S W Hants' slogan [below] came from Poole's iLSM 2. (Again the next 2 digits denote the half-hour period, and the last 5 are a unique identifier)."
Another new slogan was announced by Royal Mail on social media (specifically Twitter) but they didn't indicate how long it would be in use for. This one marks the success of TeamGB and Paralympics GB at the Tokyo 2020 event. [They won't be painting any postboxes, just as they didn't for Rio 2016.]
This reads
Congratulations
to all our
Team GB and
ParalympicsGB
athletes
Tokyo 2020
From DP again at Preston's Lancashire and South Lakes Mail Centre and from MM who provides one from Southampton Portsmouth & IOW both 06/09/2021. DP's Christmas stamp is also a forgery.
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| Congratulations Tokyo 2020 slogan used 06/09/2021 at Preston Mail Centre (Lancashire and South Lakes). |
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| Congratulations Tokyo 2020 slogan used 06/09/2021 at Southampton Mail Centre. |
[Update] Royal Mail's publicity for this showed the wrong format for the Southampton Mail Centre (and missing the time):
Update 8 September: Thanks to KD we now know that the slogan is in use for longer than just one day, as he has sent this other layout from Dorset & S.W. Hants mail centre on 07-09-2021.
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| Congratulations Tokyo 2020 slogan used 07/09/2021 at Dorset & S.W. Hants Mail Centre. |
UPDATE 16 September - we now know that the Olympics slogan was in use until 10 September, when the system reverted to the default, as shown here from North West Midlands Mail Centre on 11 September.
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| 'Action for Children' slogan used 1109/2021 at North West Midlands Mail Centre |
Nothing more was expected, save perhaps for something promoting the DC-Comics stamps, but then events in New York brought a rethink, as Emma Raducanu won the Women's US Open Tennis title. The last time there was a British winner of a major a sheet of stamps was issued:
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| Miniature sheet of 4 stamps issued to mark Andy Murray winning the Wimbledon Men's title, 2013. |
No news yet from Royal Mail about a similar commemoration for Britain's new champion (would it make as much money as popular American comics?) but at least they rushed out a special slogan postmark which ran from 13-16 September.
Congratulations
Emma Raducanu
2021 US Open
Women's Chamption
A First class performance!
Some people posted comments to the blog, which I declined as, at the same time, others were sending the actual images, so thanks to the large number of people who wrote about this including PW, MB, KD, MM, JG, CH, JE, JN, JW & RW who remarked that Exeter seem to have found the ink drum again:
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| Emma Raducanu slogan postmark Exeter Mail Centre 14-09-2021 |
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| Emma Raducanu slogan postmark Lancashire and South Lakes (Preston Mail Centre) 13/09/2021 |
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| Emma Raducanu slogan postmark Plymouth and Cornwall Mail Centre 15-09-2021 |
UPDATE 20 September. I received a poor copy of a new slogan today, which followed straight on from the Tennis one. This was used at Greenford/Windsor Mail Centre on 17/09/2021 and has a comet logo and the following text.
Alzheimer's
Research
UK
Learn about dementia
and support our work at
alzres.uk/learn
Good copies to come, hopefully - over to you! My thanks to JH for this less than perfect but much better example from Manchester Mail Centre 18/09/2021
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| Alzheimer's Research slogan Manchester mail centre 18/09/2021 |
Thanks also to JE & MM for more Manchester Examples and one from Glasgow - the latter on an uncancelled stamp torn from another envelope and taped onto a new one! So much for revenue protection.
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| Alzheimer's Research slogan Glasgow mail centre 18-09-2021 |
(The surfeit of Manchester examples is because they handle Preston mail on Saturdays)
If you received one of these postmarks, log it on 'Catch the Comet'
UPDATE 21 September. Well, Alzheimer's Research UK didn't get long, and Royal Mail have now switched their allegiance to the Greetings Card Association and Thinking of You Week. A letter arrived here at Norvic towers moments ago from Cornwall Mail Centre posted 20/09/2021.
Send A Card
Deliver A Smile for
Thinking of You Week
20th-26th September 2021
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| Thinking of You Week slogan, Cornwall Mail Centre 20/09/2021 |
This one from Dublin is simpler (from KD), and doesn't reveal the 'special' week behind it.
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| Dublin Ireland Mails Centre 'Send Love; slogan 10.09.21 |
Update 23 September: Thanks to RW for the alternative layout of the Royal Mail slogan from Medway Mail Centre 20-09-2021
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| Thinking of You Week slogan, Medway Mail Centre 20/09/2021 |
Update 4 October. Thanks to RW who sent this similar one from the USPS, where 'spray-on' cancels are getting better!
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| USPS 'Thinking of You' station postmark 29 September 2021. |
UPDATE 28 September: The latest government initiative for tackling climate change involves encouraging small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to sign up to the SME Climate Hub.
TOGETHER SME
FOR OUR Climate
PLANET HUB
Start your Net Zero business journey
businessclimatehub.org/uk
Used from 25/09/2021 (Gatwick seen); this example from Chester & N Wales 27/09/2021
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| Together for our Planet SME Climate Hub - Chester & N.Wales 27/09/2021 |
UPDATE 2 October: The last September slogan carries on into October as it is for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Once again RW was the first to send an image (below). This example is from Nottingham dated 30/09/2021.
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| Breast Cancer Awareness Month postmark slogan, Nottingham, 30/09/2021 |
Convenient Delivery - Parcelforce
Here's one I found while going through my cupboard. I don't think I've seen one before or since! We don't get much from Parcelforce these days with the competition (Amazon, UPS, DHL, etc) so evident.
This came on a parcel from Stanley Gibbons in 2015, which was delivered to the village post office for collection - possibly because SG used my PO Box (which Parcelforce can't access) instead of the street address. Note it is Post Office Parcelforce and reference to scanning it in and our on Horizon, so this must have been only for deliveries to branches. The label number PW991/08 suggests that this was printed in 2008.
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| Post Office Parcelforce 'Convenient Delivery label PW991/08 used 2015. |
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